Chapter 147
Ma smelled like sweet flowers and the bakery. That smell had been my home for five perfect
years. Pa’s hand was strong on my shoulder, steady and warm. They didn’t say any silly things or promise me that everything would be okay. They just held me. In that quiet time, I found the first
piece of peace since everything went wrong.
They guided me gently to the big, soft couch. I leaned heavily against Ma, my head on her shoulder,
as the last shakes of my sadness left my body.
I lifted my tear–stained face and looked up. That’s when I saw them.
They were standing near the doorway, looking worried, my two precious children. Isabella was holding Marco’s hand. Her face was full of concern. Marco looked scared and hurt, a look I hated
to see on him.
“Mommy,” he whispered, his voice small.
Before I could move, he let go of Isabella and ran. He threw himself into my arms, hugging my
waist with all his strength.
“Stop crying, Mama,” he mumbled into my clothes. “Please stop.‘
That tiny, simple request broke my heart again, but in a strange, warm way. It was the pure, honest
love of a four–year–old. I ran my fingers through his soft hair and pulled him closer, kissing the top
of his head.
My heart hurt because I had just shown my kids how easily I could fall apart. I didn’t want them to
suffer because of me. Their happiness was the main reason I kept going every day.
Isabella walked closer and sat carefully on the small seat in front of me. She took my hand and
rubbed the back of it gently. She was perfect and everyday I wonder how Alice raised such a
perfect little girl.
“Pa? Ma?” My voice was rough from crying. “What are you doing here? I didn’t think you were
coming back so soon.”
Ma rubbed my back slowly. “Astor called us, honey. He told us what happened.”
I nodded heavily, pulling Marco onto my lap. I didn’t want to talk about losing the baby or the terrible fight with Astor in front of the kids.
“Yes, well,” Ma continued, her voice suddenly serious. “That’s not the only reason we came back,
Faith.”
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Pa reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“What is this?” I asked. A feeling of deep worry immediately settled in my stomach.
+25 Points
Pa handed it to me. It was written in thick, messy black ink. I recognized the horrible handwriting
instantly.
Kyle.
I unfolded the paper, my hands shaking so much I almost dropped it.
The note was short, mean, and clear. He didn’t say the Gables‘ names, but he started by
congratulating them on their happiness. Then came the terrifying part:
“You look happy. But happiness is hard to get, and it costs a lot most importantly it never, ever
lasts.”
I gasped. The color left my face, replaced by a freezing cold feeling.
Kyle had killed my adoptive parents. He killed them because of me. Now, he was threatening the
Gables, the parents who had loved me for five years.
He was threatening them.
A new wave of fear hit me, stronger and colder than the sadness I’d just been crying over. If I lost them, I would truly lose everything. They were my foundation, and the only people I fully trusted.
Isabella must have felt the fast, sharp change in the room. She looked at Marco and patted his
arm.
“Marco, let’s go play with the blocks in the kitchen, okay? The grown–ups need to talk about boring
things.”
Thank goodness for Isabella. Marco, still sitting on my lap, looked up at her and then back at me. I forced a small, shaky smile and kissed his cheek. “I’ll come play with you very soon. Go with your
sister.”
Once they had gone, the air in the room became thick and heavy. I was holding Kyle’s note so tightly the paper was wrinkling.
“Faith, honey,” Ma started softly, leaning closer. “We need to talk about that note, but first, I need you to tell me how you really feel. Not the Faith who tries to be strong for her child, but the Faith who is sitting here now.”
She spoke quietly, directly, and lovingly. “Losing a child is the worst kind of pain, sweetie. It tears your heart in half.”
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I swallowed. Tears almost came back, but I pushed them away. I looked into Ma’s familiar, kind
eyes.
“I feel like I’ve been holding it all in, Ma. For days. Since the moment I knew she was gone.” I
choked on those words. “The only thing that helps is knowing that I did everything I could to save
my baby. That I loved her more than the world.”
I paused, and the anger rose up like sickness.
“But Astor took her from me. He took the only thing I had left of her.”
Pa, who had been listening quietly, put his warm hand over mine.
“We understand that, honey. We really do,” Pa said softly. “But just because he’s a man doesn’t mean Astor isn’t feeling the same kind of pain. Faith, he also lost his baby.”
I pulled my hand away quickly, my eyes showing my anger. Thinking about Astor’s pain did nothing to calm mine. It only made me madder.
“I don’t care what he is feeling, Pa,” I said, my voice low and fierce. “I will never forgive him for what
he did. Never.”
Ma quickly squeezed my arm, stopping Pa from saying anything more.
“Then that is how it is, Faith,” Ma said, her love for me clear. “If that is how you feel, then we won’t talk about it anymore. Especially not now. We can see how upset it’s making you, and we never want you to feel that way with us, honey. Never.”
A wave of deep relief washed over me. This was why I loved them. They didn’t judge; they simply
loved.
I leaned forward and hugged them both tightly, burying my face between them.
“I’m really, really glad you’re here,” I whispered. Tears blurred my eyes again, but these were different kind of tears. “I felt like I was completely alone, drowning in pain, with nobody in the world
to hold onto.”
Just as I settled back, feeling safe again, I heard soft footsteps coming down the main stairs.
My mother and father came into the living room. They looked unsure but calm.
“Faith, are you alright, darling?” my mother asked looking worried even though I don’t buy it.
I took a deep breath, wiping the last tears from my face. This was going to be awkward.
““““I want you to meet Mrs. Gable, who I call Ma, and Mr. Gable, who I call Pa. And Ma, Pa, this my
birth mother and Alpha Connor.”
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The air filled with a silent tension that felt like lightning before a storm.
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Ma didn’t wait a second. She stepped forward, her small body full of fierce energy. She looked
straight at my birth mother and Connor.
“Well, you are the worst kind of parents in the world, aren’t you?” Ma stated clearly, her voice calm
but sharp like a knife.
My parents jumped, shocked by the sudden, brutal honesty.
“You failed to love a wonderful person like Faith when she needed it most. You threw away a
treasure.” Ma paused, letting the words sink in. “But I’m happy too, because you gave us a gift. We
gained a daughter–a real daughter and a grandson, because of your failure.”
I froze, ready for the explosion. They had never heard anyone speak to them like that, especially
not a stranger.
Wait, a thought screamed in my mind. I haven’t told Ma and Pa about Isabella yet.
I know the moment they find out they have a granddaughter as well, they will be overjoyed. That
was a talk for another time.
