Darling Belle

Two

SEVEN YEARS AGO

Carefree laughter weaved and swelled through the crisp air as Little Maisie ran, the rubber soles of her pink flip-flops slapping against the bottom of her feet as her smooth, flaxen hair streamed out from behind. With giggles infesting her entire body, she struggled to catch her breath around the pounding heart in her mouth.

Sawyer and Saffron, a ginger boy and girl with freckled skin, fraternal twins she'd met through Noah, chased her, seven steps behind. It turned out they were her new neighbors. While Noah's house was on her right, the twin's home was on the left and hers was in between.

Eleven-year-old Maisie jumped over a log and into the thicket of trees, splinters embedding into her ankles, a bead of sweat dripping down the nape of her neck. The cracking of sun-dried branches beneath her feet. With every fleeting second, she grew weaker, ignoring the aching of her limbs that were pleading with her to collapse. It felt good to not think. To just run.

Maisie's birth had been a quick and painless process, Ma had told her. She was born fast, Ma quipped every-time Maisie sped past her, laughing that one day Maisie would leave everyone behind. Only it wouldn't be a joke in four years' time.

"Slow down!" shouted Saffron with a high-pitched voice as they exited the tiny forest between their homes.

Maisie peered over her shoulder. Sawyer was now on her tail, with Saffron following from behind with a limp. She turned her head back, edging close to her lawn, looking straight ahead and spotting the top of Noah's head peeking over the fence. He was watching her.

That's where you were hiding.

"Sawyer, Saffron! Dinners' ready!" called out the twin's mother, her voice muffled with distance.
They both instantly switched directions, forgetting about Maisie.

"I call dibs to sit next to Mom!" Sawyer dashed off.

She stopped in her tracks. Bending down to pluck out the splinters.

"Hey, no fair!" yelled Saffron, following suit.

Maisie glanced back. On her feet again, she scanned the yard; it looked like he was no longer there. Her brows furrowed as she walked toward the door of the fence. "Noah?"

He didn't make a peep, but she caught sight of him lying down on the earthy ground. When she reached him, she repeated his name. But instead of a verbal response, he pulled her down by the ankle, silencing her with a finger to his lips.

She parted her lips to protest.

But at that moment, she realized the babel came from inside her house. Ma and Dad fought sometimes. She blushed furiously, flattening herself into the grass with Noah. He didn't look at her. He only listened. So she did too.

"It's her fault."

Birds chirped.

"She's dying, Elias."

Maisie stiffened.

"Not fast enough."

Noah reached for her hand.

"You don't mean that."

The heat of his fingers transferred into her own.