"What kind of tutor?" I asked, somewhat alarmed that she would trust just anybody with our daughter.
"The kind of tutor that's a licensed, reputable business," Mina said reading my worry and moving to soothe it before it got out of control. "She goes to that place in the Heritage Shopping Center. I had Silas check them out."
My lips quirked.
"That's good to know," I rumbled, then pulled out a chair. "Tell me where you need help."
Sienna pointed to a problem.
"That's easy," I said. "What did the teachers tell you to do for this?"
It was a simple addition problem. The problem was that it had four numbers that she needed to add instead of just two.
"I just get flustered when I have to add up this many numbers," Sienna said.
I took the pencil from her hand, and then split the problem in half.
"Add these two, and then add these two," I instructed, pointing at each problem with the pencil. "Then, once you have the answer, take the answers and add those two up."
I saw the moment it clicked, and her excited eyes turned to me.
"You are so smart!" she declared jubilantly.
I grinned.
"No, not smart. Just practiced. You'll get there, baby," I said, cupping her cheek with my hand. "Do those, and then call me back over here so I can check your work, okay?"
She nodded enthusiastically, and then dropped her head and started writing, adding numbers furiously.
"I'm fairly sure she needs glasses," Mina said. "I'm going to have to take her to the eye doctor in the next couple of weeks, just to make sure."
"Aunt Audrey!" Sienna cried, throwing her pencil down and running for the door.
The pencil rolled off the table, and then into my lap, as I watched Sienna hit Audrey with such force that it rocked my sister back on her heels.
"Gosh, you act like you didn't just see me," she teased. "It's only been a few weeks!"
Sienna leaned her head back. "It's been too long. Are you moving in?"
Audrey's eyes went from Sienna to Mina's.
"No, honey bunches of oats. I'm not." She shook her head and dropped her gaze back down to my daughter's. "I'll be in town, though. You can come see me any time you want … "
Her voice trailed off as her gaze finally settled on me.
Her brows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed.
"Who … "
Then she froze as I stood.
Her purse, that was clenched in her hand, fell to the floor.
Fender came up behind her.
"Remember what I said when I told you there was more to this than you know?" Fender asked her casually. "Well, here is where you need to listen to everything and not interrupt until you know the entire story."
Audrey's gaze never left mine.
I knew she couldn't figure out that she knew me. I didn't look the same.
"I'd know that curly hair anywhere," she whispered.
I frowned.
She knew me by my hair?
"You're dead," she whispered.
I shook my head. "Not dead. Our parents … "
I started to say, and she held her hand up.
"Did they have you all this time?"
///
I shook my head. "No. The first year, yes. After that, no."
"So you've been free of them for five years?" she asked carefully.
"Essentially," I said. "But there's more … "
Her hand cracked where it made contact with my face, and I heard Sienna cry out in surprise.
"Hitting isn't nice, Aunt Audrey!" Sienna said, insinuating herself in between me and her aunt.
Mina was there in a flash, pulling her away, and saying something so softly to her that I couldn't tell exactly what was said.
Sienna disappeared after she'd asked her to go to her room for a little bit.
Thank God.
This was about to get ugly.
"All this time, Tunnel," Audrey's voice cracked. "We thought you were dead."
I lifted my hand, and she batted it away before it could touch her.
Then she abruptly turned, and glared at the man at her side. "You promised me I would be happy."
My brows lifted, as did Fender's.
"You're not happy that your brother is alive?" he asked carefully.
Her jaw ticked.
"I'd be happier had he told me when it first happened that he wasn't dead … " she pointed out to him.
I looked over at Mina.
She nodded her head.
Then I started to explain my actions. Why I did what I did.
And by the time I was done, she was looking at me like I was a broken doll.
"Oh, Tunnel," she whispered brokenly. "There's more, isn't there?"