Page 49 of Searching for Thanksgiving

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“You’re wrong! All of you are wrong!” Crystal snapped.

“Crystal, you saw his symbiot. It is not… normal,” Christoff tried to explain but she cut him off again.

“There is nothing wrong with his symbiot! Okay, so it is a different color, but just because it is different doesn’t mean it should be destroyed. You, of all people, should understand that,” she retorted.

“Crystal…,” Edna said.

“No! No… Please. You have to help him. He didn’t hurt me. He’s a good person,” she pleaded, looking back and forth between Christoff and her grandmother.

Christoff released a heavy sigh and shook his head. “This matter is out of our hands. Lord Zoran and the other Dragon Lords have made their decision, I’m afraid.”

Crystal clenched her fists. She wasn’t going to give up. Who cares that Devon’s father was some crazy kook named Raffvin. Just because his dad was a raving lunatic, didn’t mean that Devon was! Her dad had told her about tons of kids that hadn’t been anything like their pathological parents when he was prosecuting them.

Okay, maybe not tons, but there had been kids who were good even though they had rotten parents, she conceded.

She rubbed her hands along her thighs. Maybe she was talking to the wrong people. She pursed her lips together and lifted her chin. If Christoff and her grandmother wouldn’t help her, then she would have to find someone who would.

“They’re wrong,” she stated.

She exited the barn and headed for the house. She pushed open the door. Her mom looked up when she entered, her worried eyes scanning her face.

“Where’s dad?” she asked.

“In Christoff’s study,” her mom replied.

“Thanks.”

“Crystal—”

She paused and partially turned to look at her mom. The last three years had changed her mom, Crystal realized. There was a quiet reserve to her that Shelly never had before. It was as if she were always on alert. Fine lines had formed around her mom’s mouth and eyes, and a touch of gray colored her hair at her temples. Crystal swallowed at the realization that this was the first time in a long time that she saw her mom as a person who had suffered a lot.

Shame and guilt filled her at her own selfishness. She had been so absorbed in her own life and issues, that she hadn’t thought of everything her parents had been going through.

Her mom stiffened with surprise when she walked over and wound her arms around her mom’s waist. Her mom slowly returned her hug. Crystal closed her eyes as tears of emotion burned in the back of them. She couldn’t remember the last time she had initiated a hug.

Probably not since before the accident, she thought with remorse.

“I love you, mom,” she murmured.

A shudder ran through her mom, and the arms holding her tightened. They held each other in silence for almost a minute before her mom took in a deep, shaky breath and released her. Crystal gave her mom a watery smile when Shelly cupped her cheeks.

“Whatever you need, your dad and I will help you,” her mom vowed.

“You always have. I was just too blind to see it,” she replied.

“Not blind… hurting. We love you.”

“I know. I… have to help Devon. He isn’t like those men say he is,” she said.

Crystal leaned into her mom’s hand when she brushed it along her cheek. She missed the connection they used to have before life got in the way. Her mom cleared her throat and nodded.

“Let’s go find your dad. If anyone can get an innocent man off, it’s him,” Shelly laughed.

Crystal felt a surge of hope blossom inside her. The weak, quivering smile on her lips grew when she saw the love and determination shining back at her. Her mom was right. Her dad had never lost a case.

Palace of Valdier

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