I had them on the ropes, more or less.
“We killed him.” I looked back at Nikolai then, just for a split-second as I took notice of his presence in the room for the first time since the conversation began. He’d stayed suspiciously quiet, that wasn’t like Nikolai at all. Then again, he’d not known the true purpose of this visit.
I swung back around to face the Varelas, “he won’t be causing trouble for anyone ever again.”
They sat like gaping fish for a few seconds, I’d quite obviously shocked them. But their next response hadn’t been what I’d expected.
“And Ambrose? After all this, why would we choose you over him? He’s just as capable-”
“Bullshit. But you know what, go ahead. I’ll be there to pick up the pieces when he fucks it all up. And I’ll get to say I told you so.” I spread my hands, palms facing them, open to anything they had to say. When they said nothing, I took that as my cue to leave. “I also came by to say goodbye, you are my parents after all but it’s clear my efforts have been wasted. We’ll be on our way now, you have my number.”
There was a heavy silence between Nik and I as we exited the house and trekked down the driveway. It was broken by Rachel calling out and her rapid footsteps as she chased after us. We stopped and turned, I wanted to know what she wanted. She stopped in front of us, Kaleb stood on the porch, a stern expression on his face.
Well, fuck. This wasn’t gonna be good.
“We’re sorry,” Rachel huffed.
Hmm.Good, but maybe just not in the way that I had expected.
“You’re right, Anastasia. You’re right about it all, and we want to make it up to you.” There was an edge of panic, of pleading to her question.
“How about we start fresh?” I smiled because she was my mother and at the end of the day I wanted my parents in my life.
Rachel’s arms flung around me and held onto me tightly. I pulled away to see her eyes tearing up, “I’ll call you.”
As we walked away from the Varela house, I had a good feeling about this. I’d gotten what I’d wanted but maybe a little extra. I knew they’d have seen it my way eventually, but I was glad that it was now, and I was happy that I hadn’t been banished from their lives forever.
After all, they were my birth parents, I’d spent time getting to know them and while they were self-serving snobs, I had liked them.
It was nice to know that as we left, it wouldn’t be my last time here or my last time seeing them. I wanted the relationship that we’d been working so hard to build.
