“What?!” I lurched to my feet. My chair screeched along the porcelain tiles.
The man and woman (who I still didn’t know their names) looked worriedly at one another. “I’m just saying...with your history.”
“My history?”
“Yes, you can’t expect us not to ask that question. After all, no one was there to attest your innocence.”
“My innocence?” I punched myself in the chest. My heart resembled a fire-breathing creature. “I have nothing to attest. It’s the goddamn truth.”
How had a homecoming become so twisted and wrong?
My head swam with weakness, my immune system draining far too fast thanks to life-sucking vampires.
Estelle stood, keeping a calming hand on Coco’s head. “You’re incorrect. There were people there to confirm his innocence. Us! I know why you’re targeting Galloway and you couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve never seen someone so broken over another’s death. He loved that boy. We all did. We would never hurt him. We would’ve died in his place if we could.”
I breathed hard as Estelle held out her hand for me.
Every desire wanted to latch onto her, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t use her as my safe place, not when I’d done this.
I’d caused these suspicions.
My past had superseded me.
She shouldn’t have to pay for that.
Everyone stood in a rage-filled standoff until Pippa untangled herself from her grandmother and stood alone in the sea of tiles, looking younger, sadder, older than I’d ever seen. “It’s the truth. Conner stood on one a couple of years ago and Stel and G saved him. They looked after us. We would never have survived without them.”
She bowed her head. “My brother...he...he...” She smashed fists into her eyes, forcing herself to continue. “He loved them as much as I do. Don’t spread lies when you don’t know what happened.”
Her grandmother gathered her in a hug, her face softening with shared grief. Her eyes met mine. “I’m sorry. To both of you.”
Estelle nodded curtly. “I understand.”
“I appreciate you looking after my son’s children.”
“I would do it again in a heartbeat.” Estelle looked at Pippa. “I love her like I love my own daughter. She’ll always have a place with us.”
Grandmother Evermore smiled sadly. “That’s very nice to hear. Likewise, my home is always open to you.” Her gaze flickered to me. “Again, both of you.”
Biting her lower lip, she hesitated before blurting. “Are we related, child?” Coming closer to Estelle, she added, “You have my husband’s last name, yet I wasn’t aware we had any relatives in Australia.”
Estelle ran her fingers through Coco’s blonde ringlets. “No, I don’t believe so. Just one of those quirky happenstances.”
Joanna Evermore closed the final distance, stopping by me. “May I?”
I froze.
May she what?
Before I could reply, her bony arms wrapped around me. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. My son would be proud knowing you loved his children as much as he did.”
Letting me go, she gathered Estelle in the same treatment with a kiss on her cheek for good measure. “And you. I’m ever so grateful.”
Estelle hugged her back when I had not. “I want you to know Duncan and Amelia were given a graceful send-off. We thought of them often, and they’re free from their tragic end.”
Tears welled in the old lady’s overly powdered face. She would’ve been a handsome woman. Now, she was wrinkles and worry. “Thank you. One day, I want to hear the story of what happened. But today isn’t that day.”
Turning to Pippa, she opened her arms. “Today is the day I rejoice having one family member return.”
Estelle sniffed as Pippa burrowed into her grandmother. “Oh, Nana, I wished you’d been there. But I have Mummy’s bracelet and Daddy’s watch. And their wedding rings.”
Joanna met my gaze again. “You kept them?”
“For Pip and Conner.” I flinched, screwing up in just a few words. Conner no longer needed such trivial things. “For you. For family.”
“You are family, G.” Pippa smiled shyly. “Always.”
The rage holding up my spine siphoned away leaving me hollow and hurting. “And you, Pippi. Forever.”
Pippa came to me. I dropped to one knee to embrace her completely. Her torso bent over my shoulder as we glued tight, tight, tight together.
Estelle came to join us.
Because we knew.
This wasn’t just a normal hug.
This was goodbye.
The man in charge of this God-awful meeting cleared his throat, breaking the spell. Pippa wiped away her tears, backing into her nana.
I nodded as if it made perfect sense. We were her naturally appointed guardians, but we were also awful memories. She loved us, but whenever she looked at us, she saw Conner, our island, pain and suffering and death.
No young kid should have to see that over and over again.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her but the man interrupted my sadness. “I’m sorry, I’ve been remiss in introducing ourselves. I’m Alexander Jones and this is Daphne Moore. We’re here to make your immersion back into our great city as easy as possible.”