Chapter 177

When Esther reaches her parents’ house, she’s relieved to discover that Davis no longer has been instructed to hold her up at the door. After greeting her kindly and taking her coat, he guides her toward the living room, where Mom and Dad are sitting on opposite ends of the couch.

Dad’s reading the newspaper. Mom is working on a crochet blanket. Neither look up when she enters, though as she sits in the tall-back arm chair, they do acknowledge her.

“Good evening, Esther,” Mom says.

“Esther,” Dad says.

“How is Thea?” I ask them.

“Still recovering,” Mom says.

“She’s doing well,” Dad says.

“You don’t have to lie,” Thea says, standing in the doorway.

All three of us stand, not having expected her.

“Thea,” I say in relief. She does seem to be alright, standing there in an oversized hoodie and loose sweatpants. Her hair is a mess and she’s not wearing makeup, which is unusual for her, yet compared to the last time I saw her, when she was in a hospital bed, she looks positively radiant. “You look good.”

“You don’t have to lie either, Esther,” Thea snaps, giving me a glare. There’s no real heat in it though.

She walks to the couch and flops down right between our parents. As they both sit, they set aside their newspaper and project, dedicating all of their attention to Thea. I try not to let it bother me, knowing their smothering love of their biological daughter is more a reflex within them than anything intentional.

After all, there had been a time when Thea was missing. I’ve, meanwhile, always been here. I wonder if they still feel guilt over what happened…

Regardless, I push down the hurt. I don’t need all of their attention. It’s enough for me, right now, to be sitting in their house as part of the family. Even a distant part.

I’m safe here. I’ve always felt that way, ever since I was a child and they saved me from the horrors of that orphanage.

I owe my adopted parents my happiness, my success, and likely my life itself. They are the reason I am the woman I am, and have been able to overcome the terrible things I’ve seen and had done to me.

I will never forget that. Which is how I can stay in moments like these, where they dote over my sister while forgetting about me. I’m still in the room. They still care about me. Just not as much as my sister.

“I’m fine,” Thea says, annoyed by their doting. “It’s annoying staying in my bed all day. It’s not a big deal for me to come downstairs.”

“We just want the best for you,” Mom tells her.

“The doctor said to rest,” says Dad.

“I’m resting,” Thea says.

I don’t know what it is about this moment that triggers something inside of me, but I feel a surge of affection grow. I’m so grateful to them, my family. It’s overwhelming, I can’t even put it into words.

Still, I try, “Thank you, Mom, Dad. Thea.”

All three of them look at me.

“I love you,” I tell them, my eyes dampening.

In the orphanage, I would spend the moments where I could be alone, looking out the window, dreaming of what life might be like if I could be away from that horrible place. Yet when the monsters would enter my room, I felt so hopeless, like freedom would never find me.

But Freedom did find me, in the form of Mr. and Mrs. Owens.

“We love you, too,” Dad says, his brow furrowed slightly with confusion.

“We love you, Esther,” Mom says, frowning. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“No,” I tell her, not wanting her to worry. “I’ve just been remembering the past lately, more and more.”

The confusion ebbs from Mom and Dad’s faces. They know about Edward, and the horrors he’s responsible for. Thea continues to be perplexed though. We’ve all shielded her in our own ways, me as well. She has her own dark memories, she doesn’t need mine on top of them.

“The past is best left where it is,” Mom says. “It has no place in our present.”

Dad doesn’t say as much. Maybe Mom can ignore that Edward Zimmer is now running for president, with a very real possibility of winning, but Dad is too close to politics to be able to turn the other way.

“Hugo Harbinger has been in touch with me,” Dad says, surprising me. “He wants to make use of my contacts regarding… the past.” He glances at Mom, who gives him a disapproving glare.

Hope springs forward in my heart. For a long time, my family has only ever wanted to push this under the rug and move forward, albeit with a lot of therapy. For a good long while, that worked, but there’s no escaping the past now.

Edward is right there. They could turn on the television and his face would likely appear. He’s probably in Dad’s newspaper, too.

“Please give what you can to Hugo, Dad,” I tell him. “He’s a friend. I’ve told him what happened –”

“You told him?! Esther,” Mom says disapprovingly.

“He wants to help. He might be the only one who can. He’s an investigative reporter at heart. He’s grown up in the business. If evidence can be found that will help expose the truth of Edward Zimmer, he will be the one to find it.”

“Edward Zimmer?” Thea asks.

We all hold our breaths, looking at her. I hadn’t meant to say that name out loud. Thea doesn’t deserve to have to sit through my nightmares.

“Who’s that?” she asks.

She… doesn’t know… the man running for president? I exhale in relief.

“He’s no one,” Mom says.

“Stay away from him,” Dad replies. “He’s trouble.”

Worse than trouble.

Thea shrugs, entirely indifferent.

To me, Dad says, “I’ll speak with Hugo, but I won’t make promises of the outcome. That was many years ago, now. A few of those contacts are dead.”

“All the same, thank you, Dad.”

Dad nods, and Mom changes the subject.

For a time, with the four of us chatting about this and that, I’m able to distract myself from what’s happening beyond these walls and immerse myself entirely with my family.

Miles is waiting for me when I get home. To make things easier with our busy schedules, I’ve given him a key to the house. I’ve asked him not to come over when the girls are home, which he agrees with.

They aren’t home right now though, so it doesn’t totally surprise me that when I walk through my front door, after seeing the security guards outside, I’m scooped up into the warm arms of Miles Hamilton. He kisses me softly, then carries me to the bedroom like a princess.

“What is all this?” I ask him. He smiles like prince charming but I see a hint of guilt in his eyes. He’s keeping a secret. “Is this an apology?”

“No,” he says too quickly.

I narrow my eyes. “Miles.”

With a sigh, he lowers me down onto my feet. “I might have gone to an event without telling you.”

“An… event?” I try to think. What’s happening tonight? He is dressed rather nice, in his formal wear.

Then it hits me. The Donor Mixer.

An event where Edward would be. I’d written it off, not thinking he’d want to attend such a thing.

“Miles?”

“I wanted to meet him. The monster of your past.”

“And did you?”

“Yes.”