Grandma was mute as I took tiny steps towards the man I’d never had the chance to know.
“Katherine,” he said and both he and Mum held out a hand to me.
Just crazy. Wow, it was just fucking crazy.
The tears streamed down my face as I joined my parents in their embrace. I let them hold me, the three of us together, and there were no words needed. The unspoken said it all, like it so often did these days.
“You’re all sinners!” Grandma hissed, but I didn’t care. None of us did.
My father broke the embrace and me and Mum stood by his side as he faced the old witch.
“All said and done, there’s only one sinner here,” he said.
Grandma held the crucifix to her heart, her lip twitching with disgust.
“Time for you to leave this time,” my dad said.
Grandma hesitated, glancing from one to the other.
“Thomas is right,” Mum said. “There’s nothing for you here. Nothing but love.”
Grandma recoiled at that and she spat. She actually spat on the ground in front of us.
“Sinners,” she said, “this isn’t the end of it!”
And with hatred burning in her eyes, she stormed away into the night, a fresh breeze washing over us as she left us behind.
“Goodbye and good riddance,” Mum said.
Hans walked up and cleared his throat. My father stepped over and held out a hand.
“Good evening, Hans,” he said. “Lovely to see you.”
“And you, Thomas,” he replied. “Sorry for the short notice.”
They shook hands, and it was another round of crazy. These two men knew each other well.
My father pointed back to the car and the driver waiting there.
“Time to get back to the manor,” he said with a smile. “Edwin has the merlot ready to flow, and well. We have a lot to catch up on.”
He was holding my mum’s hand tight as we walked the path, and I was right behind them, with Hans holding mine.
Yes, it was true. Finally.
My soul was home.
Epilogue
Icheckedoutmyfangs in Mum’s bathroom mirror, beautiful pointed and white. They looked perfect. I was still getting used to the fact they were so much more pronounced now. I was grinning at myself. No doubt the novelty would last a long time to come. Quite possibly for ever.
“They do really suit you,” Mum said.
“Thanks.”
She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and landed a kiss on my cheek.
“Such a shame I can’t make you any lovely jam sandwiches anymore.”