End of Crows by R.A. Lingenfelter

Author:R.A. Lingenfelter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: RaeAnne Hadley
Published: 2021-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

I was sitting on my bed drying my hair when I heard a tentative knock. I knew immediately that it was my mom. Dad knocks hard and precise and Brice doesn’t knock at all.

“Come in.”

She opened the door and walked over to my bed, handing me a cup of hot cocoa. “I thought you might need this after today.”

I felt the tears well again, biting them back as I took the mug from her. “Topped with marshmallows, my favorite.”

“I haven’t had time to make whipped cream yet so these will have to do.”

“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate it.”

“Well you’ve had a tough couple of days and not the easiest life in the world. The least I can do is make it bearable time and again.” She cupped my cheek and I let the tears flow again. The soft contact made me feel human again, feel loved despite everything that had happened to make me feel otherwise.

“Mom, can I talk to you about something?”

“Baby, you can talk to me about anything. You should know that by now.”

“But what if I made a promise to keep a secret to someone.”

She sat back on my bed and held my hand. “Well, that’s complicated. Secrets can be dangerous. They can be dangerous for the person who holds it or dangerous for the people you keep it from. Is your secret dangerous for you or dangerous for the people you keep it from?”

“It keeps the people safe.”

“Then you must keep this secret and protect it.” I felt my breath hitch in my chest from crying earlier.

“Even from you?”

“Honey, I love you and I would give my life for you but in this world, with these circumstances, you shouldn’t trust anyone. If this person took you into their confidence and shared with you something that could save the Crows, you mustn’t ever betray their trust. They see something in you that is priceless. So keep your secret, Willow. Even from me.”

She hugged me and I gripped onto her so tight, not wanting to let go. She held and rocked me like she had when I was younger. I wished I could go back to being her little girl, knowing and trusting that she would keep me safe always. Unfortunately, I wasn’t her little girl anymore and the rolls were changing. I was now the one who was charged with keeping her safe…always.

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