“Oh, Varya, I’m so sorry,” he says. It’s thelast thing I hear. As I slip out of this world for the last time,I’m barely aware of his warm hands. One on my back. I hope theother is on Varya’s. I’m sure it will be. I thought he seemedchanged. I’m sure he is. He’d better be, or I’ll find a way to comeback and haunt him.
Good-bye, my Varya.
Good-bye, our Kir.
Chapter fifty-one
Varya
Varya sat and held her mother and cried. Loud,wailing cries which released so many years lived with grief andfear. She stroked her mother’s wiry hair and held her mother’sstill-warm cheek against her chest. She touched her mother’s hands,so like her own, and placed them gently together.
Eventually, Sebastian helped her lay hermother out on the couch. Varya slumped to the floor beside her andheld Elena’s hand, her sobs almost spent.
Once all the sad tears had come, the happyones followed. Sebastian took control and made three phone calls toarrange delivery of the anti-rejection serum for Kir. Varya didn’tknow what he told them, and she didn’t care. All she knew was thather mother was gone. It was all she could focus on while Sebastianmade arrangements.
Sebastian’s next call was to Zoe, to tellher the good news—the recipient of Daniel’s life span had beenfound and was in custody, and they had the means to restore hislife span to him. He told her to come to Varya’s apartment, that anambulance would be arranged, and she could travel with Daniel tothe Rest Time Corps medical facility, where his years would bereturned.
Then he knelt down on one knee to Varya andplaced his hand over hers.
“The nightmare is almost at an end, Varya.We’re going to get our little boy back in the world and safe, byour side.”
When she didn’t respond, he looked at Elena.Varya hadn’t taken her eyes off of her mother for many minutes now.He flexed his jaw and pressed his lips together. He withdrew hishand from Varya’s.
“I have to ask you some questions, Varya,about your mum.” He rocked back on his heels and stood; slipped ascreen out of his pocket and sat on the couch across from motherand daughter. “They may be hard for you to answer, but I need toknow, so we can decide what to do from here, okay?”
Varya didn’t shift her gaze, but she gave asmall nod.
“Was a death certificate prepared for Elenabefore she went into the Time Lock?”
Varya shook her head. “No.”
“Good,” nodded Sebastian. “That’s good,there’ll be nothing in the system then. I’m going to call anambulance for your mum. They’ll probably be here within half anhour or so, then they’ll take her body to a funeral home.”
“Okay,” she replied dully.
“Zoe will be here very soon, as will theambulance for Daniel. After that, an ambulance for your mum. Do youunderstand?” He paused.
“Yes, I understand.” Her words came out in aquiet sigh. It was such a relief to allow someone else to be incharge for once. She looked up at Sebastian then. He had alwaysbeen so good at taking charge. Now that he was here, she wonderedwhy she hadn’t called him before. Her stubbornness, her refusal totake the advice of her mother and Marisa, all these years. Itsuddenly seemed so silly. “Thank you,” she whispered, throwing aglance of pain and gratitude in Sebastian’s direction.
He smiled. “And within an hour or two adoctor will bring the anti-rejection serum for Kir.”
She withdrew her hand from her mother inalarm, shocked out of her numbness. Kir was no longer safely tuckedaway with her mother, locked in a bubble together. Her heartpounded loud and fast, her hands started to shake.
“No, you can’t let them find him, they’lltake him away, they’ll…”
“Ssh…” Sebastian swooped back to her sideand cut her off, putting a finger to her lips. “Nobody’s taking himaway. This particular doctor owes me a favour. She’ll keep quietuntil we’ve decided what we’re going to do about Kir.”
“She won’t take him away?” Tears streameddown Varya’s face again. She felt so vulnerable, so uncertain. WhenSebastian put his arms around her and pulled her head against hisshoulder she didn’t resist.
“No, she won’t take him away. Ipromise.”
Varya swallowed and blinked at her tears,sinking into her ex-husband’s warmth. The father of her son. “Butthe doctor will make Kir better. And he can come out of the TimeLock.”
Sebastian pressed his cheek against the topof her head. “Yes.”
Varya nodded once and pulled away from him.She settled back into gazing at her mother, touching the end of herown finger to the end of her mother’s fingers, one at a time.
“Okay, then,” she said at last.
She was barely aware of Zoe arriving. Zoewrapped her arms around her friend and offered her condolences, butonly briefly. Her attention was stolen away a few moments laterwhen the ambulance for Daniel arrived. Zoe led them into the TimeLock and then followed them out again with Daniel on a gurney,still sedated. Varya lifted a heavy hand in farewell.
Sometime after that—maybe minutes, maybehours—Sebastian came to tell her the next ambulance had arrived,was she ready to say goodbye for now? Was anyone ever ready to saygoodbye to their mother, really? Even if you knew the end wascoming, even if you were given a specific year, day, time andlocation? Varya didn’t think she could ever have really preparedfor her mother’s death. But still, she stood aside for theparamedics, obediently waiting in the kitchen while they loaded herup and took her away.
“Drink?” Sebastian asked her when theapartment was quiet again.
She shook her head, no. Her mind was foggyenough and she needed it to be clear before Kir woke up.Realisation dawned that she would be doing this part alone. Elenahad always been there, to help with Kir, but now she wasn’t.
She wondered whether Kir would even rememberhis father. She would have to explain to him that his grandmotherwas dead.
