Chapter 98

#Chapter 98 – Home again Victor is the last to leave the venue, wanting to ensure that he has left no mess behind and that no one lingers to gossip. He wanted the affair finished, complete, and stayed to ensure that it would happen.

Some of his guests protested, saying they wanted to stay overnight, but offered the venue an obscene amount of money to close out their tabs and ask them, politely, to leave. The venue happily complied.

He had been hoping that Evelyn and the children would have stayed behind – he still wanted a word with Ian and Alvin, whom he hadn’t seen since that morning’s awful trail, but he had received a text from her, earlier, letting him know that she wanted to get them home.

Evelyn: Stephen has offered us a ride home with some of the Betas and we are going to take it. I’m sorry if you wanted us to stay, but they boys are so upset – I just want this day to be over.

He understood, of course – he wanted the best thing for them. And Evelyn was a good mother – she would know what they needed.

Finally, when all is complete, there is only a single black sedan left with Beta Stephen as the driver.

Burton gives him a little bow, holding the door open as Victor leaves the venue at last.

“I’ll follow tomorrow, sir. Some affairs to complete here.” Burton murmurs.

“Good,” Victor says, pausing to look him in the eye. “We’ll be glad to have you.”

Burton nods and smiles, heading back into the venue as Victor climbs into the car.

“Sir?” Beta Stephen asks through the lowered partition between front and back seats.

“Home, Beta.” Victor says, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. “Let’s go home.”

Some time later, they pull into the driveway and Victor blinks awake, not realizing he had fallen asleep.

He runs a hand through his hair, looking up at his house, not knowing, really, what to expect when he goes in. Will Amelia be there, packing? Or waiting to scream at him?

Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point.

Giving Stephen a nod as he exits the car, Victor makes his way up the drive. The Betas guarding his door give him a salute and, he could swear, a sympathetic look. Well, at least they’re still on his side.

He gives them a nod and opens the door.

The house is silent, empty and dark. The cleaning and cooking staff have been dismissed for a couple of days, on vacation during the time when Victor and Amelia expected to be celebrating.

“Pizza, I guess, for a few days,” he murmurs, walking into the kitchen.

He leans against the island, trying to figure out his next steps, unnerved by the utter quiet of the house.

He wonders if Amelia has come and gone, or if all of her stuff is still upstairs –

The back door creeks open, and Victor is suddenly alert, wary. Who?…

A little boy’s head and eye peek around the corner of the door and Victor can’t help the smile that bursts out on his face.

“Hey, you,” he says, coming around the island to greet his son.

Ian pushes the door open further but doesn’t come in. Victor sees that Alvin is standing behind him, almost afraid. Looking beyond them, Victor doesn’t see Evelyn and wonders if she stayed home. He brushes away the disappointment, concentrating on his boys.

“Papa,” Ian says, a little wary. “Are you mad at us?”

“What?” Victor says, confused, and going to his knees so as to be at the same eye level as his sons.

“Mama said you weren’t,” Alvin chimes in, still peeking out from behind his mother. “She promised you weren’t –“

“But we feel bad,” Ian picks up, hanging his head. “For ruining your nice wedding.”

Victor’s breath leaves him in a whoosh and he is overwhelmed, suddenly, by the love he has for these boys in all their earnest sorrow. “Come here, guys,” he says, his voice gruff with feeling. He opens his arms and his boys rush to him. He holds them close.

“You did nothing wrong,” Victor says, kissing each boy on the cheek. “If anything, I should be the one who is sorry. I never should have let it get that far, let Amelia have the opportunity to be so cruel to you –“

“We could have been nicer to her!” Alvin says, his voice guilty. “We tried to make her mad a lot –“

“We didn’t mean to ruin everything,” Ian continues.

Victor pulls away from them, taking them each by their shoulders so they stand straight in front of them.

“None of that,” he says, sternly. “You two deserve a mother who loves you, who can take a few pranks without resorting to cruelty,” Victor says, surer now of his decision than ever before.

“And who doesn’t try to have us kidnapped,” Ian murmurs.

“Or sent to Colorado,” Alvin says, looking away.

Victor frowns. “You knew about that school in Colorado?”

Alvin rolls his eyes at Victor. “We know about everything.”

Victor laughs. “Yes, well, maybe I didn’t give you credit for being such good spies. But you’re right. You deserve better than that.”

In his head, he also adds, and so do I.

“We already have a mommy who is better than that,” Ian says, smiling and stretching his hands over his head. Victor is glad to see that the sorrow and worry is starting to disappear from his face.

Alvin doesn’t say anything, just gives Victor a knowing look. Victor chuckles and narrows his eyes at him.

“Yes, your good mother. Does she know you’re here?”

“Yes, I know,” Evelyn says from the doorway. Victor looks up, surprised, to see that she’s leaning against the door frame, surveying the scene before her and smiling. How did he miss her sneaking up?

“Hello,” Victor says, standing slowly, a little at a loss for words.

“Hi,” she says, giving him a hesitant smile.

There’s an awkward silence between all of them for a moment as they stare at each other, not knowing what to say next.

Luckily, Ian breaks it. “Can we have iceee creammm?” he whines.

Evelyn laughs. “Ian, it’s very late, and I’m sure your dad wants to go to bed – he’s had a long day –“

“Actually, I could use a little ice cream,” Victor says softly, putting his hands in his pockets and giving her a smile.

“Oh,” she says, surprised and standing up straight. “Well then. Ice cream it is.”

“I’ll get the bowls and spoons!” Alvin shouts, dashing into the kitchen.

“I’ll pick the flavors!” Shouts Ian, pulling open the freezer.

“Just take them all out,” Victor says, laughing and enjoying their excitement. “We’ll have a feast.”

Evelyn walks up to him, arms crossed, and looks up into his face, standing close enough to whisper.

“You okay?”

Victor gives her a small smile and nods. “I will be.”

She nods as well, speaking again with her face and her eyes. Nothing will ever be the same.

He shrugs as he responds. Good. Onwards and Upwards, Evelyn.

She gives him one last smile – a bright one – and turns to the boys. “Whoever has the chocolate, hand it over. I claim that for me, and me alone!”

“NO!” Ian cries, grabbing the carton and dashing into the living room. “You’ll have to pry it from my dead hands!”

Evelyn laughs as she chases after him, grabbing a spoon off the counter as she goes. “This can be arranged!”

Victor laughs – god, he can’t believe he’s laughing, after everything today – and looks down as Alvin tugs on the sleeve of his shirt.

“Don’t worry, daddy,” he whispers, conspiratorial, and holding up another quart of ice cream that reads Double Fudge. “I saved you some.”

“I knew I liked you best,” Victor murmurs, giving him a wink. “Let’s go get some spoons.”