CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Caitlin sprinted through the open meadow, beside herself with grief and anxiety. How could she have been so stupid to take her eyes off of Scarlet? She blamed herself for not being a better parent. She should have had more of an instinct to keep an eye on Scarlet every second. And now Scarlet was missing, and she felt it was entirely her fault.
She ran through the meadow, Polly and the girls at her side, all calling Scarlet’s name, all scanning the grass, all equally frantic. Caitlin couldn’t help but wonder if they all blamed her, too. After all, Scarlet was now her daughter—whether by blood or not. She was her responsibility. It was selfish of her to have closed her eyes for that long, to take time to make her wish.
But then again, she reasoned, she couldn’t have expec
