#Chapter 69 – Childhood Home

Two hours later, our convoy pulls into my father’s driveway.

Almost before the car stops, I yank off my seatbelt and start to open my door, desperate to know if they’re here.

“Evelyn –“ Victor calls as I jump step out of the car, slamming the door behind me. I hear him open his own door as I quickly scent the air, seeking any sign of my missing children. Then –

“They’re here,” I say, catching a quick whiff of Alvin’s unique scent on the air. Not too old, either. I run for the front steps, Victor close on my tail.

“Evelyn, please,” Victor says as we fly up the steps, “we’ve got to be careful here –“

I ignore him, throwing open my old front door, a door I haven’t seen or touched in six years. Everything is at once familiar and yet also so strange – tiny changes –

I don’t stop to notice them, flying through the hall, calling my boys names.

“Mama!” I hear, a happy noise echoing from the back room that looks over my family’s sprawling property. I run for it, throwing open the door –

And then, suddenly, my boys are in front of me, sitting on the ground in the middle of this old familiar room – my own favorite place to play as a child – a set of books spread out in front of them on the floor.

A cry rips from my throat and I’m on my knees amongst the boys and the books, gathering both of my sons to me in turn, tears slipping down my face as I check over them with my hands and eyes. But from what I can tell, they’re fine – no cuts, no bruises –

“Mama, are you okay?” Alvin asks, worried, putting his hands on my cheeks.

“I’m fine, baby,” I say, laughing a little through my tears.

down next to me and I can see him doing his own survey of our children, checking to

are you upset?” Ian looks between us, ignoring his books as he starts

I say, brushing his sweet cheek softly with my knuckles, my tears starting to dry up. “We were worried

mama!” Alvin says, smiling at me, working to cheer me up. “And grandpapa brought us here, and we got to see all these cool books, and

staring at the floor, wondering if it’s

gasp at this one and then slowly turn, hardly believing

eyes rove over her. So changed – more grey in her hair, more fine lines around her eyes – but in so many ways, still the same. Still beautiful, refined, with a quiet elegance that I always admired but could never copy. “He told us yesterday they were coming – we were so excited to see

many ways she inherited the terrible life that my father wrote out for me. In so many ways we

who are most important to me

arms, staring at the women, clearly figuring out who they are, clearly still full of rage from this trick from my father. I can see him wondering if

looking worryingly at the door. “He played you a dirty trick, then. Again, I’m so sorry, Evelyn – I thought they were coming here to meet

of derision. “Why would I ever let my boys come here, with him? After what he

standing on their lids. “I’m so sorry, Evelyn,” she says,

to forgive, mama. You didn’t

arms and I bury my face in her shoulder, taking in her lavender verbena scent, a smell I didn’t

together and held anxiously in front of her. “Please, Evelyn, can

steps forward, joining our hug.

I say. “It’s in the past, and I imagine you paid for your crime many times over. I just…I had to stay away, I had to be free of this,” I say, sniffing and pulling back from the hug a little so that I can look at them some more. I just hope they will understand why I

okay, Evelyn,” my mother says, giving me a tremulous smile. “We can see that you have built a

tone, as she looks over at my two sons. Victor

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