The Darkness - Jason Pinter [88]
her child was raised and cared for by nannies with calloused hands and heaving bosoms. She never wanted her
daughter to grow up hearing somebody else's voice read
her bedtime stories, never wanted her daughter to feel the
same sense of loneliness that Paulina had as a little girl.
Abby would be her daughter forever, and she would
not let her daughter grow up without a true mother.
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Of course, life didn't work out that way. As soon as
they wanted her to take on bigger stories, she jumped at
the chance. Paulina told herself that it was only for a
short period of time, that she would make money and
make a name for herself so that when she finally stepped
back from the job, she would have created a better life
for Abigail.
But Paulina never stepped back.
The stories got bigger and bigger, and the chase became intoxicating. And when her name didn't grow at the
pace she wanted it to, she left the Gazette and took a job
at their rival. And now, finally, after so long in the
trenches of this industry, Paulina was a name, a brand,
making the kind of money that she always hoped to.
Some people said newspapers were a dying industry,
but if you wrote what people wanted to read, they'd never
bury you. There was always a medium.
And then one day, Paulina looked back and realized
that Abby was gone. A grown woman, a college student,
with her own hopes and dreams and desires and loves.
And Paulina had not been there for any of it.
Which is why this drive felt like the longest hours of
Paulina's life. Because just as she'd reentered Abby's life
the other day, today she was going to pull the shade over
a part of Abigail's life that Paulina had been too busy to
realize had even felt sunshine.
She arrived at the dorm as the sun was setting, casting
a beautiful orange hue over the treetops and green grass.
The red brick of the dorms looked radiant in the glow, and
for a moment Paulina had to stand and watch them.
Then as shadows began to creep across the grounds,
Paulina locked the car door and prepared herself.
She walked up to the front door and dialed Abby's cell.
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Jason Pinter
She had no idea what her daughter's schedule was,
whether she had evening class, what time she went to
dinner, if she had plans to see a movie tonight.
It didn't matter. She'd wait at the door all night if
she had to.
Fortunately Abby picked up right away.
"Hello?" she said.
"Hey, Abby, it's your mother."
"Oh, hey, Mom." Abby laughed and continued. "You
know when you said you'd try to call more I didn't think
you meant it."
"Oh, I meant it," Paulina said. "In fact, would you
mind buzzing me in? I'm downstairs."
"You're what?"
"I'm downstairs. In front of your dorm."
"Why are you..."
"Just let me in, it's important."
"All right, fine, hold on a second."
The buzzer rang, and Paulina entered. She made her
way to Abby's dorm room and knocked on the door.
Abigail answered, wearing a green tank top and shorts.
A bowl of popcorn was on the coffee table and the television was on. The menu of a DVD was on the screen.
And sitting on the couch was Pam Ruffalo.
Her brown hair was done up in a ponytail, and she was
wearing socks without shoes. Her legs were crossed
underneath her on the couch. She munched popcorn, then
swallowed it when she saw Paulina standing there.
She coughed out a kernel and said, "Hi, Ms. Cole."
Paulina looked at her. Her eyes widened, and she
turned to her daughter, pleading.
"We need to talk alone."
"You don't even say hello back, Mom?"
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"Hi, Pam. Can you ask her to give us a few minutes?"
"Why? What the hell is going on now?"
"Please, Abby, don't ask me to..."
"You asked Pam to leave the first time you came here,"
Abigail said, "and I agreed. I don't answer to you and I
never have, so whatever you say to me you can say to her."
"Abby, she really shouldn't..."
"Mom, I love her. She has a right to know whatever
you have to say to me."
Paulina stepped back, her breath caught in her throat
for a moment. She looked over at Pamela,