#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.

next to me and I can see him doing his own survey of our children, checking to see if they’re

as he starts to look around for some kind of threat.

baby,” I say, brushing his sweet cheek softly with my knuckles, my tears

smiling at me, working to cheer me up. “And grandpapa brought us

sorry, Evelyn,” the woman’s soft voice makes me freeze, wrenching my heart. I don’t move, staring at the floor, wondering if it’s possible. But from the corner of my eye I see Victor turn sharply towards the corner

slowly turn, hardly believing it as I see my own mother and

brought them here this afternoon,” my mother says. My 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

sister says, worry all over her face. Emma, my sweet sister. I shake my head slowly as I take her in. She betrayed me, once, but in so many ways she inherited the terrible life that my father wrote out for me. In

who are most important to me in the world,

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 these women had something to

dirty trick, then. Again, I’m so

“Why would I ever let my boys come here, with him?

me, tears standing on their lids. “I’m so sorry, Evelyn,” she says, reaching out her hands to me. “I thought…perhaps you had forgiven

forgive, mama. You didn’t do anything at all. I know

her arms and I bury my face in her shoulder, taking in her lavender verbena scent,

side. Her lower lip trembles, her hands pressed together and held anxiously in front of her. “Please, Evelyn, can you forgive me as well? I have so much more

out my arm to her and she takes two faltering steps forward, joining our hug. Our mother laughs softly and I join her

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 didn’t come

can see that you have built a happy life. We are glad for

jealous, honestly,” Emma says, bitterness tinging her tone, as she looks over at my two

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