Parker
stared up at the giant stone building and tried to remind herself why the
hell she had come back here before heading off to the address Jarod had
given her.She knew it was to put
her cover story more firmly in place and to throw off any suspicions Lyle
might have about where she’d been, but all she wanted was to climb back
into bed and pull the covers over her head.
She
felt awful.She had left the hospital
early, against the doctor’s advice and flown back to Blue Cove with Sydney,
Broots and Sam.Jarod had agreed
to take Angelo to the “safe place” he wanted her to go to as well.Parker
had been hesitant to agree, not that she didn’t trust Jarod with Angelo,
she knew he would never let any harm come to her brother, it was just the
thought of being separated from her twin again that she had rebelled at.Jarod’s
promise that Angelo would be happy where he was going had made her give
in, though she suspected his ulterior motive was insuring her decision
to follow up the lead he had given her.There
was no way she’d stay away from the house in upstate New York now that
her brother was there.
Slowly,
she made her way up the entrance stairs and then through the lobby, steeling
herself for the two very different confrontations she was about to have.
Entering
her office, she was immediately greeted with the looks of displeasure she’d
expected to see on the faces of both Sydney and Broots.Parker
knew that they were only reacting this way out of concern for her, so she
fought the urge to snap at them and simply crossed to her desk and sank
down into her chair, grimacing as pain rippled through her abdomen.
“Miss
Parker,” Sydney leaned forward, taking her wrist in his hand, his eyes
falling on his watch as he checked her pulse, “you know you aren’t supposed
to be out of bed yet.”
“Thanks,
Mom, but I’m old enough to decide when to get out of bed.”
Sydney
shook his head slightly when he released her wrist, and sat down on the
edge of her desk.
“You’re
still weak, and whether or not you like hearing it, you need to rest.”
“Yeah,
Miss Parker, I thought you were going away for a while.” Parker’s eyes
shot toward Broots as he spoke, and he was stunned to find that even her
best glare didn’t have the energy in it to scare him today.That,
more than anything, made him worry more.
“Geez,
Broots, I’ve been back two minutes and you’re ready to get rid of me already?Nice.”
“I
just meant...” Broots trailed off as Miss Parker rolled her eyes and looked
at him.Sometimes it was really hard
to tell when she was kidding and when she wasn’t, and though they’d become
very close over the past four years, he still felt that navigating their
friendship was akin to walking through a minefield – in the dark.
Miss
Parker turned her eyes to Sydney and saw that his concern was now masked
behind his usual look of general disinterest, yet she knew better.He
would watch her like a hawk all day, ready to report any misdeeds to Jarod.That’s
all she needed was for the lab rat to think she wasn’t taking care of herself.He’d
probably show up out of nowhere and strap her to a bed until she’d recovered
to his satisfaction.
‘Oh,
well,’ she thought, ‘now that I’ve faced these two I might as well head
off to see the idiot.’Standing,
Parker moved slowly, hoping not to ignite another shot of pain in her very
tired body.She walked toward the
door feeling Broots’ and Sydney’s eyes on her the whole way. It was as
she reached the door that the idea struck her, and she turned back to focus
on the techie.
“Broots,
do you have any objections to my picking Debbie up today?”
“Uh,
no, but I thought you were leaving?”
“Not
until tomorrow.I’d like to spend
some time with her, if you don’t mind.We
have some unfinished business to take care of.”
“What
kind of business?”
“Private
girl business, Broots.2:30, right?”
Broots
nodded, wondering what all the secrecy was about, but happy to agree.Debbie
loved spending time with Miss Parker, and though he had initially been
terrified the first time his daughter had stayed with her, he now welcomed
their time together.With his ex-wife
basically in a perpetual state of drugged-out nothingness, Miss Parker
was the closest thing to a mother Debbie had, and though no one would have
believed it, she was doing pretty well at the job.
Miss
Parker made her way down the hall toward the office where she used to go
anxiously to visit her father.She
still felt anxiety, but now it was different.She
hated Lyle so much; more every time she thought about the months he had
stolen from her and Angelo.Of course,
that was nothing compared to the years Raines had taken from them, and
sooner or later, she was going to have to make sure he paid for it.
The
vengeful thought of Raines at the end of her gun sent pain shooting through
Parker’s abdomen, and she grabbed at her stomach reflexively as she approached
the door to the Chairman’s office.‘Deep
breath, walk in,’ she told herself.
Lyle
looked up as the door opened, and he immediately pasted on the fake smile
he wore for his “sister.” The subtle dance he did with her in order to
maintain the ruse of their relationship was key – the Triumvirate had only
agreed to his new strategy toward Jarod because she had gone alone with
it.The why of it all was still a
mystery to him, but one he intended to solve.Someone
in the Triumvirate considered
Parker
very important, and he had to know why before he could make his final grab
for power.
She
crossed the room in three strides and stood in front of his desk momentarily
before sinking down into a chair across from him.Lyle
raised an eyebrow as he surveyed her.She
was definitely pale, and she looked about five pounds lighter than when
he’d last seen her.So, she really
had been sick.He had doubted her
story even after seeing the admitting papers from the hospital, but now
it seemed that she was telling the truth, at least about this.He
still had his suspicions where Emily’s mysterious escape was concerned.
“Ready
to get back to work?”
Parker
glared at him, and he smiled in response, making her already tense nerves
tighten more.She just wanted to
do this and get out of here, but she had to keep her cool.The
whole point was to keep Lyle off of Angelo’s trail.
“Not
hardly.I came to file my reports
on what little I found about the Major and the boy, then I’m out of here.Taking
some vacation time.”
“Vacation?You
were just gone for nearly two weeks.”
“And
I’m going to be gone for nearly two more, or didn’t you ever hear of recovery
time?It’s already been cleared,
Lyle, so get a grip.”
‘Already
been cleared,’ he thought with an edge. ‘The Triumvirate again, acting
without his knowledge.He was going
to have to speak to Mutumbo about this – he hated being kept out of the
loop.Who did they think he was,
that fool Mr. Parker?
“Well,
then, Sis. Take care of yourself.We
want you back in tip top shape.”
“The
reports are already in the mainframe.If
you have any questions, I’ll be home tonight, then I’m taking off.”
“Where
too?”
“Maine.I
have a friend there I want to visit.”No
more detail than that.Ben had already
agreed to cover for her if Lyle called or sent someone to check on her,
and he had promised to contact her immediately if either event happened.
“How
remarkably unremarkable of a choice.”He
smirked at her and knew that he’d gotten his desired reaction as her glare
increased.Good.He
didn’t want her getting too comfortable.
Parker
stood and headed toward the door, her thoughts now on getting to her car
and getting to Debbie so they could finish the Christmas gift she’d been
helping Debbie prepare for her father. She had almost
forgotten
about it until this morning, and since she didn’t expect to be back before
the holidays, she wanted to get it taken care of now so Debbie wouldn’t
be disappointed.She was just about
to leave when she heard Lyle clear his throat to get her attention.
“By
the way, have you heard anything about the freak?”The
words sunk into Parker’s brain, and she forced herself to remain steely
calm.‘So, that’s your game, Lyle?Fine.’Turning,
she faced her enemy.
“Excuse
me?”
“Angelo.He’s
missing, or didn’t you know?”
“No,
actually I hadn’t heard anything.Guess
you shouldn’t have transferred him to a new facility after all, huh?What’s
the Triumvirate think about another one of its pets getting away?”
With
that Parker turned and left before her anger and her protective streak
for her brother took over and left Lyle a bleeding heap on the floor.For
his part, Lyle watched her go, his feelings a muddle.He
hadn’t gotten the reaction he’d hoped for, but it still seemed she was
in the dark about the dummy’s real identity.For
now, that was enough.
Nothing
surprised or delighted Parker more than the look of sheer joy that crossed
Debbie’s face every time the two met.Debbie
was a child free of the demons that had so often plagued Parker as a little
girl, and she was unable to hide her emotions away, which was a tribute
to just what good father she had.Her
face lit up, her eyes widening as she walked to the front of the school
and saw the black Porsche Boxster waiting with Miss Parker leaning against
it.Debbie immediately ran toward
the car, her arms open for a hug.
“Miss
Parker!I was so worried about you.
Daddy told me you got hurt.” Parker squatted down to receive the hug, her
stomach not yet up for the deep bend that would have been required had
she simply leaned over, and enjoyed the feeling of Debbie’s arms tightening
around her.If anyone had ever told
her she’d feel this way about this kid...
“I’m
fine.Still a little sore, but okay.Are
you up for some Secret Santa work today?”Debbie
pulled back her mouth open from a small gasp as she began to speak.
“You
mean I finally get to see it?”
“Yes.We’ll
put on all the finishing touches today and get it ready for you to take
home.I don’t think I’m going to
be back by Christmas and I didn’t want you not to have your dad’s special
gift.”
“Great!”The
two separated completely and Parker opened the passenger door for her to
climb in.She made her own way to
the driver’s door and after starting the car, pulled away to head toward
her house.She never noticed the
dark car parked several blocks away, its occupant watching the happy reunion
with great interest.It seemed Miss
Parker had more to lose than she imagined.
Mutumbo
read the final report on the Damon situation, a growl of displeasure escaping
him the moment he’d finished.What
the hell had Lyle been thinking, sending a novice after a man trained in
Centre tactics for the better part of a decade?That
the boy had been killed only to have some random victim’s brother dispose
of Damon was a miracle.Still, they
had hoped to recover Damon alive, and his loss would have to be dealt with.
Garvey
had sanctioned all the work Damon had done for them, and if he was angered
by his loss, then they were all going to have to answer.Mutumbo
was fairly insulated from any real punishment, but Lyle was not.Mutumbo
smiled evilly as he closed the report and buzzed his secretary.She
entered a moment later.
“Yes,
sir?”
“Have
this taken to Mr. Garvey, now.”
The
woman took the folder he offered and left immediately.Now,
Mutumbo thought, I’ll just wait and see what happens.
Sydney
sat back in his chair, closing his eyes for a much-needed moment of rest.Things
were finally getting back to normal.Well,
at least as normal as anything got at the Centre.Lyle
was slithering the halls trying to uncover everyone’s secrets, Broots was
jumping at shadows, and Sam was once again living behind the mask of stone
that he used to deflect unwanted attention.
Sydney
felt Angelo’s absence deeply, but would never have said so.He
understood all too well why Parker had sent him away with Jarod, and why
she would not bring him back here. Yet the man was so much a part of Sydney’s
life until now, knowing he would not receive anymore late-night visits
from the air vents touched him with a small sense of regret.He
knew that was a selfish thought.After
all, Angelo was free now.And he
wanted the same for Parker and for Jarod – he just hoped it didn’t mean
he would never see them again.
Parker
and Jarod – what a mystery the two of them were to him.He’d
know her since birth and Jarod since age four and yet he felt now that
he had no idea what was going on inside them.The
two had been bitter enemies for nearly four years now, and yet they had
both almost lost their lives in recent weeks trying to protect the other.On
top of that, Emily had confirmed Parker’s role in her escape, which meant
that again, Parker had risked herself for Jarod’s family.
He
knew better than to call her on it.She
would only deny that she’d done anything “for” Jarod and come up with an
excuse about trying to undermine her brother by letting Emily go or simply
doing what was right by trying to catch Damon, but Sydney knew better.Something
was definitely going on with those two, something he thought had died years
ago.He only hoped that the time
away from the Centre would help Miss Parker figure that out.
The
phone rang and pulled him out of his thoughts.He
reached out to answer, certain already of who was on the phone.
“This
is Sydney.”
“Hello,
Sydney.”
“Jarod.How
are you?”There was a long pause,
and he knew that Jarod was honestly thinking about the answer to the question
rather than just throwing out a pat response to him.
“I’m...
better.Still a lot to sort out.”
“I
understand.And how is your charge
doing?”Sydney smiled at his caution.He
knew that Jarod often scrambled their phone calls so that the Centre could
not record them, but still, it didn’t hurt to use a little discretion.
“He
is doing fine.Adjusting to his
new home quite well, actually. Though he misses his sister very much.”
“She
should be there tomorrow.”
“So
she hasn’t backed out?”
“No. We
thought so when she came into work this morning, but she’s already left
for the day to spend the afternoon with Debbie.”
“Good.Make
sure she gets on that plane, Sydney.She
needs to do this.”
“Jarod,
does this all have something to do with that photo album you sent her?
The one Angelo said was from Elizabeth?”
“Just
get her on the plane, Syd.”
With
that, Jarod disconnected the line, and Sydney stared at the receiver in
his hand for a moment.
Definitely
something going on with those two.
Parker
walked into the studio in a pair of jeans and one of Tommy’s old white
thermal shirts and sat down in front of the project she and Debbie had
been working on the last few months.It
needed far less finishing then she’d imagined.Just
a few last additions of color and then after it dried, it would be time
to wrap it up and let Debbie take it home.
Debbie
bounded into the room wearing the pretty green velvet dress that Miss Parker
had bought her to wear for Christmas and for their project. The girl smiled
as she thought about their secret.She
loved that she had a special secret with Miss Parker.
It
was still fresh in her memory, the day she had been snooping in the studio
and found the sketchpad sitting on the chaise lounge.She
had opened it and her eyes fell on a collection of beautiful pencil sketches
of the house and the woods outside and of the man she knew was named Thomas.It
made Debbie sad to think about him.Even
though she had never met him, she knew Miss Parker had loved him very much,
and losing him had made her very sad.She
hated the thought of anyone or anything making Miss Parker more sad than
she had always been.
She
was startled when Miss Parker snuck up on her in the studio, but her fear
at being in trouble quickly vanished as she saw the woman smile down at
her.Then Miss Parker had dropped
down to the chaise, unable to keep her smile out of her voice as she tried
to sound stern.
“What
are you doing in here, young lady?”
“Looking.Did
you do those drawings?They’re so
pretty.”
“Yes,
I did, but they are a big, big secret so don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Why
do you want to keep them a secret?”
“Well,
sometimes it’s nice to have something special that you do that you only
have for yourself, something that you don’t share with anyone unless they’re
very, very special to you.”
“Kind
of like writing in a diary?”
“Kind
of.I like to draw things that are
important to me.That way I know
that I’ll never forget them.”
That’s
when the idea for her daddy’s present had been hatched.The
two would pick out a special dress and Miss Parker would sketch and paint
Debbie’s portrait.
Miss
Parker looked up and saw Debbie’s smiling face and she waved the girl over
to her.Up to now, Debbie had not
been allowed to see the picture.As
she rounded the canvas and looked at it – herself in the green dress sitting
on the chaise and framed by the fireplace her smile widened.She
loved it.
“Oh,
Miss Parker, it’s beautiful.You’re
the best!”
“No,
it’s just because you’re so pretty that it’s so good.Now
hop over there and let me finish these touch ups so we can get it ready
for you to take.”
The
touch ups took less than a hour,. Afterwards, Debbie changed and carefully
hung up her dress to take it home, she and Miss Parker met up on the couch
in the living room for some hot chocolate while the sunlight streaked through
the skylights in the studio, drying the portrait to perfection.
The
two chatted happily, and Parker felt a lot of the loneliness she had been
feeling lately slip away.It wasn’t
often she could do something like this, something that didn’t require money
or sacrifice, to please someone around her.That
Debbie asked only for her time and her affection made her unique in Parker’s
world, and she wondered if she would ever be able to properly explain that
to anyone.
‘You
wouldn’t have to explain it to Jarod. He would understand.’
The
thought passed through her mind quickly, and she wondered if he would still
be at this mysterious house when she arrived.Part
of her hoped so, so they could finally talk.The
hospital had always been swarming with people and given them little chance
to discuss any of what had happened to them, and she felt that they needed
to talk about it. Then he’d decided to take Angelo off with him, and so
Parker had headed home ready to do battle with Lyle if need be to keep
her brother safe.
She
knew that Jarod was sending her to get answers to the Elizabeth mystery.You
didn’t need to be a genius to figure that out.What
she wondered was why?Was he feeling
guilty about her getting hurt?Is
that
why he’d finally just given her an answer instead of doling out bits and
pieces of information?Or did he
just finally understand what Parker had come to feel but never been able
to tell him – that she needed a family, one she could count on.Certainly
her father and Lyle had never fit that bill, and though she loved Sydney
and Broots dearly, it wasn’t the same as being physically connected to
someone she loved. Isn’t that what Jarod had been trying to tell her all
that time?Why had it take her so
long to figure out that he was right?
The
night passed and Debbie and Parker carefully wrapped the portrait so that
it would not smear in case of still wet paint, and then they carefully
loaded all of her things into the car and headed to the Broots home.Parker
laughed as she saw the quizzical look on Broots’ face as they walked in
with the Christmas gift, and her only response was to glare at him and
say, “You’ll find out on Christmas.”
After
a kiss for Debbie and an admonishment to Broots to look after himself,
she headed for the car and for home.She
was exhausted, though it was worth it to have seen the happiness on Debbie’s
face that she’d
seen
today.She wondered if Broots would
figure out who the artist of the portrait was.She
had not signed it, but somehow she thought he might guess.It
didn’t matter, if there was anyone on earth she didn’t mind knowing other
than Debbie, it was Broots.Of course,
if he told anyone, she would have to kill him, she’d have to remember to
tell him that.
Once
she got home, Parker dove into a quick shower and then climbed into one
of Thomas’ flannel shirts and into bed.Though
she had accepted his death, it still made her feel some sense of comfort
to keep a few of his things close to her...and it helped her remember what
she would be risking if she let her heart become too vulnerable.Her
brother was one thing, but she wasn’t going to be letting anyone else get
too close to her anytime soon.
Her
eyes slowly fluttered closed, and Parker dreamt about the picture of the
two identical little girls and the secrets their smiles held.
Sydney
arrived promptly at 8:00 a.m. to pick up Miss Parker and drive her to the
airport.She was surprised when
he drove past the public terminals and headed for the private airstrip
instead.
“Syd,
what gives?”
“You
have alternative travel arrangements.”Off
of Miss Parker’s raised eyebrow, Sydney continued.“Jarod
wanted to make certain your route couldn’t be traced.”
Miss
Parker only nodded.He wondered
what she was thinking, but decided against prodding her.She
seemed happier than he had seen her in a long time, and he didn’t want
to do anything to spoil her mood.
They
stopped in front of a new Lear jet, and Sydney quickly moved to the trunk
to get her bags, knowing she would try and do it on her and that she should
not.He’d had to practically tear
the thing out of her hands at the house earlier to get her to let him carry
it.Sydney handed the bag to the
waiting attendant, and then turned to Miss Parker.
“I
hope this trip bring you some answers, Miss Parker, and some peace.”
“I
hope so, too, Syd, and watch your back.I
don’t need you and Broots getting into trouble.”
Sydney
was both surprised and delighted by what happened next.The
tall brunette leaned closer to him and then suddenly wrapped her arms around
him.
“I
mean it, Syd.Be careful.”
With
the words said, she stepped back and walked toward the plane, not wanting
Sydney to see the emotion in her eyes.Damn,
what was going on with her lately?All
these sentimental thoughts were getting a little old.
Once
on the plane, Parker settled back into the luxurious leather seat. She
fought the urge to look out the window for Sydney and instead tried to
focus on what was coming.She didn’t
know what exactly was coming, but she knew that it was going to change
her life.
Jarod
paced on the porch of the restored farmhouse, his mind a jumble of questions.Should
he leave now or stay to make sure Parker arrived safely before disappearing
again?He wanted so much to just
see her, to know that she was all right, and yet his natural instincts
were telling him to leave.She had
so much to face once she got here, maybe it was better for him to be gone.
Emily
stepped out onto the porch, a cup of coffee for herself in one hand, and
a glass of chocolate milk for her brother in the other. The last few weeks
had given her a chance to really get to know him.She
knew for instance that he loved Yoo-hoo and chocolate milk and that they
shared a deep abiding addiction to Pop Tarts.She
knew that he hardly ever slept and that he could eat ice cream for breakfast,
lunch and dinner and that he thought about finding their family almost
all the time.
She
had also figured out that his endless quests to “help the little guy” were
something that he could not stop, even if the Centre had disappeared.That
was evident from the way he cared for Angelo and worried over Parker and
in the activities he’d filled up his days with since they’d arrived at
he farmhouse in New York state.He
had spent hours helping the local town doctor update his office, ordering
equipment that they needed to bring their services up to Jarod’s standards
and treating patients with specialized medical problems the local internist
normally had to send people to the city for.He
was constantly amazing her, and she would be forever grateful to Parker
for sending her to her brother.
It
seemed that months had passed since that fateful day, and yet it had only
been five weeks.How so much could
have happen in that little time amazed her, and yet it had all been terrifyingly
real.Jarod still would not open
up to her about what had happened with Damon, and somehow she sensed that
that was a conversation he needed to have with Parker, so she didn’t push.
Now
she watched him pacing, certain all of his anxiety was due to Parker’s
impending arrival.He wanted to
see her so much, but she knew he was nervous about it.So
often it seemed when he spoke of their meetings, even a pleasant conversation
turned into a fight, and she knew Jarod didn’t want to fight with her,
not now.Just the snippets of information
Emily had learned about Parker’s twisted family history
since
arriving here made her realize that her savior was going to need all of
her strength to deal with what was coming.
Emily
decided to approach him, and she handed him the glass of milk as he tried
to focus on her.
“Thanks,
Em.”He turned his eyes back to
the road, waiting for the car to arrive even though he knew it was still
too early.
“She
wanted to see you in Maine, Jarod.She
probably still does.”
“That
was about Angelo.I mean, she doesn’t
need me here.”
“I
think she does, Jarod.You can’t
really just leave her here all alone to deal with this.When
she finds out how far back all of it’s gone, what they did to her mother...
she’s going to need you, Jarod.”
“Or
hate me for making her face it.”
Emily
walked up and hugged her brother from behind, resting her cheek against
his back.
“Parker
could never hate you, Jarod.That
part I’m sure of.”
Jarod
accepted the warmth of his sister’s embrace, but he wasn’t certain he could
accept her words.Every time he
forced Parker to face another piece of her past, their relationship seemed
to get more strained. Could he really expect this time to be any different,
despite all they had just been through together?
Just
then the screen door opened, and Jarod knew that Elizabeth was walking
toward them.He turned, still stunned
a bit by this woman’s resemblance to the woman he was waiting for, and
returned the warm smile she gave him despite his own worries.
“That
boy is so excited, I don’t think I’m going to be able to do a thing with
him today.”
“He’s
always really cared about Parker.”Jarod
spoke remembering the joy that had always somehow worked its way to the
surface when they’d been children and Angelo had seen Miss Parker enter
a room.“Now that they know about
each other, I’m sure that’s just gotten stronger.”
“Apparently
so.”Elizabeth’s voice had the same
timbre as Parker’s, but it was tinged with a bit of a New York accent.
Jarod took in the sound and then turned his eyes back to the road.
“I’m
planning on dinner for six, Jarod.Harry
will be back from the city tonight, and I expect you and Miss Emily here
to be around.You weren’t thinking
of running off anywhere, where you?”
Jarod
turned to her, his eyes wide as he wondered if Elizabeth had been listening
to them or if she just had those mother instincts that told her what he
was thinking.He considered her words
and made his decision.
“No,
we’re not going anywhere for good, Elizabeth, but I do think maybe the
two of us shouldn’t be here when she first arrives.Parker
needs a chance to see Angelo and settle in, and I’m sure she’ll have a
ton of questions the minute she lays eyes on you.”
“As
long as you’re home for dinner, you two do whatever you want.”
Elizabeth
turned and headed back into the house, and Jarod felt suddenly that he
knew now what it felt like to have a mother around telling you what to
do, and he was pretty sure that he liked it.
“So,
Big Brother, if we’re not going to be here, where are we going?”
“Let’s
head into town.I want to check
up on a few patients at the clinic and then we can do some shopping or
something.”
Emily
nodded in response and headed inside to grab her jacket and the car keys.
The
limo was waiting for her when she got off the plane and Parker had to suppress
a small laugh.She could tell from
the address that the house Jarod had sent her to was in the middle of nowhere.They
had probably never even had a limo drive through town let alone pull up
at one of the houses.Only Jarod
would think this was appropriate.
She
climbed into the car and though she usually felt very uncomfortable with
someone else driving her, the fact that Jarod had sent the man let her
relax a bit.She leaned back closing
her eyes, wishing she had been able to sleep on the plane.She
was so tired, but her anxiety wouldn’t let her rest.What
was it she was going to find?
The
drive took about three hours and then the driver turned onto a long dirt
road that led to a beautiful white farmhouse with blue shutters. The place
had clearly been redone in the past few years, and it was breathtaking.
The
car stopped near the front door, and the driver quickly got out and opened
Parker’s door.He went to get her
bag as she made her way toward the front steps of the house.Suddenly,
the screen door burst open and a familiar smile greeted her as a tornado
of man-child headed her way.
“Sister
here!”Angelo rushed to her, his
excitement all over his face as he threw his arms around her.It
still amazed her how affectionate he was with her since he so frequently
pulled away from others to protect himself from their emotions, but she
loved it so much that she didn’t question it too hard.She
returned his embrace happily.
“Yes,
Angelo, sister’s here.I missed
you very much.”
He
pulled back and smiled at her, and she realized that he seemed better somehow
than he had the last time she’d seen him, as if he had learned more about
how to be “normal.”She wanted that
so much for him, but she never let herself think it or wish for it, and
yet it seemed to be happening of its own accord.Unless
Jarod...
Angelo
began to pull her toward the house and she saw the driver had placed her
bag on the porch and was back in the car ready to leave.She
made it up onto the porch and was about to try and tell Angelo they needed
to stop so she could get her things when the door opened.
Parker
knew that the woman she was going to meet looked like her mother, but she
was not prepared for how that was going to make her feel in reality.She
was tall, like her and her mother, and she had Catherine’s face – their
face, though it was older and lined.Her
dark hair was rinsed with gray, but it was still thick and beautiful and
hung down her back in a long braid.Parker
stared at her, letting out a deep breath that she didn’t realize she was
holding until Angelo nudged her, reminding her to breathe.
That
was when the woman stepped closer, and put out her arms to Parker.
“Welcome
home, Little Cat.I’m glad you’re
finally here.”