Page 113 of Exile
"That's right," he confirms. "We're all set up and ready to rock and roll. Chris just finished the onboarding sessions and briefed the staff."
"Did someone say my name?"
Dr. Smith—wait, no, Christopher—emerges from another open door near the fireplace dressed in jeans and a cotton shirt. I'm still struggling to call him by his first name, even though he continues to insist on it.
I guess we're family now so I have to get used to it eventually. He comes over regularly for lunch and has just taken on the new role as the Lily Halfway Home's lead psychiatrist. But with his input, Damon hired a bunch more—some new, ready to be mentored by the senior doctors. Just enough to make sure no one was overworked and patients received detailed care.
We changed the name obviously. Any mention or reference that could be perceived to be tied to Alexander wastossed in the trash. But I hope the asshole is rolling in his grave, rotting away while worms eat his testicles.
"Any chance to jump into a conversation and provide your opinion," Damon grumbles, barging his shoulder into Christopher as he stalks past.
"Nice to see you too, dear cousin," he replies, grinning at me. "Ready for the tour, Avery?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, Chris," I laugh, grabbing Theo's hand and dragging him with me.
I know where we're going first. After all, I helped design these two sections.
The Paige Memorial Garden and Madison Commemoration Room are two of my greatest achievements, dedicated to the most important people in our lives who should have still been with us.
The garden is in the new courtyard, which may or may not look similar to the one that inspired me at Ridgeview Valley. No longer is it cold and closed off with nothing but empty grounds. Now, it's surrounded by large windows, full of lawn activities and a beautiful garden bed in one corner. Paige's favorite flowers are there, blossoming in the sunlight.
Madison's room is one of our new recreational activity rooms—inspired by the four walls that used to hide Theo and I when he'd tattoo me. Except rather than an empty shell, it's a music center where patients can grab a pair of headphones and listen to whatever tunes they like.Apparently, Madi loved music so it felt fitting to honor her this way, just like Theo loves his tattoos.
Passing the staff rooms, I smile at the new medical clinic, complete with stickers all over the ceiling so that when patients are being treated, they can focus on the cartoon figures if they feel nervous. Dr. Markel retired, but we have some amazing physicians working with us now to ensure patients are listened to and treated appropriately.
We kept Tony on, of course. But under the strict guideline that if he was never allowed to serve bland pasta and cold vegetables again. The whole staff were happy to stay on—with a pay increase. Trauma payment, they called it. After working for Whittingham for too long, they insisted on compensation in the form of a raise. Worth it though… even if Theo is still giving me shit about Thursday Pizza Night and how pineapple needs to be banned. Absolutely not.
Charmaine even stayed on as a guidance counselor, still giving Grey shit whenever they cross paths and whacking him in the head with paperwork.
Grey catches up to us just as we reach the dorms. We got rid of the double-access pads, adopting Ridgeview Valley's methods and giving patients roommates. But of course, for the antisocial ones like Theo, they can also go solo. No one will be forced to do anything they don't want. This is about their future—their wellbeing.
We're giving everyone the second chance we should have had to begin with. Victims deserve to be heard, to have theirpain acknowledged. And the four of us are living proof that no matter what happens, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. We want to give people that hope, let them sparkle their damn brightest. They might not know it yet, but the future is bright and worth living.
Our monsters don't deserve our pain. And they sure as fuck don't deserve our tears. The greatest revenge is living… and it's a gift we intend to continue sharing in Lily's memory.
Heading back to the foyer, I'm surprised to find Christopher and Damon chatting. As soon as they spot us, Damon crosses his arms, pretending to not be enjoying his cousin bonding time.
"About time," he groans. "I had to listen to this asshole ramble on about his personal life."
I laugh, relieving Damon from historture. I slide my hand into his, resting my head on his shoulder. "How is Margie going?"
"She'll be four months next week," he beams. "We just found out we're having a baby girl."
"And he's going to propose," Damon adds. "So, prepare for more rambling in the next few weeks."
Gasping, I break out into a grin. "Holy shit, that's amazing. Congrats!"
"Thanks, Avery," Chris smiles brightly. "We'll see you for lunch on Sunday still. Meg's making that apple pie you love."
"Ahh, she's the best," I groan. "Hopefully we don't run out of whipped cream again." Shooting a glare toward Grey, his eyebrows shoot up.
"I didn't hear you complaining when I had it on your ti—"
"And that's my cue to leave," Chris groans. "I'll catch up with you before you head off."
Damon waits until he's out of earshot, smirking at Grey. "If I knew the way to get him to shut up was to talk about banging Avery, I would have tried it."
"And then I'd be forced to kill your cousin," Theo interjects. "No one looks or breathes at her, let alone hears about her body."
"Fucking psycho," I mutter quietly.
"What was that?" Theo asks, having fully heard me.
I raise my hands. "Nothing, nothing. Come on—Tony's done a practice run for tomorrow and has prepared lunch for us as a little treat."
Grey leans down, whispering in my ear. "And afterwards, I think we should take a quick trip to the library, little killer. You know…for dessert."
