More Than We Remember by Christina Suzann Nelson

Author:Christina Suzann Nelson [Nelson, Christina Suzann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Fiction;Female friendship—­Fiction;Life change events—­Fiction;FIC042100;FIC042000;FIC044000
ISBN: 9781493422692
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2019-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

23

Tally insisted she’d seen Roger’s eyes roll back before he collapsed into the lamp. But how many times had Emilia spoken with witnesses who were positive about what they’d seen, only to find out that version of their story wasn’t even possible?

She’d asked Roger again if there was any chance he’d lost consciousness at the time, but he remained insistent. He remembered it all with such clarity, giving details down to the moment he fell into the lamp. Whom was she supposed to believe?

Eyewitness testimony was not as reliable as the general public believed. In fact, it was the most common factor in wrongful convictions. Translating that to her home life might seem off base to some people, but didn’t butchers bring home meat? If Emilia were a doctor, she’d surely evaluate her daughter’s symptoms when she became sick.

Choosing whose side to take was the issue. If Tally was right, Emilia should get the neurologist involved, which was a solid connection to more paperwork and more hoops to jump through for workers’ comp. Based on the experience she’d had already, nothing would change.

If she let Roger’s version of the story continue to win out, they’d keep moving along like they’d done for months. No new tests, no long meetings with doctors who had differing opinions, and no new hopes that would end in disappointment.

Either way, Tally was frustrated.

She knocked on her daughter’s door, giving her more privacy than her cop mind felt necessary.

“What?” Tally’s words hammered through.

Emilia opened the door and stepped in. For the first time that summer, the floor was clear of layered dirty clothes, papers, and dishes complete with dried-on leftovers. “Wow. What happened in here?”

“Seriously? You’re on me all the time about my room, and now that it’s cleaned up, you have a problem with that too?” Tally’s upper lip lifted to one side. “There’s just no winning around here.”

No kidding. Emilia and Tally finally had something they could agree on, but Emilia couldn’t and wouldn’t share that with her daughter. Hope was a fragile thread, and reality cut like the blade of a knife. There were so many things Tally didn’t have to know about at thirteen, so many she’d already seen, and so many Emilia would do anything to protect her from. Once hope was torn, it was nearly impossible to repair the fiber. “I meant that as a compliment. It looks great in here.”

The cocked lip dropped back into place, but Tally continued to stare her down with narrowed eyes. “I’m still grounded. What else am I supposed to do?”

“Hmm. You’re making discipline seem enticing from my perspective. Are you sure you want to do that?” Emilia winked.

Tally fell back onto the mound of pillows at the head of her bed. “Whatever.”

“Here’s the thing.” Emilia eased down onto the mattress beside her daughter. “I called in a favor at the parks and recreation department. I got you signed up for soccer camp. It starts Monday.” Her voice flew up an octave, as if her tone would dictate Tally’s reaction.

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