The middle of the U.S.
June 2003
The cell phone rings it's high pitched sound as often it does whenever my best friend is calling. Yet I haven't heard from him in months. The last I heard from Tristan... Well, he said he was doing well, but I heard the uncertainty in his voice. His voice cracked as he described the new life he found for himself in Northern California, somewhere near San Francisco. He was living in a small town off the bay with his girlfriend of a year and his newborn daughter, Alexa. Again, I could hear it in his voice, hear his heart swell with pride as he was speaking of his new twinkling star. I couldn't help but smile, but something was clenching my own heart, forcing me to gasp for breath. It was as though there was a fist wrapped around my heart and it was squeezing tighter with each moment that passed.
As it's doing now with each deafening ring. I glance at the clock and furrow my brows in worry as 2:33 a.m. flashes at me. Something's wrong... My gaze travels to the stirring figure beside me as my hand gropes for the phone plugged into the wall on the bedside table. Something's wrong....
"Shhh... It's Tris. I have to answer it... something's wrong.... " The words get stuck in my throat as I verbalize my fears. But it's not a fear, it's really happening. My intuition's screaming at me to hurry up and answer the phone... something's seriously wrong.
I kiss his brow and move into the next room to finally answer before the final ring can take Tristan to voicemail.
"Tristan?"
"Cherie."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Bullshit and you know it. I feel it, Tris. Something's wrong and you can't hide it from me. I've known you too long to be lied to by you. You know better than that. It's Cherie. You can tell me."
There was a long drawn out sigh.... "Cherie..."
"Oui, Tris... c'est Cherie." It's obvious that I'm drowning in a world of fear... it was the only time I slipped into French. I silently curse my mother for her forcing the language on me not long after....
"Cherie, it's okay. I'm just...."
"She didn't! Oh, tell me she didn't. I'm gonna kick her ass. Where is she Tristan? La chienne is gonna get it. She took Alexa too, didn't she?" I growled and find myself grasping for the door to the outside world, knowing I'm getting lounder by the moment. Tristan always did say I was loud........
"You're too intuitive by half, Cheriah."
"Don't call me that. Only Mama calls me that anymore and I hate her."
"Yes, she left me and took the baby. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm...."
"Get off the bridge, Tristan and come here immediately. If you don't, you'll regret it."
"Why? What do I have left, Cherie? She took everything from me."
"Because.... because.... you know why, Tris. Don't tell me you don't. You've always known why. Now do it."
