“If we truly need you, we will link you,” he says. “But take a day for yourself.”
“I can fill in instead,” Felix offers.
Elden nods. “That would be a good idea.”
“Charlie will come and visit tomorrow,” Felix tells me. “Why don’t you spend some time with her?”
I want to argue, but I feel tired. So tired that my whole body feels heavy. Marina is gone! For the longest while, she was my only friend, and it makes me feel so bitter that she had to live the last year of her life as a shell.
Marina didn’t deserve this. Faye didn’t deserve this.
How is any of that fair?
No matter how hard I try to come up with answers, I just never manage to understand the why, the reason for someone being so cruel to another person. Maybe when Elden, Liam and Aurelia find the perpetrator, I will finally have answers, but until then, I need to push through.
Once in the packhouse, we make our way to Elden’s and Flora’s suite. To my relief, Marius and Celine are there, playing with Faye as they promised they would. They have retrievedsome of the toys Elden and Flora have here in case their grandchildren visit, currently building a colorful castle out of small bricks.
“Oh, you are building a castle,” I say.
“Yes,” Celine smiles at me. “Faye wants a house for her doll, right Faye?”
Faye nods.
Elden sits down at the table, a reasonable distance from Faye. Felix and Arden do the same. Now that we know that she probably saw her mother being abused, no one wants to trigger her. Faye took a liking to Marius and trusts him, but it‘s probably better that the others stay away.
“It’s late,” Flora says quietly, while joining us on the carpet. “We should all try to sleep a little.”
Marius nods. “Yeah, it was a long day.”
“And we need our strength for tomorrow,” Elden adds. He rubs his face, muttering something I don’t quite catch. Just something about how he will try to get justice. His tone is grim, and somehow that makes me feel a little lighter.
It’s good to know that I am not the only one who is mad. That my new family is mad together with me.
“We don’t have a long way to go home,” Celine says. “But we should probably leave you alone so that you can get some rest.”
“No!” Faye wraps her arms around Celine’s waist.
Celine looks surprised, exchanging a look with Marius. “Sweetie, you can visit us anytime,” she offers. “We can pick you up next week and show you our pack.”
Marius nods. “We have a lovely playground. Oh, and the pool is still open. What do you say? I will pick you up for a playdate on Monday.”
“Meanwhile, you can stay with us,” I offer softly. “You can play with the animals.”
But Faye just shakes her head, wrapping her arms around Celine even tighter. “Don’t leave me,” she begs. “Don’t go.”
Something about the way she says it breaks my heart. I wish I could be what she needs, but I know I am not. I love this little girl so much, but she doesn’t see me as a second mom. What Flora and Elden told me a while ago is true. She sees me like a big sister, maybe, or an aunt, and that’s okay. I am happy to be that for her, and I doubt I could be something else, but right now she needs more.
Marius and Celine exchange another look. “I would have returned for the meeting with Maddox, anyway,” Celine says into the silence. “Tomorrow, I mean.”
“Yes, it’s probably a waste of time to drive home just to sleep there.” Marius adds.
Celine nods. “Arman and Harmony can fill in for us until tomorrow.”
With that, Marius gets up. “I will give them a call.”
“Where can we stay?” Celine asks Flora.
“We have two big guestrooms here. You know, for when Liam and Annie come with the kids to visit. How about you take one of those?”
