Chapter 3

Charlotte made her presence known in every room she entered. This morning was no exception. She strolled into the kitchen wearing a silk robe and humming like she owned the house. “You still make coffee the old-fashioned way?” she said, watching me pour water into the machine. “It works,” I replied shortly. She leaned against the counter like we were old friends. “Will used to grind the beans by hand when we lived in Milan. Said the aroma helped him think. You ever been to Italy?” I didn’t answer. Charlotte glanced toward the living room where the girls were playing. “Evelyn and Luna get along well, don’t they? It’s good for them.” I stayed silent, setting out cereal bowls. “Will and I used to talk about kids all the time. Back then, he wanted three.” She let out a soft laugh. “Funny how things change.” I faced her. “You’re here for now, not the past.” She raised her eyebrows, then smiled, amused. “Touchy, aren’t we?” Will came down the stairs with Evelyn in his arms. “We’re going to the amusement park today,” he announced. “Are we really going to the amusement park?” she asked. Will chuckled. “Of course. You’ve been asking for days.” Luna’s eyes lit up. “Can I come too, Daddy? Please? Mommy, can we go too?” Will looked at Luna for half a second. “It’s not a good idea. This is something I planned for Evelyn.” “Why?” Luna asked. “I’ve never been to an amusement park before,” Luna said softly. “I said no,” Will replied, putting his keys in his pocket. Luna’s smile disappeared. He sighed. “I just don’t want any trouble today.” She looked down at her shoes, suddenly quiet. Charlotte turned around, pretending to be surprised. “Oh? Luna hasn’t been before?” she asked. I said nothing. Charlotte ran her fingers through Evelyn’s hair. “Evelyn could use a little playmate. What if Anna and Luna joined us?” Will sighed like it was such a burden. He didn’t reply right away. He looked at me. Then back to Evelyn. Finally, he nodded. “Fine,” he muttered. “Just don’t slow us down.” Luna’s face lit up. She reached for my hand. “We’re going, Mommy! We’re really going!” I smiled at her. “Yes, baby. We’re really going.” We arrived at the park by mid-morning. Music. Laughter. The smell of popcorn and sugar. It was sunny, and the place was already crowded. When we got to the park, Evelyn clapped her hands. “It’s so big!” Will immediately bought tickets for rides, snacks, and a ridiculous pink balloon for Evelyn. Evelyn ran ahead, dragging Will by the arm. “Let’s go to the games! I want that big teddy bear!” Will followed her, pulling out his wallet. Charlotte adjusted her sunglasses. “Be careful,” she said lazily. “Don’t spoil her too much.” Will just smiled. “She’s worth it.” Luna stood by my side, her eyes watching everything. She didn’t say a word. “She’s never been on a carousel before,” Charlotte said loudly as Will lifted Evelyn onto a painted horse. “She loves it,” Will smiled, holding her steady. Luna reached for his hand. “Can I ride too?” “There’s not enough room,” he said. “You stay with your mother.” Luna turned to me. I gave her a gentle nudge. “Come on, we’ll do something fun.” While Evelyn and Will went to the carousel, I held Luna’s hand. We bought purple cotton candy and sat on a bench. “Is it good?” I asked. She nodded. “It’s better than Evelyn’s.” I smiled. “That’s because it’s ours.” Then we walked to a booth with a water gun game. Luna shot at the clown’s mouth, grinning as the balloon expanded. “You almost got it,” I cheered. She won a small stuffed cat and held it up proudly. I couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Will and Charlotte, who was walking hand in hand with Evelyn toward the roller coaster. Looking back at Luna, I make sure she didn’t see them. We move to the next game and found a small ride—spinning teacups. Just us. Luna giggled the whole time. I held her hand tightly, spinning until we were both dizzy and laughing. “Again!” she cried. We rode twice more. When we came back, Will was still by the game booths, holding Evelyn’s water bottle. Charlotte appeared behind me. “Cute toy. Not quite Evelyn’s unicorn, though.” I didn’t respond. Charlotte shot me her fakest smile I have ever seen. “Can I steal you for a second, Anna?” “What is it?” “Would you come with me to buy ice cream?” she asked, smiling. “You know how hard it is to choose flavors. I could use a second opinion.” I glanced at Luna. “She just got off the ride—maybe I should stay.” Charlotte waved her hand. “Will can handle watching two kids for five minutes.” Will didn’t say anything. He was too busy looking at the prize Evelyn wanted next. “Luna,” I said gently, “stay here with Dad, okay?” Luna nodded. “Okay.” I followed Charlotte down the walkway. She took her time, staring at the snack carts like she couldn’t make up her mind. “I’m craving mango,” she said. Charlotte finally chose a flavor and handed me a cone. “Thanks,” I said, distracted. Charlotte walked slowly beside me, holding her ice cream cone like a queen with a crystal wand. “You know,” she said softly, “Will was really hesitant about this trip. He just did not want to overwhelm you and Luna. He always thinks of you two first.” “Ok.” She took a bite of mango ice cream and kept walking. “He did not sleep much last night. He was checking the weather, making sure Evelyn would have a good time. He is always like this. So considerate. Always putting others first.” I paused. “Yes. He is thoughtful.” Charlotte tilted her head. “You’re lucky. He worries about Luna, too.” I gave a vague smile. When I turned around again— Nothing. No Luna. No, Evelyn and no Will. Where are they?