#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.

little, hoping Victor’s father and brother

treated you at the wedding. It is

Marissa. When people cross them, as your husband and son did, my instinct is to ensure that

very wise. But I have had talks with both of them, and I

with that,” Evelyn says slowly, “is that they can act respectful all they want. But it doesn’t mean that they respect me. Deep

the window. She 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 of

little, wondering what she could

They are both stuck, somehow, in a world well worth dismissing.” She turns her

to be ashamed of, or a sign of immorality?” Evelyn brings her coffee mug to her lips, quirking an eyebrow. “It

and raises her cup in Evelyn’s direction. “You may be right. But

Evelyn says, giving her a sunny smile. “Then I will promise not to bare my teeth and bite their heads off the next time I see them. I can

Marissa says, looking at Evelyn fondly. “I do consider you

softly, touched. Both of their heads turn as

glazed. She stretches her hands above her head as she yawns and totters into the kitchen, high heels already strapped to her

get a cup.

wrinking her nose. “No,

but shrugs, handing Bridgette a mug

looking over Bridgette

says breathily, closing her eyes and leaning against the island. “Fine I guess, but Rafe kept me up all night doing –“ She opens her eyes and giggles, perhaps remembering who she’s

don’t know!” Ian says, giving Bridgette a cheerful smile over the top of

a tinkly little laugh. “Yeah, baby.

Alvin says, suddenly

answer but, thankfully, Victor sweeps into the room, all business. “Hello, everyone,” he says, leaning down to give

Evelyn notes the small smile that passes on his lips. He likes to have a full house, she thinks, as he ruffles the

the tutors arrive?”

here in five minutes,” he answers, taking a water bottle from the fridge. “Do you

on the counter. “Boys, stay here with your Mimi. Dad and I are going to have

his office, allowing her to enter first. Burton is in there, dusting, but he gathers his supplies and heads outs Victor and

into a chair next to Victor’s desk. “You’ve got a crowded house

what it was always like, when I was growing up. People around

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