The Stillwater Girls

Wren and Sage struggle to eat, sickened at the stranger’s slaughter of one of their beloved goats. The man resumes questioning them. Wren says that they have always lived in the cabin; she does not mention that sometimes she thinks she has vague memories of living somewhere very different. When he asks whether she has ever watched television, she recalls Mama telling her that such a thing existed long ago, when Mama was herself a child. Wren is alarmed when the man remarks that they are in for a treat when he “[gets them] out of this primitive hell” (70). Wren knows that she and Sage will starve within weeks if they stay at the cabin, but she defiantly tells the man that she would rather die than leave with him. When the man lies down to take a nap, Wren and Sage use small chalkboards to write messages to one another silently. Wren tells Sage that they will need to leave the cabin together secretly and assures a frightened Sage that she will keep them both safe.

Knowing that Brant is safely away in Ecuador, Nic snoops through his social media accounts and his email. She finds nothing at all suspicious. Next, she turns her attention to Brant’s cell phone statements. She finds that there is a 212 phone number that calls Brant on Friday mornings between nine and ten—the exact time that Nic is always out of the house doing the weekly grocery shopping. Nic cross-checks her trust account with these dates and finds that Brant’s withdrawals match the dates of the phone calls.

When the man makes fun of Sage for playing with her doll, Wren defends her sister angrily. She’s confused when he pulls out a “shiny, rectangular item” and “a long white string” and a “silver square” and talks about getting the shiny object charged before they leave (77). He explains that the objects are a cell phone and a power bank, and Wren remembers finding something similar in a box under her mother’s bed. Wren realizes that the bag the man carries probably contains other items that would be useful for surviving in the forest. She decides that, on the following night, she will use Mama’s herbal medicines to drug the man and make him sleep so she and Sage can take the man’s bag and escape. She plans to grease one of the windows so that the man will not hear it squeak when she and Sage leave. When Sage asks the man a question about television, he mentions a governmental agency, the FCC, and Wren asks him what that means. His answer makes her realize that her mother may have lied to her about the government falling into disarray. For the first time, she wonders if Mama may have lied to them about everything.

Brant calls to check in with Nic. When he mentions the other photographers on the trip, Nic accuses him of not having told her that they would be along, but he reminds her that he did, in fact, tell her. She realizes that she has not been paying close attention when he talks about his job, lately, because she “figured [she’d] be in Florida…and the details wouldn’t matter” (82). Brant suggests that, when he returns, they go away somewhere warm together for a vacation. After the phone call, Nic scrolls through her contacts and sees Brant’s brother’s name. She has not spoken to Davis since he was over for dinner and made a rude comment to her about her desire to be a foster parent. Davis is a troubled person and has repeatedly taken advantage of Nic’s and Brant’s generosity, but this comment was too much for Brant, who kicked Davis out of their home. Nic wonders now why it has been months since Davis reached out to try to get some money from them. She wonders if Brant has been seeing Davis without telling her, and she decides that she will question Davis herself.

Wren decides to test Mama’s truthfulness by digging underneath the willow to see if at least the story about her father and Imogen is true. She cannot find the shovel usually kept in the garden shed, so she takes a hand rake and desperately begins digging with it. Finally realizing it is useless, she digs with her bare hands, surprised to realize she is weeping. When the man comes to find out what she is doing, she tells him about the supposed burial and her suspicions that her mother lied. He surprises her by not only bringing her the shovel but by taking over the digging when she exhausts herself. When they find no bones, Wren realizes for certain that Mama is a liar. That night, Wren deliberately burns the goat meat as she is cooking dinner, so that she will have an excuse to open the windows as she clears the smoke out of the cabin. In the commotion, she covertly greases a window. She puts the drugs in the man’s food. After dinner, she uses the chalkboard to write Sage a note telling her that they will leave the cabin that night, after the man falls asleep. When the man gets into bed, telling them to do the same, the sisters dress themselves in layers underneath their nightgowns. Once he is fully asleep, they slip into their shoes and Wren eases his heavy bag from the end of the bed where he keeps it. They open the window and flee into the darkness.

In the morning, Nic drives to Davis’s house. He greets her disdainfully, but he immediately grabs the $1,000 check she’s holding. When she tells him that she prefers Brant not know about her visit, he taunts her, suggesting that there is “trouble in paradise” (95). She explains that Brant has not been himself and that she wants to know if Davis knows anything about what is going on. Davis claims to have not spoken to Brant in months. He tells her that he thinks being married to her must be hard work, based on how much Brant caters to her, trying to prevent her from having “another one of [her] episodes” (96). Confused and angry, Nic leaves in a huff. When Nic talks to Cate on the phone later that day, she is irritated to learn that Brant has contacted Cate to express concern about how Nic is doing. Nic assures Cate that she is fine. Nic is surprised when Cate suggests coming to New York for a visit, because Cate hates the winter weather. Nic agrees to the visit. Cate questions her closely about whether something is wrong, but Nic tells her that she would rather talk about it in person. After she gets off the phone, Nic looks through an old photo album. She finds a copy of Brant’s wedding vows and rereads them, feeling sentimental and wondering why she cannot remember when he stopped calling her “his ‘darling’” (103). She worries about forgetting something like this, wondering what else she may have forgotten.

Wren and Sage run through the forest until Sage begs Wren to stop and rest. Sage cries, saying that she misses Mama; Wren holds her frightened sister, ignoring her own fear and exhaustion. Wren gives Sage some water from the stranger’s bag. As she drinks, Sage sees something in the distance and points it out to Wren: it’s a house, just beyond the tree line, bright with lights. Wren braces Sage for the walk to the house, thinking that it is enormous and nothing like their small cabin. As they approach, she prays that the people in the house are not like the terrible people Mama has always warned her about.

Nic stares at her drawn face in the mirror, hardly able to recognize herself. When she goes to the kitchen to pour herself some coffee, she hears a small voice say, “Hello?” and thinks she must be imagining it (108). She holds her breath and listens. The greeting repeats twice more, and someone knocks. She peers out through her security camera and sees two bedraggled, malnourished young women, one blond and one dark-haired. They are shivering, but Nic is afraid that they are a lure to get her to open the door to someone else intent on burglarizing her home—or worse. The women ask for help, and Nic dials 911, reporting their presence and asking for an officer to come help them. When she returns to the door and sees that the young women are about to give up and leave, she impulsively opens the door. Face-to-face, she can see how strange their clothing is and how neglected and desperate they look. The blond one repeats that they need help, and Nic gently ushers them in, asking what happened to them. They do not answer, but they follow when she leads them to the kitchen and eat gratefully when she makes them some food.

When the police arrive, Nic introduces her unexpected visitors to Deputy May, who speaks to them quietly and kindly. She asks whether they are hurt and tries to get them to share their story, but they stay silent. Nic tries to break the ice by telling them her own name and asking what their names are. Finally, the older of the two tells them that her name is Wren and that the younger is her sister, Sage. Nic is surprised to hear that they are sisters, as the two don’t look at all alike. As the women answer a few questions for Deputy May, Nic realizes that they have come from very unusual circumstances. When Sage has to use the restroom, Nic accompanies her and explains how to use the fixtures that Sage has never seen before. When Deputy May tells Nic that the sisters will be taken to the hospital to get checked out, Nic asks to come with them, thinking what an alien and frightening experience it will be for the two of them. Two male deputies enter, terrifying the two young women. May sends them back out, and when Wren explains about the man at their cabin, May promises that they will be examined by all-female staff at the hospital. Wren asks whether the hospital has doctors and says that she thinks her sister Evie might be there. Deputy May and Nic realize that there is a third, unaccounted-for sister.

At the hospital, Nic goes into the exam room with Wren and Sage to explain the medical procedures and keep them calm. Dr. Corinne Halifax introduces Wren and Sage to a social worker, Sharon Gable. They reassure the sisters that they will work on finding Evie and probe for more information about the situation the sisters were living in. Nic tells them that the man at the cabin will not be able to find them and hurt them at the hospital and assures them that the police will find them somewhere safe to stay. When she realizes that the two are legally adults, however, she worries about whether this latter promise will really be kept. She decides that, rather than see the two sent to a homeless shelter, she will offer them a place to stay.

Wren and Sage insist on sleeping together in the same bedroom at Nic’s. Wren is amazed at everything she has seen and feels uncertain about whom to believe or trust. She is grateful for the change of clothes Nic has provided for her and her sister, however: the clothes are “soft and they smell nice,” and she has quickly realized that the way she and Sage were dressed before is not appropriate to their new surroundings (127). Before bidding them goodnight, Nic offers to take them shopping on the following day for some clothes that fit them better. As they are settling into bed, Sage asks Wren why their mother would have lied to them. Hoping to protect Sage from the truth, Wren lies and says that she has no idea, despite the suspicions that have begun forming in her mind.

In her own bedroom, Nic watches a television report about Wren and Sage. The media refer to them as the “Stillwater Darlings” (130). The sheriff gives a press conference sharing descriptions of Maggie and Evie and asking for any information that will help locate them. Nic calls Brant and breaks the news to him about Wren and Sage. He reacts with confusion, asking how they have become foster parents without his signing off on anything and without the home inspection they were waiting for. Nic clarifies that the sisters are legal adults but does not fully explain their situation, only saying that they are waiting to be reunited with family. Brant, tired from a long day, apologizes for not reacting the way she hoped and says that, whatever the situation is, he is sure he will adjust to it with time.

In the morning, Wren marvels at all of the electrical gadgets in Nic’s home. Sage is excited when Nic accepts her offer to help prepare breakfast, and Wren notes how quickly Sage is adapting, commenting that “Sage has always been more resilient than [her]” (135). Nic suggests that they make a trip into town to buy the sisters some clothing. Wren watches her, thinking that Nic is “sweet and soft,” and wondering why Nic does not treat her and Sage like “weeds in this beautiful garden of hers” (136). When Wren tries to wash her breakfast dishes, she nearly burns her hand, not understanding how hot the water from the hot tap will actually be. Nic shows her how to put her dishes in the dishwasher. When Wren passes Brant’s photograph on her way to get dressed for the day, she thinks that there is something strangely familiar about him. Suddenly, she realizes that his eyes are identical to Evie’s.

Nic arranges for a private shopping event at a local boutique, hoping to create a calm and media-free environment for Wren and Sage. She asks Dr. Pettigrew, the psychiatrist they saw at the hospital, to join their group in case anything about the experience is upsetting to the sisters. Nic thinks to herself that she needs to talk with Dr. Pettigrew at some point about introducing Wren and Sage to her husband; she is not sure if they are afraid of men in general or if their reaction to the deputies on the previous night was a temporary transference of fear because of the man who invaded their cabin. On their way to the boutique, Brant calls. He apologizes again for his reaction to the news about the sisters. He has seen an article about them, now, and tells Nic that it is a wonderful gesture to take them in. He has booked an earlier flight and plans to be home on the following day. At the boutique, Nic is relieved that the clerk greets the young women warmly; based on how the locals treat her, she had been worried about a cold reception. The sisters are in high spirits as they try on new clothes. Nic books them an appointment at a local salon. Dr. Pettigrew tells Nic that she thinks the sisters will be fine meeting Brant, and Nic thinks sadly about the state of her relationship: Wren and Sage have distracted her for a short time, but soon she will have to return her attention to figuring out what is going wrong between her and Brant.