Page 37 of Wings of Torment
I meet his gaze, then Theo’s, before nodding. And I realize for the first time that maybe I really am theirs. But if that’s true, it means they’re alsomine.
14
“As I live and breathe,” Dad says, pulling me into a tight hug. “Mari, guess who’s finally arrived?”
There’s a clatter of something from inside before Mom rushes out the door and nearly tackles me. A carefree laugh tumbles from my chest as I hug her back, everything slotting back into place for one beautiful second. “I’m so glad you’re home! Come inside, tell us everything.”
“Now hold on a minute. Let’s give the girl a chance to breathe and settle in. We have all week to grill her.” He takes my bag, leading me through the door and down a flight of stairs. “It’s not as big as your old room, but your mother tried to make it feel like home.”
The basement, if I can even call it that, has an open concept design. It’s more of a long corridor than a room, but Dad wasn’t lying. The handmade quilt from my old room is laid out onthe bed. A few of my old posters and picture frames are up too. Memories of a different time in our lives that I’d somehow forgotten about while at SCU. There’s only one window, positioned above the bed along the back wall next to what I’m guessing must be a two-piece bathroom.
“This looks perfect, guys. Thank you.”
“I know it’s a bit small, and I’m sorry that we weren’t able to bring most of your large items with us.” She wipes away an errant tear, and the sight of it has my heart clenching.
“Hey. None of that, Mom. It doesn’t matter where I sleep. What matters is we’re together.” I press my forehead to hers, taking in the moment of peace. Fuck, I’ve missed them. I’ve spent my entire life relying on them for support and they’ve given it without question. After a few months apart, I’d forgotten how easy it is with them. I can be myself without fear of judgment.Maybe your old self, but they don’t know you anymore.I push away the niggling reminder that I haven’t told them about my wings yet. I’ll tell them later this week.
“Who’s hungry? We thought we’d do breakfast for dinner. What do you say? Fancy whipping up some pancakes?”
“Hell yeah. The perfect homecoming meal.”
We make our way back upstairs and into the tiny galley kitchen, where we mix up pancakes and start frying the bacon. While we cook, Dad presses me on my flight over, not understanding why I’d want to make the trip alone. It doesn’t feel like the right moment to tell them about my wings. Although, now that I think about it, putting it off for so long almost ensures there will never be agood time. Fuck. They’re going to be so upset that I kept this from them.
So instead of being a dutiful daughter and telling them, I avoid, avoid, avoid. Mom washes some berries while Dad and I surreptitiously try to steal a few without her noticing. It fails, of course — I swear she can see everything — but it serves to calmmy nerves and reminds me of a time before I started lying to them.
While I empty the last drop of batter into the pan, Dad pulls Mom into his arms and they dance. I watch, reveling in the love I feel radiating off them. I think of Raphael and Theo. They’d teamed up with Dina and bought me a black wing jacket so I’d feel comfortable flying home. Sure, I might need help to put it on, but it hid my golden wings the entire flight here, and for what might be the first time, I actually enjoyed flying. Well worth the ache in my muscles tomorrow.
With a smile on my face, I remove the last pancake from the pan and place it on the pile. “Grub’s ready, you lovebirds.”
We settle around the table just like any other day before SCU and all the changes I’ve battled since. It might not be the exact same. The table is smaller and somehow there’s way more food than we ever would have had before, but the vibe is the same.They’rethe same. It’s comforting as hell to know that with everything going on in my life, they remain unchanged.
My heart swells, knowing that I’m finally home. Sure, it may not be the house I grew up in, but home isn’t a place. It’s not about the walls or furniture, which street you live on. Home is where the angels you love are, and right now there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
“So, how’s school? What are the classes like?” Dad asks before taking a sip of coffee.
“Good, actually! I had my last midterm yesterday and already received my grade this morning. I got ninety-two percent.”
“Sweetheart, that’s amazing! Are you finding the classes easy, then?”
“Well, not all of them. Some are hard, like angelic powers, and a few of the professors haven’t made things very easy for me, but I’m doing alright.” I take a swig of juice. “Actually, I was wondering what you guys would think about me showingyou what I’ve learned about our powers. It’s nothing wildly complicated yet, but perhaps we could start with telepathy and see how that goes?”
Mom’s eyes turn glassy, and I wonder if maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut, but she places a hand on mine and smiles. “We’d be honored, Haylie-bear. Your dad and I always wanted to learn more about our abilities, but, well, they don’t make it easy for us, do they?”
“No, Mom. They don’t. But I’ll teach you everything I can and do up some notes for you to keep practicing when I’m back on campus. Deal?”
She squeezes my hand. “Deal. And speaking of campus, how’s Dina? You two must be joined at the hip!”
“She’s good! Second-year classes keep her busy, but we usually eat together and try to schedule regular girls’ days to catch up. Things have been difficult with her dad though, and for a second there we thought he was going to pull her admission, but that’s settled for now at least.”
“I never did like her father,” Dad says, a scowl present on his lips. “And what about the other students? Is everyone treating you alright?”
“Well, no.” I snort. “It doesn’t matter where you go, Dad. Silver City is full of assholes. But I’ve made a few friends and honestly, I’m not sure I’d have made it this far without them. But enough about me! I want to know everything about this place. What’s it like living in the Fallen district?”
My parents exchange a glance before Mom says, “It’s different. Like with everything, there are pros and cons, but we’re just focusing on the pros. We have our own house now and even a backyard.”
“It’s cheaper, too, so we’ve got a bit more money every month. That alone is enough to make the rest worth it.”
“I’m glad. You guys finally deserve a little grace.” Their words tell me one thing, but the odd looks they’re throwing each other tell me something else altogether. I don’t doubt them, not really, but they’re holding something back. What aren’t they telling me?
