Uncovering Peace

by Steffy Rogers

  “This conversation isn’t over yet, my love,” I mock her.

  “You’re just scared to be replaced by BOB. At least he doesn’t talk back unlike someone else I know.”

  “You’re something else, Peach.”

  We sit back and watch the plane land. Once we are back on the ground we wait for the other passengers to exit before we head out as well. After we retrieve our luggage we go to pick up our rental car. Gina had offered to pick us up from the airport, but Faith insisted we are independent while we’re here. She doesn’t want to be stuck with her mother when it gets to be too much for her to handle. I booked a hotel room for us not far from where her mother lives in Chanute. We’re planning on being here for a week but if at any time my girl feels like she can’t take it anymore I’m getting her the hell out of dodge. After the last time ending in disaster I’m not sure how I feel about her meeting her brothers but I know she needs to do this. As much as I don’t want to see her get hurt again I wasn’t gonna talk her out of this.

  We finally arrive at her mother’s house. It’s a simple country style home sitting on what I guess to be about ten acres. Looks like Gina and her husband John aren’t doing too badly for themselves. I look over to see Faith picking invisible lint off her clothes. I grab her hand and give it a squeeze.

  “It’s going to be alright, princess. If it gets to be too much, we leave. You just say the word.”

  “Thank you, Seth. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Be lonely with your friend BOB. That’s probably what you’d do.” She starts laughing and the tension seems to fall off her.

  We exit the car when we see the front door burst open. Two little boys come running towards the car before we can even get out.

  “Are you Faith? You are my sister right?” the older of the two boys asks. I believe his name is Trevor. Yeah, Trevor is the older brother.

  “Umm... yes, that would be me,” Faith nervously replies. Before she knows what’s happening the boys have her engulfed in a hug. Their little arms barely fit around her waist. She looks at me and I see tears in her eyes. Shit.

  “Should we go?” She shakes her head at my question.

  “Boys, I told you not to overwhelm your sister. Get in the house now.” Gina calls from the entrance of the house. Reluctantly the boys let go of Faith and run toward their mom.

  “Are you okay, babe?” Concern is flowing through me.

  “I’m fine. That was just so... surprising. They’re cute though, right?”

  “Yeah, let’s see how cute you find them when they’re starting to play pranks on you.” Gina explains from behind us. “I’m sorry about that. I told them to go easy on you. They don’t listen too well sometimes. Why don’t you guys come inside? You must be exhausted from that flight. Dinner’s almost ready. I made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy. Your favorite.”

  “Great. I’m starved.”

  We all head inside and Gina shows us to the dining room. The boys are already seated.

  “John’s running a little bit behind. He should be home from work soon. I hope that’s okay?”

  “Yeah that’s fine,” Faith answers. She looks unsure on how she should be acting.

  “Just be yourself, love,” I gently whisper in her ear trying to assure her.

  As soon as we’re seated the boys start to bombard us with questions.

  “Who’s that guy with you, sissy?” Jaden, the younger brother, asks.

  “That’s Seth, my fiancé. You’re Jaden, right?”

  “Yes. This is Trevor. He’s older and kind of a jerk. He’s always mean to me. You’re not mean, are you?” He directs his question at me.

  “No, he’s very nice. He also plays football. Do you guys like football?” Faith responds.

  “I love football, but Trevor never lets me play with them when he plays with his friends.” Now the little guy’s pouting.

  “Because you suck at football. Why would we let someone on our team who doesn’t know how to play?” Trevor sticks his tongue out at Jaden. Not only do they look like their sister, they seem to have the same attitude as well. We’re in trouble.

  “I tell ya what, maybe later, or tomorrow, we can play some football and I can teach ya both a thing or two. How about that?” I offer them. I’ve been dying to play some ball and why not show these two little guys how it’s done.

  “Yes.” They both squeal almost in unison. I have a feeling this may have not been such a bad idea after all. Maybe this is just what Faith needs on her final step to overcome her past. I can see how much those two little boys adore her already even though they barely know her.

  Chapter 26

  Faith

  This meeting isn't going the way I thought it would. The awkwardness I expected - it's nowhere to be found. My little brothers are adorable. Jaden has been firing questions at me and Seth from the moment we sat down at the dinner table. Shyness doesn't seem to be one of their characteristics and I'm reminded of myself back when... well before everything.

  Seth is holding my hand gently squeezing it to show me he's right here next to me. My mother is busy setting down dishes on the dinner table so it’s been pretty easy avoiding having to talk to her. I’m still not sure how to act around her.

  “Faith, are you gonna come live with us?” Trevor asks me and for a second I think I’m gonna choke on my drink. His eyes are full of hope. How do I tell him that I’m not here to stay? I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but it would be cruel to lead them on.

  “Trevor, I already told you that your sister will return back to Georgia. She’s only here on vacation and to meet you. Stop asking silly questions. Have you washed your hands?” Gina interrupts before I can answer him. I’m thankful that she broke the news to them.

  “Yes, Mommy. Can we eat now? Or do we have to wait for Daddy?” His little face is scrunched up in a frown making me want to pull him into my arms and hug him. What’s happening here? I didn’t come here to end up falling in love with these little boogers. I’m supposed to resent them because they have everything I never had. “Stop it, Faith. It’s not their fault. They’re too young to know any better.” I remind myself.

  “You don’t have to wait for me. I’m here.” A deep, male voice sounds from the door. I turn and see a guy standing in the room. This must be John. He’s tall, bald, and looks to be in his mid-forties. He’s smiling at us and I’m surprised at his friendly demeanor. He’s not a bad looking man and very well built.

  “Excuse my tardiness, I got held up in the office. You’d think after working on this project for months that they would know what I expect and how to do it,” he says in way of explanation.

  “Hello, darling, how was your day?” My mother greets John with a kiss. They’re love for each other is very obvious – it’s radiating off them both. In that moment I know it was for the best that she left. She wouldn’t be where she is today and lord knows what would’ve happened to me. Though I might not ever be able to fully forgive her for what happened after she left but I wouldn’t be the person I am if it wasn’t for all the hardship I have endured in my life. I would’ve never ended up in Savannah and would’ve never met Seth. So I guess in a sense I’m thankful. Not for the shit my dad put me through, but for the direction my life has taken after I was able to break free from him.

  “John, this is Faith, my daughter and her lovely fiancé Seth.”

  I stand as John walks over to us and stretch out my hand for him to shake. He’s not having any of that and pulls me into a giant hug.

  “Finally. I never thought the day would come that you’d be back in your mother’s life. We’ve been looking for you for so long but always came up empty. Thank you for being here, Faith,” he gently whispers for no one but me to hear. Tears spring to my eyes at his words. They had been looking for me? I changed my name when Aunt Martha adopted me. It never occurred to me that my mother wouldn’t be able to find me if she started looking. How long had she been looking for m
e?

  “Please, darling, why don’t you sit down so we can start dinner? These boys act like they’re starving.” Mom gestures for John to sit down with a smile on her face. I take it all in. They’re all so... happy. Could I possibly become part of this?

  “So, Faith, tell us about yourself. What do you do for work?” John asks with sincere curiosity. I don’t feel like he’s only asking to start a conversation. He seems genuinely interested.

  “I work for a publishing company in Savannah. I work with different authors, musicians, and producers. You name it - I probably have worked with them. It’s fun and keeps me on my toes. Exactly the kind of work I like.”

  “That sounds like a lot of fun. What about you, Seth?”

  “I’m in the U.S. Army. I’ve been in for almost ten years but I’m about to be discharged. Once I get out I’ll probably go back to school and go into law enforcement,” Seth responds. We have talked about this quite a bit and he has decided to follow Braden’s footsteps. Once he gets through school he can get hired on where Braden works which would be great for them. I’m proud of Seth and the way he deals with everything. I know he has his demons as well but together we’ve been working hard to overcome them in order to concentrate on our future.

  “That’s a very honorable job, Seth. You have my utmost respect.” I’m really starting to like John. He’s a good guy and I can see how my mother fell in love with him. Life’s all about second chances and this is hers. She learned from the mistakes she made with me in order to give my brothers the childhood they deserve.

  We spend the rest of the evening chatting away in easy conversation. I find out that John is no longer a professor and went back to his passion, architecture. He’s the head architect in his company and currently working on a huge project. Unfortunately he’s not allowed to disclose too much about it because I’m curious and would really like to know. We’re all sitting in the living while Jaden and Trevor are both snuggled up to me. Seth is sitting next to Jaden constantly glancing over to me with a smile on his face. He was right – I needed this. Meeting my brothers has been a weird yet amazing experience. They warm my heart and I can’t wait to spend more time with them. As much as I want to resent my mother I find myself slowly warming up to her more. I can’t deny that I’ve always missed her and that no matter what happened, she’s still the woman who gave birth to me. We don’t get to choose our families and sometimes we have to be willing to give second chances. I’m still a little skeptical but I want to be part of my brothers’ lives and I know that means I’ll have to deal with my mother whether I want to or not.

  “I think we should head to the hotel. It’s getting late,” I explain. Jaden looks up to me with sad eyes. “You’re coming back, right? Seth promised to play football with me.”

  “Yes, Jaden, we’ll be back tomorrow.”

  “Yay! Goodnight, sissy,” he says and wraps his little arms around my waist. My emotions are threatening to spill over so I say a quick goodbye to everyone and Seth leads me outside.

  “How are you feeling, Peach?” he asks me once I’m settled in the car.

  “I’m okay. A little overwhelmed but okay. My brothers sure are something.”

  “They remind me a lot of you.”

  “How come?” I know exactly where this is going. That shit.

  “They have the same attitude.” He’s grinning and I bust out in laughter. He’s not wrong, I’ve noticed it myself.

  “Seth, I think we should run off to Vegas after this trip and get married. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

  Seth slams on the brakes and we come to an abrupt stop. Luckily the roads are empty. His eyes are wide in shock and I have to stifle a giggle.

  “Are you serious?” His voice is laced with surprise.

  “Yes, I’m serious. Skye will probably kill me but we all know I live to piss her off anyways. We can still do the New Year’s thing. But instead of having the ceremony we’ll just have the reception at our house.”

  “Well, if that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do. I don’t care where we get married as long as it’s soon.”

  “So... Vegas?” I grin at him widely.

  “Vegas it is, baby.”

  When we arrive at our hotel, Seth wastes no time in changing our flights to Vegas. In three days we’re leaving Kansas and are flying to Nevada. Nervous excitement bubbles through me at the thought that in just a few short days I’ll officially be Seth’s. Forever.

  The next day we meet my mother and brothers on a ball field so the boys can play some football like Seth promised. The boys and Seth are running around the field while my mother and I sit back to watch. I’ve never been into playing sports. I’ll watch football any given day of the week but I won’t play.

  “Thank you for coming out here, Faith. It means the world to the boys. They adore you,” my mother starts a conversation.

  “Yeah, no problem. They’re adorable.”

  “I wish I wouldn’t have wasted all those years without you. If I knew how to make up for lost time I would in a heartbeat. I’d give everything up to turn back time and come back for you. Unfortunately it’s in the past and I can’t do anything about it.” I look over to her and see a tear rolling down her cheek. Is she crying?

  “It’s okay, Mom. I’m not saying I can forgive you right this second and forget everything that happened but I’m trying. I don’t want to continue to hold on to this grudge. I also want to be part of Trevor and Jaden’s life. I have brothers and I want to be there for them.”

  “Faith, I’d never keep you from them even if you didn’t forgive me. They love you so much and I hope you guys can build a relationship. All of you deserve it.”

  “John said you guys had been looking for me, is that true?”

  “Yes, it’s true. He finally encouraged me to reach out and start looking for you. Every time we tried we came up empty though. I had no idea you changed your name. I assumed that you were still living in Seattle and were still going by Katherine. Never in my wildest dreams did I think to look for you in Georgia. Then again, I should’ve known. You always liked the warmth more than you did the cold. Anyways, we tried to no avail. I never thought I’d find you again and yet here you are. I’m so incredibly happy to have you here. So are John and the boys.”

  “I’m happy to be here too. It’s not easy but I’m working on it. I have moments where I look at the boys and think that should’ve been me. Then I realize it’s not their fault and that you can’t choose who you’re born to. You weren’t a terrible mother and I don’t understand why you ever thought you were. You were the best mom I could’ve hoped for. I was heartbroken when you left and so was Cory. I know I always had a better bond with him but that doesn’t mean I loved you any less. Do you remember the day he brought home the doll house? I knew it was you who told him to get it for me. I remember begging you for hours at the mall for it. I also recall you reading to me that night. Do you want to know why I wanted you to read to me that night? I wanted you to know that I was just as much a mommy’s girl as I was a daddy’s girl. I love you, Mom. Even though you left I never forgot about you. I always asked myself what if. But I’m tired of asking myself the same questions over and over again. I want to move on. I want to try to have a relationship with you. All I ask you to do is be patient with me. This isn’t easy for me and I’m not sure it’ll ever be.” When I look up I see my mother is crying. She nods her head and then embraces me in a hug. We hug each other silently and all I can think is that this is what I was missing all these years – motherly love. When we let go of each other I catch Seth and the boys staring at us. They’re all smiling though I’m not sure if Jaden and Trevor understand what’s going on exactly. I have no idea to what extent my mom filled them in on the reasons why I wasn’t around.

  “How much do they know?” I ask her.

  “Everything. They’ve always known about you – John and I made sure of that. About a year ago we sat down and explained to them why you weren’t here
in Kansas with us. I told them that I made a terrible mistake and left you when I shouldn’t have. They don’t understand the whole story yet but I’ll never lie to them. Or you for that matter. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone. I have to face the mistakes I made.”

  “Thank you, Mom.”

  We sit for a little while longer and I watch the man I love play ball with the boys. He’s amazing with them and I can’t wait for the day when I’ll get to see him interact with our children. The thought puts a smile on my face. Our children. If someone would’ve told me three years ago that I’d come to a point where I actually looked forward to having a family of my own I would’ve told them they’re nuts. I never thought it was in store for me. Now, here I am, sitting with my mother whom I thought I’d never see again, my two little brothers and the man who has utterly bewitched me. Life couldn’t get any better as it was in that moment. I’m finally complete. After all these years of being broken and lost I finally felt like all the pieces to my puzzle had been put together.

  Chapter 27

  Seth

  Faith and I arrive in Vegas three days later. I still can’t believe she agreed to get married here. I always thought she wanted that fairytale wedding but I guess I was wrong. I’m not gonna complain though. The sooner she is mine the better.

  We arrive at the Bellagio and Faith looks at me shocked. She didn’t know about this.

  “Seth, how? We can’t afford this.”

  “Baby, you forget that I can. Remember my trust fund? Besides our house I haven’t really touched it. This is nothing and considering that you agreed to marry me in Vegas now rather than waiting till New Year’s, I think you deserve this. Did you tell your mother?”

  “No. I guess all our friends and family will have to wait for us to get back to find out.”

  “I like that idea. Let’s get checked in.”

  We walk up to the receptionist and check into our suite. Yes, only the best for my girl. I don’t care that this is costing me a shit ton of money, it’ll be worth every penny. Faith’s mouth gapes open at the word suite.