The Midnight Call That Shattered the Stillness
Suddenly, the phone rang at half past eleven at night. Emma had just drifted off to sleep, her husbands steady breathing beside her, when the shrill sound jolted her awake. Her heart thumped fasterat such an hour, nothing good could possibly be awaiting them.
“Edward,” she whispered, gently nudging her husband. “Edward, wake up! The phone.”
He sat bolt upright in bed, fumbling for the receiver. Emma watched as his face changed, turning paler by the second.
“What do you mean when?” he asked, his voice rough. “Yes yes I understand. Ill be there right away.”
Edward placed the receiver down with trembling fingers.
“Whats happened?” Emma whispered, half-knowing already that something irreversible had occurred.
“James and Alice” he swallowed hard. “A car accident. Both of them. Instantly.”
A heavy silence settled, broken only by the steady tick of the wall clock. Emma stared at her husband, unable to take it in.
Only two days ago, theyd all been in the kitchen together, sharing a pot of teaAlice laughing over her new apple pie recipe, and James, Edwards closest friend since university, recounting tales from his last fishing trip.
“And Lily?” Emma suddenly remembered. “Goodness, what about Lily?”
“She was at home,” Edward replied, hastily pulling on his trousers. “I need to go. They they need someone to identify them. And after”
“Im coming with you.”
“No!” He spun around. “Hannah would be left on her own. Theres no sense in frightening her in the middle of the night.”
Emma nodded, concedinghe was right. Involving their twelve-year-old daughter had to wait. At least for tonight.
She didnt close her eyes once all night. Instead, she wandered the flat, glancing at the clock every few minutes. She checked in on Hannah as she slept, her cheek squashed into her palm, auburn hair fanned across the pillowso peaceful, so fragile.
Edward returned at dawn, drained, his eyes rimmed red.
“Its all been confirmed,” he said, collapsing into the armchair. “Head-on with a lorry. They had no chance.”
“What will happen to Lily now?” Emma murmured, placing a strong mug of coffee before him.
“Ive no idea. Shes only got her grandmother left, and shes ancient, barely able to move about the house.”
They sat in silence for a while. Emma gazed out at the dull, grey light of morning. Lily, Edwards goddaughter, was Hannahs agea quiet, pale-haired slip of a girl, always a little on the edge.
“You know,” Edward said at length, “maybe maybe Lily could come and live with us?”
Emma turned quickly.
“Are you serious?”
“Why not? Theres plenty of space, and a spare room going unused. Im her godfather after all. I cant let her go into care!”
“Edward, its its a huge decision. We need to think about it. We have to talk to Hannah.”
“Whats to think about?” he replied, striking the table with his fist. “That little girl is an orphan! My goddaughter! I couldnt live with myself if I abandoned her!”
Emma bit her lip. Of course he was right, but everything felt so rushed, so unreal.
“Mum? Dad? Whats going on?” Hannahs sleepy voice startled them. “Why are you up so early?”
They exchanged a loaded glance. The moment of truth had arrived sooner than either expected.
“Come here, darling,” Emma began, “sit down. Weve got some very sad news.”
Hannah listened in silence, her eyes widening with every word. As her father explained about Lily coming to live with them, she suddenly jumped up.
“No!” she shouted. “I dont want her here! Let her stay with her grandmother!”
“Hannah!” Edward scolded. “How can you be so heartless? After everything shes gone through”
“What about me?” Hannahs eyes flashed. “Its not my fault! Why should I have to share my home with her? Or share you?”
She stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door. Emma looked at Edward, troubled.
“Maybe we shouldnt rush into this?”
“No,” he replied, voice firm. “The decisions made. Lily will live here. Hannah will have to adapt.”
A week later, Lily moved in. She was quiet and pale, her eyes blank. She spoke hardly at all, replying to questions only with shy nods.
Emma did her best to make Lily feel at home. She cooked Lilys favourite meals and bought new butterfly bedding for her room.
But Hannah persistently ignored Lily. She locked her bedroom door, and if they passed each other in the hallway, she would stare purposefully away.
“Stop acting like this,” her father lectured her. “Show some empathy!”
“What am I doing wrong?” Hannah shot back. “Im just pretending shes not here. I have that right! Its my house!”
Tension brewed daily. Emma ran herself ragged, trying to smooth things over between the girls. The more she tried, the worse it seemed to get.
Then the earrings went missingher favourite gold pair with little diamonds, a gift from Edward for their tenth anniversary.
“It was her! She took them!” Hannah declared when Emma noticed their absence. “I saw her go into your room when you were out!”
“I didnt!” For the first time, Lilys voice rose in protest. “I didnt take anything! Im not a thief!”
She ran weeping from the room. Edward glared at Hannah.
“You did that on purpose, didnt you? Youre trying to drive her out!”
“Im telling the truth!” Hannah stamped her foot. “Shes just pretending to be so sad, but actually”
“Enough!” Emma intervened. “Lets not argue. The earrings will turn up. Ive probably put them somewhere and forgotten.”
But then, three days later, a ring went missing from her jewellery boxa family keepsake passed down from Emmas mother.
“And so this just vanished, coincidentally?” Hannah asked sharply. “Or are we all just supposed to pretend?”
She stood in the centre of the sitting room, hands planted on her hipsa mini tornado. In the doorway, Lily trembled, biting her lip, fighting back tears.
Emma darted her gaze between the two girls. For the first time in days, she felt herself begin to understand.
Sitting on the edge of the bathtub with a bottle of iodine, shed been tending to a paper cut Lily had got, and suddenly an idea struck her. Iodinepersistent as a lie, unmistakable as the truth.
That night, after everyone was asleep, Emma crept to her jewellery box. Each ring, each earring, she marked with the tiniest dot.
“What am I doing?” she whispered in the darkness. “How far has this gone”
The next morning, a pendant vanished. At breakfast, the silence hung heavy over the table. Lily absent-mindedly stirred her cereal, Hannah stared fixedly out of the window, Edward nursed his coffee gloomily.
“Girls,” said Emma, trying to sound calm, “show me your hands.”
They looked at her, baffled.
“Why?” Hannah frowned.
“Just do it, please.”
Lily was the first to hold out her handsclean, not a mark on them. But Hannah hesitated.
“I dont want to!” She started to push her chair back.
“Sit down!” Edwards voice boomed. “Show your mother your handsnow!”
With lips pressed tight, Hannah reluctantly showed her palms. Tiny green marks glistened on the tips of her fingers.
Stunned silence filled the kitchen. The clock beat on, the water pipes hummed, and Edwards breath was ragged and thick in his chest.
“You” he was almost choking with fury, “you blamed Lily, when it was you all along”
Hannah bolted upright, knocking her chair over, her eyes wild with fearand something else. Maybe shame?
“I hate you!” she screamed. “I hate all of you!”
Before anyone could stop her, she dashed out into the hallway. The front door slammed behind her.
“Hannah!” Emma made to chase after her, but Edward gently gripped her shoulders.
“Let her be,” he said, voice hard. “She needs time to think.”
But as the hours crawled past, Hannah still didnt come home. The phone stayed silent. Dusk was falling and Emma was beside herself.
“We have to call the police,” she said shakily. “Its getting dark”
Then, after a long day of silence, Lily unexpectedly perked up.
“I think I know where she is.”
“How do you know?” Emma asked, surprised.
“I Ive seen her go there before. She likes to sit in the old bandstand in the park. Near the duck pond.”
“Why didnt you say something earlier?” Edward said, exasperated.
“You didnt ask,” Lily shrugged. “Id like to go and find her. On my own. Please?”
Emma glanced at Edward. There was something unfamiliar in Lilys voiceconfidence, maybe even bravery.
“Go on,” she nodded.
An hour passed. And then another. Evening had well and truly fallen by the time the doorbell rang.
There, on the doorstep, stood both girlshair tousled, faces blotched red. Hannahs eyes were swollen from crying, but the anger was gone. And Lily Lily was smiling for the first time.
“Mum,” Hannah murmured, “Im sorry. Ill give it all back.”
“I know, love,” Emma gathered her daughter up in her arms. “I know.”
“Its just I thought,” sobbed Hannah, “youd love her more than me. Shes so sad. And I”
“Dont be silly,” Lily said suddenly. “Youre being silly, Hannah. You cant steal loveits either there or its not.”
Emma looked at Lily in astonishment. How could a twelve-year-old speak such sense?
“We talked,” Lily explained, noticing her look. “For a long time. About everything.”
“And you know what?” said Hannah, breaking into a watery smile. “Shes brilliant. Our Lily, I mean. She loves Harry Potter too! And she plays chess! Mum, can she share my room? Please?”
Emma felt an enormous lump in her throat. She hugged both girls to her, holding them tightly. Somewhere in the flat, Edward blew his nose noisily.
Later, as the girls went off to bed, Emma overheard them whispering.
“Hey, can I call you sis?” Hannahs voice asked.
“Yes,” Lily replied, with laughter in her voice, “but only if”
“If what?”
“If you teach me how to make those bracelets. Yours are beautiful”
Emma quietly closed their door. In the kitchen, Edward was waiting with two glasses.
“You know,” he said thoughtfully, pouring out a deep red wine, “I reckon James and Alice are happy, up there somewhere.”
“You think?” Emma asked, accepting her glass.
“I do. Their girls finally home. With family. And now shes got a sister too.”
Stars twinkled outside the window. Somewhere far off, a dog barked. And in the childrens room, two girls whod only just become sisters whispered secrets to each other, slowly becoming family at last.
The Midnight Call That Shattered the Silence: When Tragedy Struck, One Family Faced Heartbreak, Accu…
