“I still can’t get used to hearing her real name,” I said sharply.
“What is she called now?”
“Angelina,” I answered him.
“I just call her Mrs. Weathers,” Adam added.
We sat in silence for the rest of the way home. When we pulled into the driveway, and I saw the silver truck standing there, I squealed. As soon as Adam had parked his SUV behind my black hatchback, I was out the door and sprinting to the house. Throwing the back door open, I saw them. Greg and Melissa were sitting at the kitchen table with my mother. They were lost in a deep conversation, and it took a few moments before they noticed me standing there.
“Dawn!” Melissa screeched as she jumped to her feet and flew at me.
I wrapped my arms around her and held her close to me.
“Melissa…” I sniffed.
She sobbed into my chest. “I missed you.”
“Oh, how I have missed you too,” I replied, kissing the top of her head.
“He came home,” she announced, pushing away from me. “He came home to see us.”
“Who came home?” I asked, looking at Greg.
“There was a note on the door from Wesley.” Greg’s eyes looked hollow like he hadn’t slept in weeks.
“A note?” I asked as Adam and Shawn entered the house behind me.
“Yes, part of it was for you. I also brought you his old sketchpads and the pictures from his room, the ones he left behind,” he said in a small, weak voice. “And I brought along a young woman who says she knows your brother too.”
From the other room stepped a beautiful blonde girl with golden eyes. She looked at Shawn and smiled brightly.
“Minerva?” Shawn gasped, rushing to her.
“Yes.” She laughed.
“Dawn, this is the white flame I was telling you about,” Shawn said as he held her in his arms. “What are you doing here, Minerva?”
I got the feeling this Minerva was very special to my brother, but I turned back to Greg, anxious to know more about Wesley.
“You said there was a note.”
“Yes. Minerva brought it. She was posting it on the door when we pulled up.” Greg looked and sounded sick. All this worry about his son was taking a toll on him.
“How is it you managed to get ahold of it?” I asked Minerva.
“I ran into your Wesley during a raid,” she said, stepping away from Shawn. “Lilly came into town, guns blazing. She took out about half of our commune before we managed to get away. I ran into Wesley in the mountains. He was ill, unable to move much. He handed me this letter and told me to take it to his father in Midvale. I caught the first plane here and did as instructed.”
“Melissa is convinced that he came back though. Said she saw him out her window last night.” Greg looked longingly at his daughter. He wanted to believe her, but even knowing what he did about his son, he couldn’t find it in his heart to believe. “She said she saw you too.”
“Melissa, I wasn’t near your house last night,” I said, looking down at her young face.
“Yes, you were, in the dark. I only saw you for a matter of minutes before both of you were gone.”
I looked at my mother. She shrugged. I had told her about the dream, but she hadn’t placed much importance on it. She had a feeling it was just Miranda playing a dark joke on me, to get information. When she had asked me the color of Wesley’s eyes, I hadn’t been able to answer.
“How is that possible you saw that?” I asked her, feeling confused.
“I just did,” she said sweetly. “I told Daddy that we had to come and see you. Then Minerva showed up. Isn’t she pretty?”
“Yes, very,” I said, mesmerized by the innocence in her eyes.
My mother intervened. “I put the envelope with the pictures in your room, on your bed. Adam, your father, called about twenty minutes ago, asking if you were here. I told him that you two were doing homework and I would send you home soon. I would suggest heading in before it gets too late. Shawn, do you mind going with him? Just make sure he gets home and then come right back.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Adam said before looking at me. “See you tomorrow then. Can’t wait to see your dress.” He kissed me on the cheek, hugged my mother, and left with Shawn on his heels.
“Wait, Shawn!” Minerva called, running after them.
I looked back at Greg. He was just staring at me with a distant look on his face. “I miss my son,” he said quietly, his eyes watering.
“What’s tomorrow?” Melissa asked shyly. I could tell she wanted to calm the tension in the room. I was sure her father’s failing health was taking a toll on her.
“The prom,” I said dryly.
My mother took Greg, who was weeping silently, in her embrace. I didn’t know what to think as she caressed his back and whispered in his ear.
“How?” I heard him ask her.
My mother didn’t reply but looked at me. Greg smiled feebly and nodded in silent understanding.
“Nick and Helen are in the living room, Dawn,” said my mother. “Why don’t you take Melissa in there and give Greg and me a few moments to talk.”
“Come on, Melissa, let’s go.”
Melissa took my hand, and we went into the next room. I never found out what my mother said to Greg, and I never asked. My mother, I was learning, had a reason for everything she did. It wasn’t my place to put my nose in where it didn’t belong.
****
Greg and Melissa left close to midnight. I then spent two hours going through the envelope of pictures that had been left behind when Wesley disappeared. Each picture brought back a vivid memory of the bright smiling boy with dazzling blue eyes. However, all I could do was think about
