#Chapter 103 – Family Ties

“Mimi!” Ian shouts, bursting through Victor’s back door. He had seen his grandmother through the window as he ran across the yard, his backpack slung over his shoulder. “Are you coming to our school today!?”

She laughs, bending down to look at her grandson. “Your school? What are you talking about?”

Alvin and Evelyn come through the kitchen door, Evelyn pressing it closed behind her. “We go to school here now, Mimi!” Alvin says, equally excited.

Marissa turns a curious look on Evelyn, who nods and shrugs. “Victor and I decided to homeschool them for a few months, until the academy gets on its feet. We’re interviewing tutors today.”

“How exciting,” Marissa says, smiling down at the boys.

“Yeah I’m going to pick a really good one,” Ian says, hefting his backpack up onto one of the high kitchen schools. “Someone who knows a lot about lizards.”

“Very into reptiles, recently,” Evelyn murmurs to Marissa on her way past her, heading for the coffee machine.

“I remember that phase,” Marissa says, laughing lightly and lifting Alvin up into a chair.

Evelyn pours herself a cup of coffee. “Do you need one, Marissa?”

But Marissa points to her own half-full cup, sitting on the kitchen island. “No, darling, but thank you for asking.”

Evelyn looks passively around the room as she heads to the fridge for cream. “Where is Victor? We have tutors coming in about ten minutes.”

Marissa shrugs and settles into a chair next to Alvin. “He’ll be here, you know he’s never late.”

Evelyn nods and settles into a chair across from Marissa. “I don’t know how he does it. Maybe he swallowed a pocket watch as a child, so he always knows the time.”

“Like the crocodile,” Marissa says, smiling and lifting her coffee cup to her lips. “Always chasing Peter Pan.”

Evelyn laughs, charmed. “Yes, that’s right! I’d forgotten about that.”

Alvin looks down at his own stomach, as if imagining his own internal clock. “Would that work?”

“No, baby,” Evelyn says, laughing. “Please, don’t try it.”

Ian starts unloading his books onto the island, clearly planning to quiz the tutors very hard on their credentials. Alvin leans over to help him formulate a plan.

grimaces a little, hoping Victor’s father and brother aren’t close at

Marissa says, smiling softly at her. “I continue to be so sorry,” she says, “about how they treated you at the wedding. It is unforgivable, but I hope that you will…well, perhaps give them another

keep very firm boundaries, Marissa. When people cross them, as your husband and son did, my instinct is to ensure that they

had talks with both of them, and I will have more, encouraging them to

all they want. But it doesn’t mean that they respect me. Deep down, I will know

gets a far-off look in her eyes that makes Evelyn smile, it’s so like the one that Victor gets. “They are….old, the two

frowns a little, wondering what

“who is so young, is old in his ideas, about traditions. They are both stuck, somehow, in a world well worth dismissing.” She turns her gaze to Evelyn. “Perhaps you can help me bring them

a sign of immorality?” Evelyn brings her coffee mug to her

Evelyn’s direction. “You may be right. But

my teeth and bite their heads off the next time I see them. I can give peace in this family

looking at Evelyn fondly. “I do consider you very much a part of

you,” Evelyn says softly, touched. Both of their heads turn as

her eyes glazed. She stretches her hands above her head as she

going to get a cup. “Do you want cream and

says, wrinking her nose. “No, that’s way too many

frowns a bit but shrugs, handing Bridgette a

you sleep…my dear.” Marissa says, looking over Bridgette with just a

against the island. “Fine I guess, but Rafe kept me up all night doing –“ She opens

says, giving Bridgette a cheerful smile over the top of his book. “Were you up late playing

tinkly little laugh. “Yeah, baby. A

Alvin says, suddenly

“Hello, everyone,” he says, leaning down to give his mother a kiss on the cheek as he

his lips. He likes to have a full house, she thinks, as he ruffles the

tutors arrive?” Evelyn

water bottle from the fridge. “Do you want to come to my office?

“Boys, stay here with your

opens the door to his office, allowing her to enter first. Burton is in there, dusting, but he gathers

chair next to Victor’s desk. “You’ve got

This is what it was always like, when I was

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