Page 60 of Save Us
“What are we doing today? Rosie needs to come home; maybe I should stay somewhere else?”
“Nope,” I reply, not even looking back at her as I serve up some pancakes. They became my specialty after Rosie grew an obsession for them at the age of three. One month, she ate nothing else, but as long as I could hide fruit and other healthy stuff in them, I didn’t care. She was eating and that’s all that mattered at the time.
“We’re going to have breakfast, go and get you some new clothes, and then head round to my parents’ place…together!”
“Do they know?” she asks, looking a little fearful and when I shake my head, she looks guiltily to the floor. “They’re probably going to be furious with the girl who got knocked up and then left you to bring up the child by yourself.”
“Stop it!” I snap as I walk over to cup her beautiful face between my hands. “You didn’t just run off to have a good time, you did it to save me and your daughter. If they’re anything but proud of you, I’ll have something to say about it.”
A small smile flickers over her face and it’s enough to make me kiss her. Hell, at the moment, breathing is enough of a reason for me to start kissing her again. Today isn’t about me though, I had her all to myself last night. Today is about Rosie and her chance to get her mom back.
“Do you want to call your parents, Beth?”
She thinks for a moment with a deep, pensive frown between her eyebrows while she absent-mindedly pushes the pancakes around her plate with her fork.
“No,” she finally replies, “no, I need to sort out things with Rosie first. To be honest, I can’t really think about anything else.”
“Fair enough, now eat up!” I point at her food and practically glare at her until she manages to eat what I consider to be enough. She’s virtually half the size she was before she was taken from me, and could do with eating a lot more to make her look healthy again.
I watch my beautiful Beth nibbling anxiously away at her thumbnail, a habit she still hasn’t managed to shake. It’s comforting and reminds me of how miraculous it is to have her back with me, where she belongs. I cannot help but smile over her bad habit. As we stand at my parents’ front door, waiting for someone to answer, she hovers behind me like I’m a human shield. If I’m being truthful, I think we’re both nervous over this meeting, not that I let on. I need to be her rock, her suit of armor for both her and Rosie’s sake, to try and make this go as smoothly as possible.
The sound of approaching footsteps has her gripping onto my hand with brute-like force, and by the time whoever opens the door, she’s virtually drawing blood. When it swings open, surprising us both, even though we had heard him coming, it turns out to be Stephen with his usual casual smile and tired eyes.
“Hey, Xander,” he mumbles without noticing the blonde standing behind me, “just got back from the office this morning. I thought you’d be here.”
“Stephen,” I say so seriously, he looks up and finally studies what is before him. I pull Beth out from behind me, and he almost chokes on his morning black, bitter coffee which he’s been gulping back like it is liquid oxygen. The color has drained from his face and he’s now staring unsubtly at the woman beside me. “Where’s Rosie, Stephen?”
“Sh-she’s out the back with Casey,” he replies, still with his mouth gaping wide open in shock. “Beth?”
Stephen never had the pleasure of meeting Beth before she ‘died’, but the pictures around our place have been on display for enough time for him to instantly recognize her. Beth looks at my uncle with a nervous smile, and awkwardly waves before squeezing herself up to me so closely, it’s a wonder she’s still able to breathe.
“It’s ok, Beth, come on,” I say to her before pulling her inside. Stephen follows us, still with his eyes wide open and wearing a thoroughly confused expression, doing me no favors in trying to keep her calm and collected. However, she remains glued to me like a limpet, so can’t possibly see my unsubtle uncle still gawping at the ghost before him.
My parents are sitting in the living room, as could have been predicted on a Saturday morning, being that they always have a chat over the papers with coffee and cake at the weekends. It’s a Fenton tradition; it not happening would be a cause for concern. I look up to see my mother laughing at something Dad has said about an article he’s just read. When I clear my throat rather theatrically, it grabs their attention and they glance over, smiling at me like any other time I pop in to see them. In fact, a few long moments pass by before they notice I’m with someone, and that someone is a girl they thought was dead.
“Mom, Dad,” I say cautiously, “try not to freak out, but this is Beth.”
“Wh…I mean…what?” Mom stutters just as Dad reaches for his glasses so he can see if I’m telling the truth or just playing some twisted game of who can say the most inappropriate comment of the day.
“Pleased to finally meet you,” Beth murmurs in such a way, I’m wondering if she had hoped no one would actually hear her. She then looks at me for further instruction.
“But you died!” Dad gasps rather bluntly.
“Beth has been married to Oliver Lawrence,” I try to explain, “but he was murdered on Thursday evening-”
“Yes, we reported that,” Stephen jumps in, pointing at me with his confused frown still firmly in place, “but that doesn’t explain-”
“Holy shit!”
A voice from behind breaks up the current conversation at hand, the one that is mainly a confusing ramble of words because of my inability to clearly explain myself. In fact, the sudden voice has everyone bypassing Beth and me altogether, and instead, looking at my twin. She stands accusingly, pointing at the quivering girl beside me. She looks halfway between horrified and raging bull, so I step slightly in front of Beth, readying myself to defend her against my entire family.
“What the actual fuck?!” Casey positively growls.
“I can’t do this…I need to…” Beth stutters as she tries to break free from my grip so she can run, but I’m not letting that happen. I hold her tight and open my mouth to yell at everyone.
“Will you all calm the fuck down so we can explain! Beth, you aren’t going anywhere and anyone who has a problem with that can answer to me!”
“You mean to tell me she’s been MIA all these years and you’re ok with that?! I threw her a Goddamn wake for Christ’s sake!” Casey shouts while stepping toward her with her forefinger thrown out in disgust.