Chapter 75
I pushed through the kitchen door. And then I saw him.
He was sitting on a tall stool near a counter where three women were braiding dough. His small legs were swinging, and he was laughing at something one of the women had said.
“Marco!”
He turned his head so fast his dark curls bounced. His eyes widened, and he launched himself off that stool before I could even take another step.
“Mommy!”
I bent down just in time, catching his small body and pulling him into a hug. I didn’t care. I buried my face in his neck, breathing in the familiar smell of him my baby, my whole world.
He was safe. He was here.
“I missed you, Mommy! The lady gave me cookies!” he mumbled into my sweater.
I tightened my embrace. “Oh, sweetie. I missed you more. So much more.” I pulled back just enough to look at his face and kissed his forehead.
When I finally stood up every single woman was staring. They were looking at me with open with curiosity. I could see the questions jumping in their eyes.
A wave of dread washed over me. I was exhausted. If I had to explain myself one more time today, I would simply fall apart.
Luckily, they were respectful.
“Please could you excuse me ladies,” I said, trying to keep the strain out of my voice. “Could you excuse us? I just need a few minutes with my family.”
They started moving, quietly and quickly, flowing out of the swinging doors and leaving the huge kitchen suddenly empty.
Almost empty.
On the far side of the room, near a small table meant for peeling vegetables, sat Mr. and Mrs.
Gable.
They looked like they had been hit by a truck driven by a ghost.
They were sitting side–by–side, holding hands, staring blankly at the wall. Their posture was rigid, their faces pale. They were completely overwhelmed.
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I walked towards them, Marco clutching my hand.
“Ma and Pa,” I said softly, crouching down to their level. “Are you two okay? You look incredibly shocked.”
+25 Points
Mrs Gable squeezed her husband’s hand. Her voice was a shaky whisper. “Faith, dear. We are not okay. We have just got the biggest shock of our entire lives.”
Mr. Gable nodded gravely. “It’s like being trapped inside a very weird, very badly written movie, Faith. It doesn’t make sense.”
I waited. I knew what they were going to say, but I needed to hear it from them.
Mrs. Gable leaned in, her eyes wide with fear and wonder. “We’ve seen things, Faith. Things that don’t happen outside of books. We’ve seen people’s eyes change color, just flicking from brown to gold like a light switch. We saw two gigantic men arguing, but their mouths weren’t moving! They were talking inside their heads, like they were telephoning each other without a phone!”
“And the wolves, Faith,” Mr. Gable added, shuddering. “Big, enormous wolves walking around the property like they own the place. And then… then there were the naked people.” He coughed, looking scandalized. “Walking around like they forgot their clothes in the woods.
Right out in the open!”
I sighed. I rubbed my temples, wishing I could lie, but knowing I couldn’t.
“I know it’s crazy,” I told them simply. “And I know you have about a million questions in your heads. But in this place, the only thing you can do is watch and do not ask any questions
about what you see.”
Marco, who had been listening with looked up at me, his face glowing.
“I love the wolves, Mommy!” he chirped. “They are like big, fluffy dogs! They were sniffing the
bushes!”
A soft smile touched my lips. I kissed the top of his head again. “Of course, you love the wolves, sweet boy. It was quite obvious you were going to love them.”
I didn’t explain why. Not yet.
I turned back to the Gables, my expression turning serious.
“I appreciate you both,” I said, my voice warming with real gratitude. “I appreciate that you dropped everything and came all this way for me. I really do.”
I leaned in closer, dropping my voice to a firm whisper. “But listen to me now. Next time. If a
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+25 Points
stranger calls you, demanding you get on an airplane, I don’t want you to answer the call. I don’t want you to even think about leaving the house. Promise me that.”
Mr. Gable looked offended. “Faith, dear, please. We are adults. We can take care of ourselves.
”
“You think so?” I challenged gently. “Do you think you are safe answering the phone to people who might want to use you to get to me? No. You are my greatest weakness, and I can’t afford to lose you.”
I stood up and pulled them both out of their chairs, wrapping my arms around both of them in a tight embrace. They were the parents I never had. They were stability, warmth, and quiet love.
“Listen to me,” I whispered into the shoulder of Mrs. Gable’s sweater. “I mean this. You aren’t just my good friends anymore. You are my parents now. And if something happened to either of you because of me, I wouldn’t survive it.”
When I pulled back, their eyes were misty with tears.
“Now, we need to talk about that trip,” I said, changing the subject sharply. “The one you’ve been planning for years. The one where you travel the world, seeing everything you ever
wanted?”
“Oh, we can’t, dear,” Mrs. Gable said immediately, wiping her cheek. “We can’t go now. Who
will take care of Marco? We were meant to stay with him while you sorted this out.”
“That’s exactly why you need to go,” I insisted, placing my hands firmly on their shoulders.” Look around you. This entire situation is complicated. Very complicated. I need time to fix this mess, and I need to do it without worrying about your safety.”
I crouched down again, looking them both in the eye. “It would be better, safer, if you are very, very far from this place. I know you two. You can’t keep still when you’re alone at home. I would be so happy, knowing that you are out there together, enjoying life and having
adventures.”
They looked hesitant. “But, Faith, we used up most of our savings to get you here” Pa confessed nervously. “That trip is just a dream right now.”
I smiled–a genuine, easy smile that felt good on my face.
“Don’t you worry about money for one minute,” I said, squeezing their hands one last time. “I knew you needed this trip, too. you guys had my back when I had nobody so he decided to do something special for you and It’s sitting in my account. Enough money for two years of world travel, first class, wherever you want to go. Don’t worry about anything. Just worry
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about what continent you want to visit first.”
I saw the fight leave their eyes. They looked at each other with hope and shock.
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“Go,” I urged. “Please. Go and be safe for me. I’ll call you every day, I promise. But you need distance. I’m going to fix everything here and we are going to be together very soon.”
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