Page 52 of Petals & Promises

Grumpy Gareth was in full form as he scowled at me. “What worked, and how does that have anything to do with you clawing me?”

Flinging myself at him, he reacted immediately to ensure I was safe, protecting me from hitting the table or falling to the floor. “Okay, Bailey-Rose, that’s enough. What is happening right now?” Gareth demanded.

“You got lost in the darkness for a moment, but I brought you back,” I answered. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

Through our bond, I could tell he was still utterly confused. Could it be that he had no idea how dark and defeated he’d just been?

Tugging me off him so I was back in my chair, Gareth boxed me in. “I am so lost right now I couldn’t tell you which way is up. Pretend I have no idea what you’re talking about and explain it to me from the beginning.”

“Your mom suggested we use a motorized steed instead of a horse since no one but you knows how to ride. Then you turned to look at me, and a tidal wave of fear, anger, and despair slammed into me from you. I tried to shake you and called your name, but there was no response, which is when I decided drastic measures needed to be taken,” I said, breaking it down for him. “Was it the word that triggered you? Is being here too hard? Oh God, was it because I asked you to tell me about Callie in the barn?”

Gareth’s whole body slumped forward, and he rested his head on my lap. “It’s not your fault, baby girl, and it has nothing to do with being here or talking about Callie. Since she died, I haven’t ridden one of those things. Picturing you riding one suddenly turned into you ending up like my sister. It’s irrational, and I have no reason to think that way, but I can’t help it.”

Deanna got up from her chair and wrapped her arms around her son. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry, sugar bear.”

Gareth gave in to the affection from his mother instead of pulling away like I feared. He hated to look or feel weak in front of people, but then, your mother isn’t people.

“It’s not your fault, Mom. I thought I’d be better about it after all these years. Doesn’t stop me from driving any other vehicle, recreational or not. Seems this reaction is tied directly to ATVs, which, other than here, I never interact with,” Gareth explained.

Deanna pulled her chair over to sit closer to her son, patting his hand in a comforting gesture. “Still, you used to be able to talk to me about things like this. I know after Callie’s death, you changed, and I tried to find a way to make you understand we never blamed you. It was a tragic accident that no one could have foreseen.”

I felt a jolt of anger flash through Gareth. “If you don’t blame me, then why did you let them wipe her from existence? There is nothing left of her in this house. It’s like they wanted to forget, and neither of them could even look at me after that.”

Tears rolled down Deanna’s cheeks, and she did nothing to stop them. “I’m so sorry, Gareth, we made you feel that way. I know she meant the world to you. The two of you were thick as thieves, and I should have guessed you’d shoulder the blame. As for your fathers, well, I wasn’t supposed to be able to have any more kids after you. Yet, by some miracle, Callie defied all the odds, and I brought her to full term. I’d prayed for it to be a baby girl, and there she was, my little miracle.”

Deanna paused to lick her lips and brush at the tears which had stopped. “They would never come out and say it, but your fathers believed Callie wasn’t theirs, that I’d cheated. Batty fools forget the only time an Omega can get pregnant is during a heat. Trust me, there was no one hiding in the closet for three days just to try and get me pregnant. When she was born, it was obvious she was Hank’s… the girl was his clone. They tried to make up for everything they said and did, but there’s a reason I live here, and they live in the city. Removing Callie from the home after she passed was an act of shame on their part. Hide the reminder of what they accused me of, and maybe, just maybe, I would forgive them. Yet they seem to forget it happened over our anniversary, a constant reminder they were trying to woo me back at the same time our daughter tumbled to her death.”

No one said a word.

You could hear a pin drop with how quiet the room was after hearing that bomb drop.

Deanna shoved to her feet and held out a hand to Gareth. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”

He did as she requested and stood but hesitated looking back at us.

“Oh no, they are coming too,” Deanna announced. “I’m going to need their help. It’s time to stop hiding things away. Callie would be pissed if she found out the family tried to forget about her.”

As a group, we followed Deanna as she weaved through the house then stopped in front of a set of double doors. Pulling out a key attached to her necklace, Deanna unlocked the room and shoved open the doors. Tucked away in this room, farthest away from where it seems the family spends time together, was a Callie time capsule. The room was set up as I imagined it was when she was alive. It was clean and tidy, making it apparent Deanna took special care of every single thing. Pictures of a happy, smiling girl hung on the walls, some just by herself, others with one family member or another.

I was drawn to a picture of Gareth hoisting Callie up, looking as if he was going to toss her into a giant pile of leaves. The love and happiness shown in that one captured moment told me everything I needed to know. Gareth didn’t see Callie just as his sister, but almost like a father to a daughter. He’d shared before that he was one of the only people who spent time with her with the age gap between the brothers. This helped me to understand the weight of responsibility he’d placed on himself and why her loss changed the way he viewed the world.

“You kept it… you kept everything,” Gareth whispered, his voice choked up with emotion. “How… how long has this been here?”

I shifted slightly so I could look at Deanna as she sat on Callie’s bed, waiting for her answer.

“I was never going to let them throw away the last connection I had with Callie. Instead, I had them put it in storage, and once you left home, I was alone. Your fathers come once or twice a month to check in on me, but what they’d managed to repair between us was lost forever when my sweet angel died. So I had everything brought back where it should be, in her home, where she belonged. When I feel lonely, I come in here and talk to Callie, share my day, the town gossip, whatever I think might have interested her. However, I didn’t realize how selfish I was for keeping this all to myself when you were hurting just as much. So, moving forward, I would like to bring Callie back into this home because she will always be part of this family.”

Now, I was the one who had tears streaming down her face. None of them had gotten to heal from Callie’s loss. They’d never been given the chance, and I, for one, believed this was the first step toward tending to those old wounds. This wouldn’t fix everything, but it would be a start, and that’s all anyone needs to begin moving forward.

“Gareth, will you and one of your packmates please grab that family painting off the wall?” Deanna requested. “I want to put it back in its rightful place in the living room over the fireplace.”

Lysse stepped up to help as the rest of us were instructed to grab this or that photograph from around the room. We spent the rest of the evening bringing Callie out of hiding and proudly displayed all the Watson family members throughout the house. When all the pictures were dispersed, Deanna called it a night and herded us to the movie room.

“You guys enjoy yourself and stay up as late as you like,” Deanna said as one of the staff brought in a tray full of drinks and snacks. “I’m a country girl at heart, early to bed, early to rise, as they say. Don’t worry about any kind of schedule. You’re all still on leave, so take advantage of every moment you have just to be together. Sweet dreams, and I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Blowing us a kiss goodnight, Deanna headed off to her room.

It didn’t take long before we were all cuddled up on the couch, eating bowls of chocolate pudding. Vili chuckled at me as I licked the bowl clean, but it tasted so damn good. I glanced up at him with a scowl until he leaned down and licked a bit of pudding off the tip of my nose.

“Messy little kitten,” he murmured, cuddling me closer and started to purr.