Chapter 152
I stood outside the dungeon. I wasn’t trying to spy, not really. But that door had Alice on one side and my daughter on the other.
And I didn’t trust Alice as far as I could throw her. Isabella is only five years old. She’s tiny, and her heart is the size of a planet, and she believes everything grown–ups tell her specifically if it’s her mother.
Alice knew just how to twist the truth after all she created misunderstandings between me and Astor for years.
My wolf could pick up on everything that was said.
“…and you must be a good girl, Bella,” I heard Alice say, her voice sounding sickly sweet–too sweet for my liking. “Mommy loves you and I miss you very much.”
My stomach knotted up. Mommy. She doesn’t get to be mommy.
Isabella’s little voice piped up, sounding serious. “But why did you do the bad thing mommy? Why did you make Auntie Faith cry?”
There was a long silence, and I held my breath. This was the moment. Was Alice going to lie and
blame me, or just admit she was evil?
“Sometimes, honey,” Alice finally whispered, sounding like she was fighting back tears, “grown–ups
make mistakes because they are very, very confused. I confused myself right into a big problem.”
That was the biggest understatement but I sagged in relief. At least she wasn’t telling Isabella any lies. She was admitting some fault. But still, the way she spoke–it made her sound like a victim of
bad luck, not the woman who tried to steal my life.
A few more minutes dragged by with Alice apologising and justifying herself. Then, I heard a chair scrape back, followed by a slight sniffle.
“I have to go now mommy,” Isabella said firmly. “Mommy Faith is waiting.”
That sound, Isabella choosing me, naming me as her safe person was like a shot of warmth straight through my chilled bones.
A second later, the big iron door creaked open and Isabella burst out. She didn’t look left or right. She didn’t look back at the dark cell. She looked straight at me, standing there pale and anxious,
and she ran.
“Faith!”
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She launched herself right into my waiting arms. I almost stumbled backward, but I caught her and wrapped my body around hers, burying my face in the soft, sweet–smelling curls of her hair. I squeezed her so tight I thought she might pop, but I didn’t care. She was here, she was safe, and
she chose me.
She pulled back just enough to look me right in the eye, her beautiful brown eyes were wide and
serious.
“Faith,” she started, her voice very soft and wobbly. She put her little hands on my big cheeks.” Mommy told me something.” Here it comes.
“What did she tell you, sweetie?” I managed to whisper, bracing myself.
She leaned in close, her breath warm on my chin. “She said you are my mother, too. Is that true? Are you really my mom?”
Tears welled up instantly, blurring the edges of her sweet, chubby little face. I looked at the tiny,
innocent soul in my arms. I looked at the dark dungeon door behind us, representing years of pain
and Alice’s awful lies.
I didn’t use big words. I didn’t need to. I just nodded my head hard, a big, shaky, wet nod.
“Yes, baby,” I whispered, kissing her forehead. “Yes, I am your mom. And I always have been.”
Isabella didn’t cry. She just smiled a gap–toothed, relieved smile. She brought her hands up and smacked a loud, wet kiss right on my cheek. I closed my eyes, savoring that moment. The simple,
undeniable acceptance.
I’m glad I didn’t need to explain anything to her and she just understood and I was worried about doing this before Astor came back but it worked out well.
Then, she got serious again. She pulled back and wiped a tear away from my face with her thumb.
“My mom Alice says she did a big bad thing. But she said she was confused, not bad. So I told her I forgive her.”
I stared at her, stunned. Five years old. Forgiving the woman who caused all of this destruction.
“She’s not a bad person, Faith,” Isabella continued, lecturing me sweetly. “She just did a bad thing. And you should forgive her too because she was sad in the dungeon.”
I swallowed hard, trying to process this wave of pure, uncomplicated empathy. I didn’t feel like forgiving Alice. I felt like burning the whole dungeon down. But I nodded anyway.
“You are the smartest girl in the world, Isabella. And so very kind. If you can forgive her, then I will try, too. Alice made a big mistake, but you are right, she isn’t a bad person.” I don’t have the heart to
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tell her that forgiveness doesn’t work like that but I will reassure her and make sure that she never
carries the burden of whatever happens between us.
I pulled her close again, breathing in the relief that flooded over me. The relief that she was safe, that she knew the truth, and the small, slightly mean relief that she would never again ask. “Where is my mom, Faith?” Never again would she use that word for the woman who tried to steal her. That chapter, thank God, was closed.
The walk home was quick. Ma and Pa and my parents, were sitting at the kitchen table, watching us with worried eyes, and Marco, my little boy, was playing with blocks on the floor. Neither Ma nor Pa knew the full, story yet. I just hadn’t had the words to explain the kidnapping, the deceit, and the
awful truth.
The moment Isabella spotted Marco, she leaped out of my arms and ran straight to him.
“Marco! Marco!” she shrieked, coming to a stop beside his blocks.
Marco looked up, annoyed that his tower was interrupted.
“What?” he grumbled.
Isabella knelt down, her face bright with a world–changing revelation.
“Guess what!” she announced, loud enough for the whole room to hear. “Guess what, guess what, Faith is my mom now And Marco, we are twins!”
Marco dropped his block. His eyes got wide, going from confused to extremely excited in half a
second.
“We are?!” Marco shouted, scrambling to stand up. “You mean you have two moms? Wow! Nobody
has two moms!”
I groaned internally, burying my face in my hands. Five–year–old logic was a beautiful, terrifying thing. In his mind, since Alice was her mom, and I am also her mom, she now has two moms.
The silence that fell over the kitchen was thick and heavy.
I looked up. Ma and Pa were staring at me, their forks frozen halfway to their mouths. Pa’s eyebrows were practically touching his hairline. Ma looked like she might faint. Their faces were a perfect mix of shock and confusion.
I managed to give them a weak and tired smile. I walked over to the table and gave Ma a quick kiss on the cheek, then leaned down to whisper to them very quickly.
“I know,” I breathed, shaking my head. “It’s complicated. I promise I will explain everything to you later, tonight, when these two are asleep.”
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For now, I just had to watch my twins jump up and down in happiness.
cphakathi28
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