The Entirely Fabricated Story of Lizzie Nickerson

Chapter 21

When Sonya answered the door, Maribeth burst in, scurrying through the kitchen and down the hallway into the guest bedroom to her familiar perch at the window. Sonya couldn't remember seeing the little girl moving so quickly.

Vernon was back, standing in the hallway behind Indigo as she launched into her prepared remarks. 

"So, here's what it is. Vernon's driving me out to Colorado," she said with an enthusiastic smile. "Hemp is happening there. I mean really happening."

"Gotta go where the universe takes you," said Vernon.

Indigo leaned against the doorframe. "Cincy is a bad scene. A downer. Shoulda felt the vibes."

"Just like that. Off to Colorado." Sonya sighed. "Let's not discuss this in the hallway, shall we?"

Indigo entered the kitchen. "What do you mean just like that, man? My lease is almost up so what's holding me back?"

"Maybe, that little girl in the bedroom back there."

"Look, Sonya." She placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Maybe I just need to get my head straight. When I get myself together, I'll come back for Maribeth."

Sonya's sour expression said she wasn't buying it.

"I will. Hand to God."

"Righteous," said Vernon.

Indigo continued. "It's not like I'm not gonna cop out, you dig? That's not my thing." 

"So where in Colorado are you going to be?" Sonya asked. "It's a big state."

"Maybe Boulder. Maybe Manitou Springs. Maybe Carbondale. There's so much out there I want to know."

"Lotta blue sky in Colorado," said Vernon. "Air's fresher up in those mountains. Not like breathing city toxins."

"Maybe meet up with the Rainbow Family and pray for world peace." Indigo grinned.

Sonya was one hundred and ten percent in for world peace but had no intention of asking for clarification on that reference. "I see," she said. "So how do I get in touch with you? Did you get a phone?"

"Those things will give you cancer," said Vernon.

"Especially 5G," said Indigo. "Whatever that is."

"And who needs the man tracking you 24/7?" He nodded assertively. "People gotta be free."

"I need to be able to reach you, Indigo," Sonya said, exasperation bubbling up. "This is super important. Don't you get that?"

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely be in touch and let you know what's up. Don't stress about it."

Sonya's face turned a deeper shade of pink.

"So," said Indigo. "I'll send some bread when I can but we really need to split."

Sonya called out, "Maribeth. You wanna come out here and say goodbye to your momma?"

"No."

"Maribeth!" Sonya raised her voice.

"Don't hassle the kid," said Indigo.

"No, thanks," Maribeth called from the bedroom.

"Maybe you should go back there and say goodbye, Indigo."

"It's probably better this way," she said, her eyes going watery. "C'mon, Vernon."

"Later," he said. "Keep on truckin', mamma."

Sonya closed the door and then headed for the guest bedroom, prepared for the heartbroken, abandoned little girl. Instead, she found Maribeth sitting in her chair, a book opened in her lap, her little legs swinging.

"Are you okay, Maribeth?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Like what?"

Sonya shrugged.

"I like it here," Maribeth said.

"I'm glad," Sonya replied.

Without looking up from her book, the little girl said, "I feel sorry for Momma."

"Why do you feel sorry for her?"

"Vernon already has a family."

A curious expression settled on Sonya's face. "How do you know that?"

"Oh, geez. He never takes her anywhere. Except for Colorado. He always comes to our house. He never takes me and Momma to his own house."

"That doesn't mean he has a family."

"He told us he lives in Hyde Park. Then he said Oakley. Then he said Hyde Park again. How can you forget where you live? That doesn't even make sense. I think he's making it up."

"Why would Vernon make up a story about where he lives?"

"Because he has a family."

"I think you might be jumping to conclusions."

"Jumping to what?" She peered down to the street below and watched Vernon and Indigo get into an old square Volvo station wagon and drive away. "He picked us up after work last Wednesday. I was sitting in the back seat and I could see it right beside me."

"See what?"

"There were marks on the seat where a car seat was. You know, a car seat for a little kid. Oh, geez. He probably took it out of the car right before he came to pick us up."

"Maybe those marks in the seat weren't from a car seat."

"Yes, they were. It was so obvious. And why does he buy diapers and baby formula?"

"Did you see him buy that stuff?"

"He had one of those paper lists from the store that tells what you bought."

"A receipt?"

"I found it under the couch and it had diapers and baby formula on it."

"Maybe you're not jumping to conclusions. Did you tell your momma about it?"

Maribeth shook her head. "She's already mad at me so I didn't want to say it. She only believes what she wants to even if I tell her something different. So, I didn't say anything about the diapers and baby formula. But she should be able to figure it out on her own. If she really wanted to. It's right there in front of her face."