The Stillwater Girls

At the funeral home where Wren and Sage have come for a private visitation to honor Maggie, Sage says that she wants to see Maggie’s body, but Nic tells her this is not a good idea. Sage drapes herself over the top of the casket and cries, but Wren is dry-eyed, wondering why she cannot cry for the woman who raised and cared for her for most of her life. Wren spends the ride home worrying about Evie and thinking about the blond woman from her memories. She wonders if the woman is looking for her. She wonders about Sage’s family, as well, and feels her chest constricting. Wren does not expect Nic and Brant to allow her and Sage to stay with them forever, and when they get inside the Gideon house, she inhales deeply, taking in the scent she has come to find so comforting. She goes into Brant’s studio to spend some time drawing and is shocked when she sees a photo of Evie on Brant’s desk. She picks the photograph up and runs downstairs.

After explaining to Wren their theory that Evie is their missing daughter, Brant and Nic are exhausted. As they prepare for bed, Brant tells Nic that the person extorting them for money is expecting another payment on the following day. Nic asks what will happen if they don’t pay, and Brant says he doesn’t know, but it is a chance he has not been willing to take so far. Brant has now shown Nic the letters from the blackmailer, saying that whomever it is, the person knows a great deal about their family. Brant tells Nic that, according to Beth, the FBI assigned a tracker to talk to locals and try to get information after the first letter and the photograph arrived. Some clue he found led him into Stillwater Forest weeks ago, but Beth has not heard from him lately. Regardless, Brant vows, he and Nic will not rest until they are reunited with their daughter.

The police call to let Sage know that they have identified her birth family. Three days after Maggie’s visitation, Sage’s family comes to the Gideons’ house to meet her. Sage is nervous and excited, but she is also sad at the idea that she might have to leave Wren. Wren hides her own sorrow and reassures Sage that everything will be fine, “no matter what happens” (213). When Sage’s birth parents arrive, Wren notes that they are small and dark-haired, like Sage. They are overwhelmed with emotion, and Sage’s mother kneels in front of Sage, touching her as if to reassure herself that Sage—whom she calls Emma—is really there. Sage’s mother explains that Sage was kidnapped from the park near the forest as a baby, when Sage’s mother was momentarily distracted by her older children. She says that Sage has two older brothers and a family full of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all waiting to meet her. Wren feels sad for herself, but happy for Sage. Sage’s mother says that they will stay in town for a few weeks to let Sage transition into the family gradually, and that they want to respect Sage’s relationship with Wren: “your sister will always be your sister,” she says (214). They ask whether Sage wants to come with them to meet the rest of the family. Sage looks at Wren, who tells her that she should go. A happy Sage tells Wren that she was right, that everything is going to be okay.

Five days later, Beth lets Brant know that the FBI tracker, Chuck, has reestablished contact and is on his way to meet with them. Sage is with her family; she has been spending days with them and nights at the Gideons’ house. Wren is in the family room, reading, when Chuck comes to the door. When the man sees Wren, he exclaims in surprise, and Wren screams and begs Nic and Brant to protect her. Nic hugs her, asking what is wrong. Wren identifies Chuck as the man who forced his way into her cabin. After making sure that Chuck did not physically harm Wren in any way when he was at the cabin, Nic tells Wren that Chuck’s tactics may be questionable but that he was trying to find Evie. She explains who he is and tells Wren that she will make sure he stays away from her. She sends Wren upstairs and then goes back to talk to Chuck.

Chuck explains that he intended to bring Sage and Wren back to town to keep them from starving at the cabin, but they drugged him and took off before he could do so. At the cabin, he found 20-year-old death certificates for Maggie’s husband Ray and their daughter, Imogen. From locals, he has learned that Maggie was once a teacher in town but that she experienced a psychological break after her husband and child were killed by a hit-and-run driver. When he overheard a man at a local shop telling the clerk that he would no longer need his usual order, and Chuck saw that the things in the order were clearly for a woman and child, Chuck was curious and followed the man. He saw that the man was selling lavender-scented goat soaps that he clearly was not making himself. When Nic hears this detail, she thinks of Davis, who had previously sold her and Brant such soaps. Brant is furious when he realizes that Davis is involved in whatever has happened to Hannah. Chuck describes following a path behind Davis’s house into the woods and eventually stumbling across the cabin. He tells them that the police are on their way to Davis’s right now.

Wren works on a drawing of herself, Sage, and Evie that she means to give Sage before Sage leaves to live in Vermont with her birth family. She hears a commotion downstairs and steels herself to head down, even though she can hear that Chuck is still in the house. She sees that Deputy May has arrived and that Nic looks terrible. Wren guesses immediately that her state has something to do with Evie. When she learns that they are all headed to Davis’s to follow a lead about Evie, Wren insists on coming along. Wren rides with Deputy May, and when they arrive at Davis’s, May tells Wren to stay in the car. No one appears to be home.

Chuck searches the trash near Davis’s house. He finds wrappers from a children’s fast-food meal, which the police determine is probable cause to enter. May kicks in the door. After a few minutes, she comes out holding the hand of a little blond girl. Nic, Brant, and Wren all rush to her. Deputy May stops them from coming too close, and Nic realizes that, to Evie, she and Brant are strangers. Wren calls to Evie, and Evie runs to her. They hear sirens and see flashing lights; Davis pulls into the driveway followed by patrol cars. The officers quickly have Davis out of his truck and handcuffed. Brant confronts Davis, furiously demanding to know how long Davis knew that Hannah was alive and living with Maggie Sharp. Davis tries to rationalize his actions, saying that he was helping both Brant and himself by getting Hannah back and padding his own bank account in the process. He points out that he took good care of the child while she was hidden in his home. Brant tells Davis that their relationship is over forever.

Wren lies next to Evie in her hospital bed, marveling at how good Evie has gotten at working the television remote. Evie explains that she learned how to use one at Davis’s house and chats happily about how nice Davis was for getting her toys. Wren realizes that, after their secluded life in the cabin, being locked up at Davis’s house was probably not shocking or traumatic for Evie. Evie asks about Mama and Sage, and Wren deflects her questions for the moment, not wanting to spoil the little girl’s good mood.

Nic and Brant receive the official DNA results: Evie is their child, Hannah. Although they have already been spending time with her in the hospital, Wren has explained their presence by telling Evie that they are “kindhearted people who took [Wren] in and [want] to help” (234). Dr. Pettigrew tells them that they should tell Evie the truth soon, and Nic says that she would like to be the one to do it, since Evie being with Maggie is Nic’s fault in the first place. Brant reminds her that she was very ill and is not to blame. They go to Evie’s room and ask Wren to give them a private moment with Evie. Nic gently explains the situation to Evie in simple terms. Evie appears not to fully process the information, asking where her Mama is. Nic breaks the news that Maggie is dead, and Evie begins to cry. Nic climbs into the bed next to her and holds her.

A week later, Evie is settling into her new life in Brant’s and Nic’s home. Brant tells Wren that one of the members of her birth family has contacted them and would like to talk to Wren. He gives Wren his cell phone and she dials the number for someone named Katrina. Wren is excited and a little panicked, wondering what she is about to learn. Katrina turns out to be Wren’s aunt. She is thrilled to be talking to Wren, whose birth name she says is Felicity Hollingsworth, but she is sad to tell Wren that both of Wren’s biological parents died many years ago in a car accident. Wren was kidnapped from the scene of the accident. Katrina says that she lives in Dallas but will fly to New York to meet Wren. Wren is delighted at the idea. After Katrina hangs up, she texts Wren a photo of her parents. The woman is the same blond woman that Wren remembers as her mother.

Brant lets Nic know that Davis has been charged with both kidnapping and murder. The police believe that Davis functioned as Maggie’s supply person for many years and that eventually Maggie let enough information about Evie slip that he pieced together her real identity. When Evie got sick, he deliberately gave Maggie medication that would make the child sicker instead of curing her. Once Maggie left to get Evie help, Davis killed Maggie and took Evie to his home, where he took a photo of her to use to begin extorting money from Brant. Nic tells Brant that her parents are coming on the weekend to meet Evie and Wren. Nic has come to love Wren, and she has no interest in separating her from Evie. She and Brant agree that, if Wren agrees, they will formally adopt her into their family.

Six months later, Wren is excited to be traveling to Miami with Nic and Brant to meet Nic’s friend Cate. At the end of the month, Nic’s and Brant’s adoption of Wren will be finalized. Evie has become very attached to Brant, following him everywhere and talking about him constantly. Wren is also looking forward to a promised trip to Berlin next year for a photo exhibit Brant is mounting. The subject will be their family.