Chapter 421
I freeze the moment I turn around, coming face to face with Elena.
“E-Elena p>
Shock rushes through me so suddenly that for a second, I can only stare at her and she looks just as surprised to see me.
It’s been so long since I last saw her that for a moment my brain struggles to connect the woman standing in front of me now with the memories I have of her. The last time we saw each other was probably two weeks before Brook pushed me down the stairs.
My gaze drops briefly to the shopping cart beside her, noticing that it’s almost full before my eyes move back to her.
She’s dressed in a pretty flowery dress that drapes over her body, though there’s no missing the huge bump beneath it. She’s much further along now, enough that I’d guess she’s almost due, though I’m not entirely sure.
She looks just as she looked before; scratch that, she looks much better, with the way her skin si glowing and her hair shining.
For a few seconds, neither of us says anything. We just stand there looking at each other while the noise of the grocery store continues around us.
“Elena… Hi,” I repeat more softly this time.
We went for tea once after that first time. We didn’t talk much just like the previous time, but it was comfortable. There are people who you can sit down with and not fill the silence and still be at peace with, and Elena is one of them.
Her expression finally shifts as she gives me a small smile.
“Sierra,” she says gently. “It’s good to see you p>
Something about hearing her voice again feels strange. Familiar, but distant at the same time. It’s like all the rapport we had established already faded… I can understand that though; it’s been a while, and where a friendship isn’t watered, it doesn’t bloom.
“How are you doing?” she asks carefully.
I let out a small breath. “I’m okay… All things considered p>
A shadow passes through her eyes before she nods slowly. “I heard what happened… I wanted to reach out to you, but I didn’t really know how to p>
I stay silent, letting her continue.
“With everything that happened and… having a baby on the way myself, I understood where you were emotionally,” she explains softly. “I figured you probably weren’t in the right headspace p>
“Thank you,” I tell her honestly, part of me understanding what she meant. “And you were right. Even if you had reached out back then, I probably wouldn’t have reacted well p>
She nods in understanding before her fingers tighten slightly around the handle of her cart.
“Have they…” she starts softly before swallowing, hesitation filling her voice. “Have they found your baby p>
The question knocks the air out of me. I pause, forcing myself to breathe through the sudden tightness in my chest as pain crashes into me all over again. No matter how many times people ask, no matter how many times I talk about it, it never gets easier.
I try to keep myself together, but my voice still breaks slightly when I answer.
“No, they haven’t found her,” I whisper.
For a split second, something flashes across Elena’s face, but it’s quick and unreadable. It’s gone so fast that I almost think I imagined it before it’s replaced with a soft expression and a small sympathetic smile.
Maybe that’s exactly what I saw. Maybe she was simply imagining herself in my shoes. The thought makes me push the strange feeling away.
“They’ll find her. Don’t worry, they’ll bring her back soon.” She says gently. “You just got to have a little faith p>
I nod slowly, but something about the words feels… hollow. Empty somehow. Like they’re the right words to say without carrying any real emotion behind them.
Still, I offer her a small smile. “Thank you p>
Silence settles between us afterward, awkward and stretched too thin.
Elena keeps staring at me intently without saying anything else, her gaze so fixed that eventually I have to look away first.
“I should probably get going,” I say quietly.
She blinks slightly before nodding. “Right, of course… See you around, Sierra p>
“Bye, Elena p>
We part ways, each pushing our carts in opposite directions. I grab a few more things before finally heading toward the checkout counter, but the interaction keeps replaying in my head for reasons I can’t explain. By the time I leave the store, my thoughts are all over the place.
I slowly push the cart outside while waiting for my Uber, mentally going through everything I still need to do. Somewhere between thinking about Lilly’s empty fridge and the ridiculous amount of money currently sitting in my account, my thoughts drift toward getting a new car.
Something practical this time. Something that can actually accommodate a baby seat and all the things that come with motherhood.
My thoughts are cut short when a sleek black car suddenly pulls up not too far from where I’m standing, drawing my attention without meaning to. At first, I barely look at it, but then something about the passenger catches my eye.
The woman sitting in the backseat has her back partially turned toward me while speaking to the driver. I can only see part of her profile, but for some reason, I keep watching.
She turns and my eyes clash with those of Elena. For a second, panic flashes across her face so quickly it almost doesn’t seem real, but just as quickly she schools her features.
She gives me a small wave and a smile that never fully reaches her eyes before the window slowly rolls up and seconds later the car pulls away.
I stand there staring after it, unease settling heavily in my stomach. Something about that whole exchange felt wrong, but I just can’t figure out why.
Since we met at the wellness center, I thought Elena was odd, especially with how weird she behaved. It didn’t bother me much, or maybe I was just too lost in my happy bubble to notice, but now I am and something doesn’t sit right.
My Uber finally arrives a moment later, but even as I climb inside, that strange feeling refuses to leave me.