I'll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman

Author:Lauren Thoman [Thoman, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Amateur Sleuth, Coming of Age
ISBN: 9781662509971
Google: P1U5zwEACAAJ
Publisher: Mindy's Book Studio
Published: 2023-04-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Eight

ROSE

“But . . . I don’t understand,” Rose said, her head swiveling between her father and Diane as they sat across the table from her, wearing matching unyielding expressions. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”

“He lied to the police, honey,” Diane said, her eyes skirting briefly to her husband before jumping back to Rose.

“You can see why we’re concerned,” her father added.

“That was just a misunderstanding,” Rose said.

“How did Deputy Gibson misunderstand?” Diane asked. “Did he or did he not say he was your cousin?”

“I said that, not him,” Rose said. “And just because that officer was being really mean. I thought if I said we were related, he’d be more likely to leave us alone.”

“Then show us the letters,” her father said.

Rose stared at him blankly.

“The letters he wrote to you,” her father clarified. “You told Deputy Gibson he was your cousin because you were scared, but he’s really your pen pal, right? Which means you have letters from him. Go get them and show them to us.”

“They’re—they’re private,” Rose stammered, her heart racing.

Her father frowned. “I thought I raised you better than to lie to us.”

“I’m not—”

He held up a hand, cutting her off. “Do not make this worse, Rose.”

“We just want the truth,” Diane added.

Rose’s mind spun frantically. She couldn’t think of anything to say. She couldn’t tell them the truth, but she couldn’t lie either.

“He didn’t have anywhere else to go,” she said finally. “I wanted to help him. Isn’t that why you’re running for mayor? To help people?”

“That’s different.”

“No, it isn’t. You told us that you saw a need and wanted to do something about it,” Rose argued. “Well, so did I. I met someone who needed help, and I helped him. He didn’t hurt anyone. He didn’t break any laws. He just needed help.”

“If he needs help, there are ways we can help him,” Diane said. “There are programs—”

“He doesn’t need a program.”

“Or there is a wonderful homeless ministry down at—”

“He’s not homeless either. You don’t understand!”

“We’re trying to understand, Rose, but you still haven’t given us any—”

“If you would just believe me that I know what I’m doing—”

“Rose,” her father cut in sharply, “stop interrupting your mother.”

“She is not my mother.”

She regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. For six years, Diane had packed her lunches, kissed her scrapes, attended her parent-teacher conferences. She’d held her hair back when she had the flu and wiped her tears when she had nightmares. No, she wasn’t her mom. But she was the closest thing she had.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to take it back. Not when Diane and her father were about to ruin everything.

Her father looked as though he’d been slapped. Diane swallowed, patting his hand, her head bobbing in a slow, rhythmic nod. “You’re right,” she said eventually, still patting Rose’s dad’s hand as if it were the only way she could make her mouth form words. “I told you I would never try to replace your mother, Rose, and I still mean that.

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