Chapter 12

SCARLETT

Christopher, Caroline, and I made our way back home. Caroline was all smiles, her eyes sparkling as she took in the scenery from the car window. She was a curious little thing, but there was a sense of independence about her that seemed beyond her five years.

I couldn’t help but think it was because she’d been raised by an elderly couple, forced to learn self-reliance at an early age, maybe even taking care of them at times.

Christopher had suggested that the elderly couple move to the pack house to be near Caroline, but they’d declined. They were content in their small wooden house, the one they’d called home their entire lives.

They believed Caroline would be better off without them.

I felt a strong urge to talk to Christopher. His emotions were a whirlwind of confusion. He was overjoyed to have found Caroline, but there was also anger and frustration at only meeting her now.

But right now, I felt the need to be with Caroline. She stirred something new within me, a feeling that had been slowly growing with Anthony in my womb. But with her, it hit me all at once—sudden and overwhelming.

It took me a moment to recognize it for what it was—pure, simple love.

How could that be?

I didn’t have an answer. But just as Christopher had found a daughter he didn’t know he had, I found myself loving her instantly, as if she were my own.

A memory then flashed in my mind, chilling my blood and raising goosebumps on my skin. Bertha had mentioned a girl being born. “Bertha knew,” I murmured, careful not to draw Caroline’s attention.

“She said something about a girl being born after…”

~I was at Violet’s birth. He just wanted the baby. After the girl died, he didn’t even call Violet.~ Bertha’s words echoed in my mind.

Christopher simply took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“How did I not know?” I sensed another emotion in him, different this time, but not any better—guilt.

“You were deceived, love. A giant conspiracy to prevent you from having an heir,” I said softly, trying to soothe him.

“We can’t change the past. All we can do now is give this little princess the best life possible.” I felt him slowly relax.

“And for someone who had no heirs three months ago, you now have two,” I added with a smile.

“Heir?” Little Caroline asked.

“Yes, an heir, a descendant,” I began to explain. “Those are big words, aren’t they?”

She giggled and nodded, turning her attention back to the scenery.

“I’ll call Karen and Mom,” I told Christopher, who simply nodded.

I dialed the number on my cell phone, unsure of what to say. “Sister, call Mom and meet me at the pack house.” I didn’t bother with pleasantries. With Karen, it was always straight to the point, and she understood.

“Did something happen, Lett? Should I be worried? Are you and Anthony okay?” Karen’s voice was laced with concern.

“We’re fine. It’s easier if I show you. See you later,” I said, ending the call.

“That simple? She doesn’t ask why?” Christopher asked, having overheard the conversation.

“No, she’s always there for me, no questions asked. She just shows up,” I replied, grateful for her unwavering support.

He smiled, though I knew he was a bundle of emotions. But the strongest one was love. And I felt it too.

We arrived at the pack house and walked into the living room. As expected, my mother and sister were waiting for us. But to my surprise, my father was there too.

I led the way, with Christopher and Caroline following. As I stepped aside to reveal Caroline, I saw jaws drop.

Caroline looked around the large room, trying to take it all in. I saw Karen’s eyebrows furrow in a silent question, ~Who is she?~ But before anyone could voice it, Christopher answered.

“This is Caroline, my daughter.” The surprise on their faces deepened.

Everyone seemed to want to ask something, but no one found the words.

“Hey.” Caroline’s sweet voice filled the room, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces.

“Who are these people?” she asked, tugging at my blouse.

I took her hand as she moved closer to my family.

“This is Aunt Karen, my sister,” I introduced, pointing to Karen, who crouched down to Caroline’s level.

“Hi, Caroline,” Karen greeted, and Caroline threw her arms around her in a tight hug.

After releasing Karen, Caroline’s gaze moved to my parents. My mother looked from Christopher to me to Caroline.

“These are my parents, Martha and Ronald,” I introduced, and Caroline hugged their legs.

“Scarlett, is she…?” my mother started, her eyes wide.

“You said you could be my mom, so they could be grandma and grandpa?” Caroline’s question cut me off.

“Do you want that?” I asked her. She nodded.

It seemed crazy to think that I felt like her mother. I was supposed to be her stepmother, right? But from the moment I saw Caroline, it was something much stronger.

It was love. I felt like her mother, not in a rational sense, but in a visceral, spiritual, emotional way.

So yes, in my heart, I felt like her mother. Even though I’d only known her for a few minutes, it felt like we’d known each other for lifetimes.

She was mine, my daughter.

“Then they will be Grandma Martha and Grandpa Ronald,” I said.

My parents bent down, and she hugged them, as if she’d been waiting her whole life for this.

When they let go, I turned back to see Christopher, his eyes filled with emotion. “She is Christopher and Violet’s daughter,” I began. “But I explained to her that if she wanted, I could be her mother.”

Caroline smiled at me.

“But how?” my father asked.

Karen, sensing the tension, took Caroline’s hand. “Come, Caroline, let’s go see the library…” She led Caroline away.

“We went to the border, and Scarlett found Caroline. I froze when I saw her. She looks just like Violet, and her scent confirmed it…” Christopher began.

“It was the Goddess who told me,” I interjected. Everyone looked at me, their eyes wide with surprise.

“You saying that doesn’t shock me anymore,” my mom said, her smile easy and her shoulders lifting in a shrug.

“Turns out, she was being brought up by an old couple who claimed to be Frederick’s parents. They said he gave her up as a baby, saying her mom was dead and her dad had abandoned her,” Christopher filled in the gaps.

“Frederick,” my mom murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I think he’s tangled up in this just like Bertha,” I began, my mind racing.

“We need to do a thorough check on the hospital and dig into all of this,” Christopher declared, and my dad simply nodded in agreement.

“Sweetheart, do you think you can handle this right now?” I asked him, forcing him to meet my gaze. “That was five years ago. It can wait another day. You need to be okay with that.”

Christopher paused, as if he was processing everything and trying to make sense of it all.

“I need to go for a run. When I get back, I’ll attend the meeting,” he assured me, his voice steady. He needed to clear his head—to gather his thoughts and prepare to delve into this investigation.

“Ronald, get in touch with the guard and set up the meeting. We need to find out what happened and make sure no one responsible gets off scot-free.”

He turned to my mom. “Martha, we need you at the meeting too, to represent the hospital.”

My mom nodded, her face serious. Then Christopher turned to me, his hands resting on my shoulders.

“Can you stay with her? I think she needs clothes and a room,” he asked, his voice uncertain, as if he didn’t know where to begin. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Of course, we’ll arrange a room and clothes for her. I think she can even have the room next to Anthony’s, so they can both be close to us,” I said, my smile widening. I leaned in and gave Christopher a quick peck on the lips.

They left, leaving Karen and me with Caroline. We took her to a children’s store where she picked out a white room with rainbows. We bought her a bunch of clothes. I felt out of my element, but at the same time, I felt good—like I was on the right path.

And that felt good.

It felt new.

It felt right.