Page 24 of We Are All Sinners

Evie

Brixon lays everything bare before me, taking the envelope and dumping its contents onto the old, 1920’s trunk that Em and I turned into a makeshift coffee table. My eyes widen as I see the scattered photographs of my life, a birth certificate with my first name, last name, and the correct birthdate. It states that my parents are Marcus Boudreaux and V.D. All of these things are pieces of a shattered past that I never knew existed.

“You’re telling me that the same man who hurt my best friend is technically my father? This can’t be true! Brixon?” My voice shakes as I search his eyes, desperate to find some trace of a joke, but the gravity of his expression crushes that hope.

“Evie, I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was the one who hurt Emily. He’s hurt a lot of women over the years,” he replies, trying to soften the impact, but it only deepens the wound.

“What about the woman who’s supposed to be my mother, V.D.? Who is she? Why didn’t they want me? How did my mama and gran get me?” The questions spill out of me, frantic, and unrelenting as the weight of my shattered reality threatens to pull me under.

My whole life has been a lie.

“Your mom, Daphne, was technically your dad’s sister, so your gran is still your gran. I don’t know the specifics, just what is in that file.” He tries to explain, but I just don’t understand.

I always thought my dad was some rogue witch, a villain destroying lives. But according to this, and everything I’ve learned, he did that, and so much more, in ways I never imagined.

Everything has been a lie…

“I need to know everything about him and where to find him. I could give a shit about the woman, V.D, fuck her! She didn’t want me. I don’t want her. I want him though. I want him to pay for what he did to Emily, and I want her to deliver the punishment!” I let my anger get the best of me and lash out a bit at Brix.

“Evie, calm down. We can’t do anything tonight except be together. If that means you need to throw one of your bratty little fits and stomp around, cry, or throw things, hell, even go torture some asshat. Hell, I’ll help you feed them to your gators, I’m here for it. All of it, I got you.” Brixon leans in cupping my cheek,“I’ll always have you, from now on.” His voice softens before he places a soft kiss at the corner of my mouth as he pulls me into his arms.

I melt into him. I let all the emotions I’m bottling up out. Brixon just hugs me, allowing me to just feel it all.

We stay like that for a while, just letting me sob, cry, and process my emotions, as I lay on his chest. I finally suck it up and sit up.

He wipes away my tears with the pads of his thumbs before he kisses my forehead. He leans his forehead against mine, “I can’t make you any promises when it comes to Boudreaux, he already has a price on his head from what I understand. He has been in hiding for a couple of months at least. Liam is working on getting us more information on the guy.” He says softly, still trying to comfort me.

“I need to get the letter from my mama, will you stay with me while I read it? I think it’s going to give us the answers we need?” I ask, not sure what all his plans for tonight were.

Whatever they were, this just threw a giant ass wrench in them.

“I’m not going anywhere tonight. I plan to stay right here with you until you kick me out.” Brixon smiles down at me, and I can’t resist pulling him in for a small kiss before I get up and go get the letter out of my bag. I brought everything back from the bayou to put in my secret safe here at the house. I don’t think Emily even knows where it is.

I hurry up to my room. I remove the larger-than-life portrait of a second line from a funeral I bought from a local artist.

I turn the little black knob, to the correct numbers, 17-26-14, listening for the click of the lock to open the safe. I smile thinking about what the numbers stand for. The days of my grans, mamas, and my birthday.

I grab the grimoire, crystals, and my whole bag I filled with objects from the attic, in my grans old house in the bayou. I head back downstairs so Brix can see it all. He has been open and honest so far. He deserves the same from me.

I drop it next to the couch and grab another slice of pizza before I sit back down and pull the letter out.

“I’ll give you time to read the letter while I go make us some drinks. Want anything in particular?” he asks, being polite, and so sweet. He always was.

“Just bring the bottle of amaretto from the freezer, margarita mix, and a sprite for me please.” I reply as I take the letter out of my bag, place it on my lap, and stare at it.

“I’ll just bring an array of alcohol and things to mix it with. If that letter is anything like pops was, you’re gonna need it.” He gives me a knowing sad look and picks my hand up and kisses my palm before getting up with a sigh.

I look at the letter the same way I have several times since Noah’s dad gave it to me. This time I’m actually opening it.

I look up to my mama’s urn, “You have some explaining to do woman. But thank you for being my mom when you didn’t have to be.” I blow her a kiss before cracking the dark red wax seal embossed with a lovely Saints fleur-de-lis and pull out the burnt edged folded paper.

For my precious daughter Evie,

You are and will always be my daughter, whether I gave birth to you or not. More than anything else, believe that my sweet girl. I will always be your mother.

I know that you are probably shitting bricks right now if you are reading this letter!

I’m sure you and Brixon have a million questions. I wish I could see the two of you together again. I’m sorry that you both had to lose so much time together, but we all felt that the ancestors knew best.

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