I acknowledged its existence and realized it would be a constant reminder of what had happened. I must admit, I found the feature somewhat fitting.
When I finished getting ready, I was satisfied with my reflection. I took a deep breath, ready to make my way downstairs. I opened the bathroom door. Caleb was leaning against the top of the stairs, waiting for me. He smiled as he saw me.
“You clean up well,” he said.
“Yeah, you should try it sometime,” I suggested with a laugh.
He reached toward the back of my ear, “I’m guessing you noticed by now?” he asked, referring to my white streak.
“Yeah, thanks for telling me.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“It suits me,” I replied.
“It does,” he said with a smile. He put his hand out towards the stairs, “Shall we?”
“Let’s do it.”
Caleb put his forearm out to assist me down the stairs. I took the steps one at a time, trying to rely on him as little as possible for this feat.
Everyone was in the living area, awaiting my arrival. As I descended the steps, it grew quiet. They stood up from their seats. I breached the bottom step and looked at them nervously.
Out of the crowd, Caro was the first to advance towards me. She stood in front of me, reached for my hands, and held them in hers. Our eyes locked, like they used to when I let her see through me.
“I. . . please forgive me,” she said, stifling tears.
“You tried to kill me, Caro, assisted in torturing me, you turned on me,” I said.
“I regret everything,” she said pleadingly.
“I forgive you I guess if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here now, would I?” Caro looked up at me, “I’m not ready to be your friend, and I don’t know if I ever will be.”
“I understand,” she said, letting go of my hands and turning to walk away.
I grabbed Caro’s hand as she tried to walk away and pulled her toward me to embrace her, “I missed you.”
She gripped me hard, as if she didn’t want to let go. I felt the guilt and regret in her embrace. As we separated, Law stepped towards me.
“It’s good to have you back,” he said, putting his hand out. I shook it.
“It’s good to be home.”
“Yeah, we missed you,” came Rebecca’s voice.
“I missed you guys,” I said.
We took turns exchanging hugs and greetings. There were familiar faces and unfamiliar faces. Almost twenty people filled the living room; it was hard to greet everyone. Sitting on the couch, I recognized a beautiful sight.
“Joanne!” I exclaimed, proceeding to greet her.
“Hi, Danielle. Lawrence invited me to your breakfast and I just couldn’t say no. Everyone’s been so good to me while you’ve been on vacation.”
“Vacation?” I asked.
In the background, Caleb ran his hand back and forth across his neck.
“Ah, yes, of course,” I said, getting the hint.
“How was Alaska?” she asked with a smile.
“It was very dark, very, very dark. I’m happy to be back.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.”
“How have you been?”
“I’ve been just fine. I’ve been staying at an assisted living facility. It’s very nice, lots of people to talk to, and they just love my cooking. Lawrence tells me you work there.”
“Is that right? Well, how cool is that? Now I get to hang out with you whenever I want.”
I finished my greeting with Joanne and found Jude.
“Hey man,” I said.
“Dani, good to have you back,” he said.
“My shadow’s been, uh, quite lonely. You up for some fun?”
“Hell yeah,” Jude said with a grin.
“Good,” I said, giving him a hug.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned.
“Looks like you found your way out,” Joyce said.
“Joyce,” I said, and hugged her.
“I knew you were strong enough,” she said, “You’re extraordinary.”
“I’d say it was touch and go for a bit there.”
“You told me once there was something you were missing and you intended to find it. I’d say you’ve found it,” Joyce said. I smiled understanding what she was trying to convey.
I remembered the note she had written me years ago. She insisted that I needed to mature the other side of my soul. She said I needed to be stronger than the darkness, but in order to do so, I would have to delve deep into it, that I just needed to be sure to find the light again. As those words appeared in my mind, I could not help but find a mild appreciation for what I had endured.
“I was stronger than the darkness, but just barely,” I said with a smile.
“Barely is good enough.” She took another step towards me, “Danielle, there’s something in your past that you’re missing as well. Something you once described as a memory you didn’t want to live without, but you’ve been living without it for quite some time now.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
Joyce glanced across the room, I followed her line of sight. It fell upon a woman. She stood with a look of impatience. The room grew quiet immediately. The crowd parted in a line between the two of us. She stood silently, light brown hair, a perfect tan, and green eyes that gleamed from across the room.
She took a step toward me. My mind ran through a rolodex of memories, trying to place her as she approached me. Nothing was registering. She stopped in front of me, began to reach for my face, and then drew her hand back.
“They told me you wouldn’t remember me,” she said, searching me.
I scoured my memory bank and came across one memory of her, “I’ve seen you before. in the paper?” I said, shaking my head as if the memory didn’t make sense.
“You’re Joyce’s daughter!” I exclaimed, pleased with my connection.
“I am,” she said, nodding her head with a look of disappointment in her eyes.
“Am I missing something?” I asked.
“I wish I could explain to you how long I’ve been waiting for this moment. How much I want to touch you, how
