"Thank God Benedict knows what he has to do," she muttered under her breath. Benedict was Sera's unseen protector tonight. But still, nothing could ease the tightening in Brianna's chest, a mother's eternal, anxious tether to her child.
The loud knocking came again and she yanked the door open, and nearly recoiled when she found Vivienne standing there. Panic rose in Brianna's chest—not for herself, but for Sera.
"Mrs. Thorne?"
"Bri…Bri…Bri…" Vivienne began. She stepped inside, disregarding the wet mud she was tracking across the floor. "Time did you no good. Bri. What is it? Twenty years now?"
"What is it you want, Mrs Thorne?" Brianna asked, swallowing the rising dread in her throat.
Vivienne didn't answer right away. She moved deeper into the room. Her eyes drifted over the shelves lined with books and framed memories until they landed on a picture of Sera—smiling faintly.
