Dad was right, of course, but in my mind my step-father was always the bad guy.
“But I want to look him in the eye when I tell him justice will be served if he is locked away for the rest of his life.” Dad’s steely gaze told me he was determined to speak to Sebastian.
I had a choice whether to inform the police of Sebastian’s forging of the will. I chose not to. If I did, I would be involved, maybe I’d have to testify at trial. If I stayed out of it, I could keep abreast of his situation from afar. I chose the latter. Dad agreed and we hoped Father would have understood.
“Will he be wearing an orange jumpsuit?” Dad asked as we went through a metal detector at the prison where Sebastian was being held.
I giggled and the prison guards glared at me. Oops!
We sat waiting for Sebastian to be brought in and my knees trembled while my dad sat, his spine ramrod straight, staring straight ahead.
When my step-father was escorted in, he sported the haughty expression he had when he usually caught sight of me. But his gaze slid to Dad and he gasped.
“Didn’t expect to see me, did you?”
“What do you want?” Sebastian’s sneer was back.
“To tell you that while you think you’ve taken everything from us, you couldn’t be more wrong.” Dad took my hand and brought it to his lips. “We are a family, one that is expanding.”
“Listen old man?—”
“Shut up.” The force of my voice, charged with anger, had Sebastian rearing back. “Do not speak to my father like that. This is the last time you’ll see us.”
“Lucky me.” He folded his arms but his hands were shaking.
“All the years you were with my father, I hated you. In my mind, you were the villain. But now I wonder if you were scared the whole time, thinking Father would regret his divorce.”
“Don’t kid yourself. He adored me.”
“I hope you made him happy. He was a good man and my father.” I stood up and Dad did the same.
I took no satisfaction from Sebastian’s gaping mouth and his trembling hands. There was no need for goodbyes and neither Dad nor I looked back as he tucked his arm in mine.
“How do you feel?” I asked as we walked out of the prison.
“Like a snake that’s shed its skin. The future looks good, Heston.”
That I agreed with.
“How was it?” Devyn was waiting in the car.
“Better than expected.” I helped Dad into the back seat. “I don’t think I’ll be having any more nightmares.”
I didn’t look back as Devyn drove away from the prison. Sebastian was part of our past and we were looking forward. “Are you sure you don’t want to get the same closure with Roy?”
“Maybe. But I have no burning desire to talk to him. Besides, he’s not going anywhere.”
I suspected Sebastian wasn’t either.
“How about we focus on us and the baby and start getting the nursery ready?” Devyn glanced at me before turning his eyes straight ahead.
“I’d like that but can we start tomorrow?’ I yawned. While it was liberating seeing Sebastian and assigning him to the past, it was also exhausting. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep until tomorrow. Those nightmares had been interfering with my sanity and I hoped today had banished them.
“I’m ready for bed even though it’s only lunch time,” Dad said from the back seat.
“I have an idea.” Devyn pulled up at a red light. “We order in and after we eat, we all take a long nap.”
“I vote for that.” I raised my hand.
