Behn looked at her with a strange expression. He knew something was up, but he had no idea what it might be. He knew Juila would tell him eventually so he let it go for the time being. When school was over Behn met Juila at her locker and said, “Do you and Jena want to ride with me and Val to your house?”
“Of course! Why are you asking?” Juila turned to face him with a puzzled expression.
“I just thought I should ask since you were being so cryptic earlier. Do you mind telling me what that was all about?” He decided he would rather ask her about it now when they had a little privacy.
Juila looked furtively around them to make sure Valentina was nowhere around before she leaned close to his ear and whispered, “My mom called during class. She has your mother at our house.”
Behn’s eyes grew big and round as he heard the news. This was nothing like what he had been imagining. He also glanced around before he said, “Are you serious? Val is going to be so mad that we didn’t forewarn her!”
“That’s what I was thinking and I didn’t want to make a scene at school. I know how she feels about people feeling sorry for you guys for being adopted.”
Behn had no idea Juila had known about Valentina’s deep-seated fear of not fitting in. Normally, Valentina hid her insecurity well. Juila must either be really receptive or Valentina had told her, either way, it was significant.
He began to work through the different scenarios in his head of how this situation should be handled. If they told Valentina while they were at school, she would probably opt to take the bus home instead of having the meeting even though she had agreed to it. If they told her in the car on the way to the Stel house, she would probably insist on being taken home. They could tell her in the Stel driveway, but then she would feel as though she were being set up. Lastly, if they walked her into Juila’s house and she saw their mother standing there, she would probably feel betrayed and ambushed.
Behn shook his head at the dilemma. “There doesn’t really seem to be any good way to go about this with Val.”
Juila had been listening to his thoughts and had to agree with his final assessment. “Now you know why I was having a hard time earlier. You know Val better than any of us. I was hoping you’d have some way of diffusing the situation.”
“What situation?” Jena asked as she came up to the locker and saw Behn and Juila with their heads together. She had been thinking about her homework and had not been linked to Juila’s mind so she felt slightly left out. In an instant, Juila gave her a mental image of the conversation and she merely said, “Ah!” Jena chewed on her bottom lip as she concentrated on a possible solution.
“What do you mean ‘ah’?” Behn asked as he saw Jena look guiltily at Juila.
Juila shrugged and explained as simply as possible, “Jena and I can link our minds and share thoughts instantly. I thought you knew that already.”
“I didn’t know it was that quick,” Behn said. He realized every moment they had ever shared had probably been linked with Jena. He blushed as he considered all of the foolish and sappy things he’d ever said to Juila. It was rather disconcerting to think there had been another person basically listening in to every word they’d ever shared. “Are you always linked?” he asked, hoping to hear a negative answer.
Juila had, once again, been listening in to Behn’s inner thoughts and she chuckled at where he had gone. She saw his expression of concern and she answered, “Not always. We do have respect for each other’s privacy.”
Behn instantly looked relieved.
Juila had to turn her head away so Behn would not see her grin. She busied herself with gathering a few items out of her locker to give herself a few seconds to compose her expression. When she believed she had herself under controlled she announced, “Let’s get going. I’d like to get this afternoon over with.”
Behn agreed with Juila on the one hand and yet he dreaded Valentina’s reaction. The three of them walked out to the car where they met both Jon and Valentina at the car. None of them were expecting to see Jon.
“I’m hoping you won’t mind dropping me off at home,” Jon stated with his hands resting on the top of the car.
“No problem, hop in,” Behn said as casually as he could. He only hoped Valentina would not get the idea she could go home when they stopped off there. His fears proved unfounded as Jon got out of the car and Valentina made no move to get out. Behn felt as though one hurdle had been crossed, but the finish line seemed a long way away and the biggest hurdle had yet to be crossed.
Valentina waited until Jon had gotten out until she said, “I’d like to know why everyone is acting so strange. What’s going on?”
Behn busied himself with watching the traffic so he could pull back onto the road. He thought about playing dumb for a little longer until he looked in the rear-view mirror and saw his sister glaring at him. He swallowed around the suddenly dry spot in his throat. Waiting until he was back in the flow of traffic, Behn said, “Mrs. Stel has a guest at the house.”
Valentina looked confused for a moment until she comprehended Behn’s cryptic remark. Immediately she felt a flush of anger overtake her thoughts which she immediately turned to curiosity. She recognized she was scared of meeting their mother, but she had to eventually get it over with. Besides, if this woman turned out not to be their mother, then it would be an inconsequential meeting. It would be interesting to meet someone else from Tuala.
The occupants of the car were all on edge waiting for the explosion from Valentina which never came. Somehow the explosion would have been easier to deal with than the continued silence.
Jena could take it no longer and said, “What are you going to do, Val?”
“Me? What do you mean? We’re going to meet this woman and see if she’s who she claims to be. If she is, then I’m finally going to get to ask her why she abandoned us,” Valentina stated simply.
Juila and Behn exchanged puzzled expressions of disbelief before they both turned their heads to look straight out the front windshield. Everyone remained silent for the remainder of the drive. Each person’s mind was racing with the upcoming possibilities as the car pulled to a stop in front of the Stel house.
Behn turned off the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition. He looked at his sister in the rear-view mirror and said, “Are you ready?”
“As ready as we’ll ever be!” Valentina announced as she opened the rear door and got out of the car.
Behn had to hurry to keep up with her. He did not want her to be the first to see the woman who could possibly be their mother. It felt slightly rude to leave the twins behind them since this was their house, yet Valentina continued to march toward the front door so he walked faster.
Jena and Juila purposely held themselves back. They did not want to interfere with this moment. They held hands for comfort as they both agreed this could turn ugly pretty quick if Valentina lost her temper.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
AMANDA LOOKED AT the clock in the kitchen and knew the kids would be home any minute. She glanced over at Vinia who had changed her clothes and had seated herself on the couch in the living room and wondered how the impending meeting would go. She walked over to the living room and asked, “Have you thought about what you’re going to say to the kids when you first see them again?”
Vinia wrung her hands in her lap and chewed on her bottom lip before she answered, “I’ve thought of a million things to say to them, but I’m afraid I’ll just be dumbstruck when I see how different they look since I last saw them.”
Amanda nodded, understanding completely. She had felt the same way when Jehoban had told her the twin girls she had been sitting across from had been her own daughters. So much the same since she had expected her girls to be about nine years old when they were actually fifteen. Vinia faced the same scenario as she had sent her children away when they were seven and now they were sixteen.
The sound of car doors shutting outside alerted both of them that the time h
ad come for them to find out what would happen. Vinia stood up and pulled nervously at the hem of her shirt. She did not know what to do with her hands so she kept shifting them from her sides to holding them in front of her. She moved away from the couch so she would have an unobstructed view of the front door.
Amanda was unsure of what she should do so she held back to allow the family to have their reunion without interference. She hoped the girls had forewarned Valentina. She equally hoped the girl would have enough sense to let their mother tell them what happened before she tore into her for leaving them.
The door opened and Valentina and Behn stood on the threshold staring across the distance to the woman who may or may not be their mother. Everyone stepped forward since nobody could see the features since the lighting fell behind both sides with the windows. The kids walked across the foyer and both stopped before they were fully into the living room.
Behn rapidly glanced from Vinia to Amanda and back again. He could hardly believe how much the two women looked alike. When he had first met Juila’s mother, he had the impression she looked similar, but now the similarity shocked him.
The tension in the room eased when Jena spoke, “Oh my goodness! You two could be twins!”
Vinia shifted her gaze over to Amanda and smiled nervously. She stepped forward and said, “Hello, Behn. Hello, Valentina. I know it’s been a long time for you since you saw me last,” she hesitated when Valentina snorted at the understatement. She continued valiantly, “But it has only been a little while for me. I’d like the chance to get to know you again.”
As soon as Behn heard her voice his last shred of doubt drifted away, he knew this was his mother. He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her. It felt strange to be taller than she since the last time he had seen her he had been so much smaller than she. Only familiarity overcame him as he felt his mother return his embrace. Tears of joy formed in his eyes and he held her tighter.
Vinia also began to cry even as she wished Valentina would come to her as well. She did not want to end the embrace and yet she wanted to have a good look at her tall, handsome son. She kept her hands on his arms as she held him away from her so she could look into his eyes. The love she saw reflected in his brown eyes relieved her. At least one of her children would forgive her for letting them go.
His mother’s gaze turned away from himself and shifted over to Valentina. Behn felt her hands tighten on his arms and he knew she was anxious for his sister to also accept her. To his amazement he saw Valentina’s expression change. Before he knew what was happening, his sister brushed him away.
Valentina could not understand the memories as they rushed through her. All she knew was the need she had for her mother was overwhelming and she needed to feel her in her arms. She stepped forward and hugged Vinia as if her life depended upon it. As her mother’s sobs renewed, Valentina knew this woman would give her life to protect her children.
Juila and Jena had entered the house after their guests and had shut the front door. They went to stand beside their mother and felt tears of joy at the heartfelt reunion they had witnessed. Amanda put her arms around each of them and pulled them closer to her. So far everything had worked out better than expected.
Eventually everyone had taken a seat in the living room. Behn and Valentina sat on either side of their mother. At first, conversation had been awkward as nobody said anything and then everyone tried speaking at the same time. The tension broke as everyone laughed at how ridiculous the situation seemed.
“Tell me about Jon and your adoptive family. I want to know everything!” Vinia requested.
“Jon doesn’t remember anything. He has no idea where we come from or even what your name is,” Valentina began. “We’ve been very protective of him.”
“As I knew you would be,” Vinia said as she nodded approval.
“We were taken in pretty rapidly by the Wilson family. We’ve had a great life, they have always treated us as if we were their own,” Behn added.
“I’m so thankful. Someday I’d like to meet the Wilsons and tell them how much I owe them for loving my precious children.”
“I have a confession to make,” Valentina began.
“I know you were mad at me, Val. I understand you were young and confused.”
“It’s not just that, I hated you for abandoning us.” Valentina held up her hand as she saw her mother start to object. “I know it wasn’t true now. I remember the reason you sent us away. It wasn’t just Jon in danger, it was me too.”
“What are you saying, Val?” Behn asked.
“Mom was keeping me safe from Grobin. He was going to force me to marry him even though I was only seven,” Val explained simply and without any emotion. None of it really felt like it was her life she was talking about, more as if it were a movie plot.
“Mom, is that true?” Behn shifted his gaze to his mother’s face and saw her nod in agreement. “That sick, sadistic bastard! She was just a child! What was he thinking?”
“He had a twisted mind. I think the community was too closely related and it was starting to cause the people to not be right in the head.”
“Are you saying they were inbred?” Behn asked in disgust.
“I’m afraid so. They feared outsiders and encouraged the people to marry only within the community. It was bound to happen over time. I think Grobin saw Val as new blood, kind of a way to refresh the genetic pool.” Vinia struggled to try to explain.
“It almost sounds as if you’re making excuses for him,” Behn accused.
“There’s no excuse for Grobin, Behn, I can just see how he would view my children. He was threatened by you and Jon because there were too many men already, but Valentina could help save their way of life. Obviously I didn’t agree with him because I sent all of you away to keep you safe.”
“Thank goodness! You did the right thing, Vinia. It was probably the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do,” Amanda said. She wanted to give Behn a few moments to compose himself before he said something he would regret later.
Vinia nodded her thanks to Amanda. She hoped her children would see it the same way. To them, they had been sent away, abandoned to a strange place, and left alone to fend for themselves. She had never thought they would grow up without her.
Behn kept his peace, but his mind was made up; he would make Grobin pay for separating their family and making them grow up without their mother. His usually peaceful mind began devising all kinds of ways to make the miserable excuse of a man suffer for his depravity. Time became irrelevant as he knew, one day, he would exact his revenge.
“What are we going to do about Jon? Eventually he’ll have to be told the truth. Do you think he’s strong enough to know?” Vinia asked. She desperately wanted to know what he looked like as well. Today’s reunion had only been marred by her other child’s absence.
“I’ll figure something out,” Valentina said and then she saw her brother’s face and amended her statement to, “We’ll figure something out between us.”
“Where are you living now?” Behn asked.
Vinia wished she could tell them she was better off than she was. She had to tell them the truth, “We’re living with Captain Ahn and Barla for the time being.”
“We? Who else is there? Are you married?” Valentina asked in a rush. She had never known who her own father had been and wondered if their mother had married him eventually.
“No, I’ve never married. The other person is your half-sister, Danika.” Vinia hated to admit her failure in having all of her children out of wedlock. Circumstances out of her control had seen to her folly.
“Sister? I have a sister? How old is she?” Valentina had always wanted a sister. Having two brothers never seemed as good as having a sister of her very own.
“I was pregnant with her when you all went away. She’s eight mesans old now.”
Valentina went silent as she reviewed her memories. She did recall her mother’s waist being thickened. Never had she
dreamt it was because there was another sibling on the way. “Wow. I’d like to meet her sometime.”
“There’s nothing I’d like better than for all of my children to be together,” Vinia said as tears coursed down her cheeks.
Amanda had an inspired idea and snapped her fingers suddenly, catching everyone’s attention. “Why don’t I take you all to Barla’s house for a reunion?” She had not known how she was going to clear out the house for when Daven and Nena were going to come over. She only had a short time left before they would be arriving. This was the perfect solution for everyone involved.
Vinia looked from one child to the other to see if they were willing. When both of them nodded excitedly, she began to cry tears of joy. Valentina and Behn both hugged her and her world exploded with happiness.
“Let’s go right now,” Amanda suggested with some urgency. She turned to her own daughters and whispered, “Your father’s parents are coming here for dinner tonight. I’ll explain it all when I get back.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jena and Juila stayed behind while Amanda rushed everyone into her telepod. Amanda sped through the startup procedures in anticipation of someone changing their mind and deciding to stay at their house rather than going to Tuala. Amanda needed the house cleared out and yet she did not want this reunion to be marred or cut short in any way.
“I’ve got everything entered to go. Is everyone ready?” Amanda asked out of courtesy. When she heard the chorus of assent she hit the activation button and they were on their way. The telepod entered the airspace above the landing field in Cresdon. She set down the aircraft with expert skill and powered it down. She hit the door button on the console and announced the obvious, “Here we are!”
Behn and Valentina were both antsy with anticipation. The only times they had been to Tuala in their recent memory was the field trips to their ancestral home in the Roanoke Colony. They had never seen any towns nor any other people for that matter. They unbuckled their seatbelts and exited the telepod. They stood staring around them in wonder while their mother and Amanda joined them.
Levels of Ascension BoxSet Page 74