Holding My Breath [Wattys 2016]

4 6 ~ A n n a

                 

Flashback ~ December 30, 2010

"Ouchy?" Toby asks, pointing at my head while he pulls himself up into my lap.

I pull the blanket further around us both. "Yeah, buddy. I got a boo-boo. Ouchy."

Mom and dad are in the kitchen arguing in harsh whispers. They've been in there for ten minutes already, leaving Toby and me on the couch.

It takes a few more minutes before the door to the kitchen creaks open again. I can already tell from the looks on their faces that what they have to say isn't what I expected. My mom isn't crying anymore. She's wearing the same hard look as dad is.

I don't move as dad sits on the coffee table in front of me. He releases a deep breath, then says words that I know will ring in my mind for a long time.

"Deny everything." His voice is deadly serious.

"What?" I ask, shifting under Toby's weight. My mom's expression softens a bit.

"You don't remember anything about the night you disappeared. You hit your head."

I look at them, completely lost. "But I do remember what happened," I whisper. They shake their heads no and I slowly start to understand. "I... I don't remember?"

"The police asked for you to come in for a few questions," my dad picks back up. "But you need to act like you don't know the answers. You need to act like you don't remember what happened."

"We weren't sure why they needed you to come in until now. If you were on the store's tapes..." Mom trails off.

My mom takes a deep breath, and I know she doesn't like what she is about to say next. "Annabella, you have to lie. You have to convince them that you don't have a clue what happened. They need to believe you."

They want me to lie.

My parents are asking me to lie... to the police.

"Why?" I ask in a small voice.

"You're guilty. To them... you're guilty," she says in a low voice. She's wringing her hands. "You know money's tight right now and we can't afford a good lawyer. If the police charge you, if they try to take you away from us, there's nothing we can do."

"We haven't told you," dad starts, clearing his throat. "But the bank is threatening to foreclose on us."

"We need to convince them that you don't remember what happened. You have a concussion... they'll believe you."

My stomach drops. I didn't mean for this to happen... I didn't mean for all of this to blow up in my face. I was trying to help... How could I have been so stupid?

She's right. If I don't lie, then we're going to get broken up. I'll be in jail. I look down at Toby. His head is resting on my chest and his little warm breaths are soft on my arm. I lean down and kiss the top of his head, then look back up at my parents.

"You don't know what happened to the money, or what happened that night," Dad says. "For all they know, the robber made you do it."

If this is what it takes to protect my family... to fix what I've done... what other choice do I have?