Caleb was looking at me. "As gross as that was…thank you."
"I got the idea from you," I told him.
"But your brain put it together, and it was you that made it happen. I don't think I've seen Bish that…" he searched for the word.
"Soft?" I supplied.
"Yeah," he grunted. "I always thought he would be mean and rough, but when he looks at my sister…" He grimaced. "Ok, enough of this. Let's go, Sherlock. More mysteries to solve."
"Yeah, like how to occupy my dad while we talk to yours. Bish is definitely occupied," I said and laughed at Caleb's expression. " So, now to come up with…something," I stopped with wide eyes. In the middle of the palace ballroom, my father was teaching The Shuffle to a group of people who gathered around him. I turned my head to the side at the sight. People in cocktail dresses and heels…line dancing. Hmm.
"Ok," I said, "Dad's occupied. Where's yours?"
"He's there, with Gran." He pointed and waved them over. He also grabbed Rodrigo, the guy who charmed my room, and got him to do the same for us so we could speak freely. Gran took us to the sentencing room. I shivered when we went inside, but Caleb got down to business. He thankfully hashed everything out so I didn't have to and explained everything from my mom showing up at the house, to now with the sperm donor on the roof.
Peter rubbed his chin between his thumb and fingers, his eyes unfocused and thinking. Gran had her hands in her lap, showing her tattoo, and she just sat there, blowing a breath every now and then.
After a while I couldn't take the silence anymore. "Please, say something."
"You were an Ace all along," Peter said incredulously. "It all just worked out that way? The consequences piling on top of each other? Him having an affair with her, you going to meet Kyle and instead imprinting with Caleb, then being the Visionary? No," he shook his head, "no, too much coincidence. I don’t believe Marla or this man."
"He knew things," I reminded him. "I don't want it to be true anymore than you do. I was perfectly fine to just forget I ever found out the truth." I took a breath as the words clouded in my throat. "My dad is my father, that won't change. I had no intentions of looking for my real father."
"Come here, pretty girl," Gran beckoned. I went with a sigh. I sat on the table top next to her and she put her arm over my shoulder. "Listen, I know it's hard sometimes, but the truth is always best. Even if it doesn’t seem like it makes sense, even if it seems senseless." She looked at Peter. "I know you thought Peter was crazy earlier when he said he was the one who told your dad when he could have just let the council assume it was you and you'd have been granted clemency and all's well. But the truth is important, the truth is what makes us free people. No guilt or shame holding us back. That's why I speak my mind right then and there, that way nobody can say that I'm hiding or holding back anything." She squeezed my shoulder. "You may not have wanted to know about your father, but it's good to know the truth. Then you have all the facts and know that your decision is based on something real."Caleb and I both looked up at each other at the same time with the same thought. It was time to tell them about Grandpa Ray.
No, Caleb. She doesn't need to know. She's just trying to make me feel better, she'll regret saying all that if you tell her about your grandpa.
I think I have to.
He looked at them both. These are the two people it would hurt the most; Raymond's wife and his son. "Dad…Gran, we found out something. Um, when Ruth was taking Maggie's blood, they talked. She talked about Sikes and some of the things he had done."
Caleb told them about Sikes forcing the imprint on Ruth. Peter stood and paced, running his hands through his hair at that, but when Caleb got to the part we didn't want to say, he slowed his voice and stood in front of Gran.
"Gran. We had a suspicion about Sikes. So we asked Ruth and she answered our question. Grandpa…"
"No," Gran snipped and stood. "No, my Raymond died of a heart attack. It was my fault, my cross to bear all these years."
"No, Gran. Sikes went into Grandpa's dream and-"
"No! Not another word." She covered her ears and shook her head. "Not another word."
Peter took Caleb by the arms and was the only one willing to pry the information out of Caleb. "He killed him in an echo?" Peter asked and turned his head as if anticipating a blow. When Caleb answered, Peter jerked like he'd been hit.
He went to his mother who was hysterical in the corner. She shook her head and said over and over again, "No, no, no." She let him pull her into his embrace and she let loose a sob that had me crying and shaking along with them, but this was Caleb's hurt, not mine. I didn't even look at his face as I wrapped my arms around him and tried to take away even an ounce of the hurt.
Judging by his grip, he was accepting my offer. So I reached on my tiptoes to reach more of him and let him lift me, pressing his face into my neck. I tried not to hear the agonizing cries of the broken woman and her broken son.
Twenty One
I was not in the mood for any more partying and neither was the Jacobson family. Peter had finally gathered himself enough to tell Caleb that he would have a meeting later with the family in one of the second floor rooms. It would look too suspicious to call everyone together without the rest of the clans. So, we ate a dinner that I wasn’t hungry for. Gran was sullen and everyone noticed because Gran was just not a sullen lady. Caleb sat next to her at dinner and he kept glancing over, probably a million times, to make sure she was still in one piece.
She eventually said she was tired and going to bed. She hugged Caleb so hard and long that it made me ache for her all over again. Then she hugged me and I felt like I should say something. She'd been so good to me and always had something witty and smart to say.
"Gran, I'm so sorry," I said muffled into her shoulder. "I wish I could hurt them for what they did to you."
"Sikes is gone, honey," she leaned back, "but the Watsons are just a cruel people. I've never known a more selfish and cruel bunch of folks. Just be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"I'll be fine. I just wish I knew what to do. Waiting for signs and visions doesn't make me feel very productive."
"You can't put fate on a schedule, girl," she said saucily. Caleb chuckled behind her. "You've gotta understand that everything…was meant to be this way," she said slowly.
"I'm supposed to be making you feel better," I told her, "not the other way around."
"Oh, don't you worry about this old gal. I'm gonna keep on kicking like I always do."
We watched her go and I felt terrible. Dad came up and asked where Bish was. I'd almost forgotten where he was. I assured him Bish was fine, that he and Jen were just talking somewhere. Dad was seriously blowing my mind.
Dad was having a blast. And he was a hit! Everyone loved him and was fawning all over him. It was like he was made to be one of them.
Caleb and I walked to my room as everyone started to think about bedtime. I knocked softly on my door and when I heard nothing, I peeked my head into the room. I didn't see anyone and I was a little disappointed. I hoped that Bish and Jen would enjoy their little bit of time and make the most of it, but it looked like they'd both left.
Caleb shut the door behind me as I went to remove my shoes at the foot of my bed and heard a snore. Bish's snore. The bed was empty so I went to the sofa over near the armoire and there they were. They both were still in their clothes from before, but their shoes were kicked off on the floor. Bish was flat on his back and Jen was curled into his side, her hands resting on his chest. He had one arm behind his head and one around her back. Their faces rested against each others'.
I twisted my earring in contemplation as I looked at them. Caleb's arm came around my shoulder, as easy as breathing. "Hey, let's just let them sleep in here. Your dad can take the bed."
"Where are we going to sleep?"
"Well-"
The door behind us burst open and Rodney was breathing heavy as he struggled to get out his words. "Your…your dad…"
"My dad what?" I asked, but couldn't be polite if something was wrong. "Rodney, either spit it out or get out of the room so I can read your mind!"
He took a deep breath and blurted, "Your dad just imprinted."
My breath stopped, along with time. What did he just say?
Caleb and I took off running. We arrived on the scene like spectators who had witnessed an accident. I wanted to look, but also didn't. I wasn't sure what I'd find or see.
My dad was wringing his hands, a blonde beauty stood next to him as he listened to Peter and Paulo explain about the imprints, about how they never happen in front of other people and the fact that Dad was a human and he just got here was all amazing.The woman, who wasn't as old as my dad, was beaming in a shy way and she watched my dad with eyes that said he was all she could ask for. I saw it as my dad's eyes glanced from her to Peter and back. He'd loved my mom once, but he had never been so enraptured like that before.
I didn't know if I had the energy to wade through the onslaught of emotions, but I was happy for him. And the fact that he was a human and imprinted in front of everyone may have been the push these people needed to get over their human aversion. It had been a long, emotional draining day and to end it this way was just barely believable.