7
Arden
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
The phrase “happily ever after” has always felt like a cop out of gigantic proportions to me. The dragon has been slayed and the princess rescued from the tower, but does that guarantee peace? Even when the dust has settled, can we rely on things to be okay from here on out?
Against my closed eyelids, I see a small boy being awakened from bed, made to recite from a handwritten book. His face is slapped by an older man, Grandfather Ezekiel, any time he begins to fall back to sleep. I see the boy being whipped by his grandfather, biting his tongue so he won’t make a sound. The boy writes a letter to his mother, but he’s caught by the grandfather, forced to drop the paper in a fire. The boy grows cold to his mother, aunts, and grandmother as the intimidation and abuse continue for years behind closed doors. I’m sorry, Zion. I push deeper and see that the hurt, confused young boy is still alive, layered behind a trumped-up, sadistic alpha male persona built by our grandfather.
“What are you doing to me?” Zion cries, his body writhing in pain against the floor. “Stop!” he yells, but I place my hands over his forehead and chin, steadying his head and smoothing his brow with my thumb.
“Yeah, this won’t be fun. I’m wiping your brain, brother. Since your childhood you have been a host to horribly malicious thoughts planted by our grandfather. He’s made you into an evil man, but his hold over you ends now.”
I close my eyes to Zion’s screams and focus on the humanity of the little boy inside him. I see you, Zion. I’m going to help you through this. I push through Zion’s mind, fighting through layers of consciousness, powerfully binding most of his memories, and grinding my teeth so as not to cry out from the intensity of emotions. Underneath the hate, woven in with blinding anger and cutting insecurity are fierce pain, cold neglect, and heavy confusion. Come out! You deserve to live and love, I say to Zion’s true soul.
“But I don’t like being alone!” he cries in fear. “I belong with Grandfather. I have to do what he wants, be what he wants, or I’ll be alone.”
I shake my head. You belong with the people who love you and want nothing but to show you that. I unlock Zion’s childhood love for Mom and Gran Gran and shine it like a beacon through the fear and doubt inside his mind. I see the little Zion growing stronger and bigger, the darkness that was suffocating him falling away. Soon the flesh and blood Zion is breathing calmly.
“I think it’s okay now,” I say, rising from the floor, my head slowly clearing to the world around me. I exhale slowly, trying to release the negativity that transferred to me from Zion.
“Arden!” Mom yells from behind me.
I help Aurora onto her feet. Mom wraps her arms around the two of us.
“Arden, you saved us,” Aurora thinks.
I cradle her cheek, thumbing away a cold tear. My other arm squeezes Mom close, and I inhale her deeply, the scent of Chanel and strawberries flooding me. I am awash with calm. My heart is home.
“Whoa, you have some of Mackenzie’s happy float going on!” Lilo says, and I realize the three of us are levitating off of the floor. I didn’t know we could even do that. We laugh happily, slowly untangling ourselves and landing back on the ground.
Just then Liberty runs through the door with one of Kiara’s doubles. “Yes, you guys look well chuffed! Hi, Auntie! I’m Liberty, and this is Kiara, kind of. I’m happy to announce that all the naughty boys have been put to bed!”
“Yeah,” Kiara smiles. “Arden erased all their memories and we locked them up in a bedroom to sleep it off. Without their daily supply from Zion, they’ll soon lose their super strength and speed.”
“Get over here everyone! I can’t believe how wonderful you young goddesses are!” Mom says tearfully, reaching out for us. “Thank you, thank you for everything.”
“What about Grandfather?” Aurora asks from inside our giggling group hug.
“He got away,” I say, grunting at the memory. “Just before we broke in here, I saw him take off with some man.”
“My older brother, Teresh,” Mom sighs. “I heard them talking. He was in on this terrible scheme, too. They’re cowards. Teresh wouldn’t even face me. He and father probably ran off to wait for the fighting to end and Zion to appear victorious.”
I’m about to ask where she thinks they could be, but Aurora interrupts.
“And what happened with the girls they were abusing?” Aurora asks, looking to me.
“Oh, we got all three rooms of girls released,” Kiara responds. “They helped us fight off the steroid dudes, but then scattered throughout the hallways.”
“They wouldn’t follow us in here. Said they prefer to stay in the dark,” Liberty shakes her head sadly. “They’re in really bad shape, Aunty. And still they fought with us, bravely. But now they need our help.”
My heart drops.
Mom nods her head, “We need to get them out into the moon, by the water,” she says, her gaze focused on the door. “You leave it to me.”
Mom walks out the kitchen door toward the hallway and begins to sing, her voice growing strong and dynamic. Lilo transforms herself into a horse, and we roll Zion’s frame across her back, following Mom as she weaves throughout the compound. Drawn by Mom’s song, slowly the ghost girls gather, and together we parade outside, under the full moon. The girls remain transfixed as the hauntingly beautiful aria leads them toward the river with a song about healing, sisterhood, moonlight, and change.
Once we reach the bank, Mom guides the ghost girls into the water up to their shoulders. The rest of us remain on the grass, watching a wave move through the river, surrounding the girls. The wave bubbles and splashes, and in a moment, the girls are surrounded by a crowd of strikingly beautiful mermaids. Slowly they emerge from the water, and Aurora grabs my hand as we both look on in amazement. The mermaids’ hair is tangled with seaweed and shells in every texture imaginable, their skin a family of colors from blue, green, to purple. The curves of their bodies glow iridescently in the moonlight. They begin singing along with Mom, circling the girls serenely. The notes of the aria crescendo, and the water bubbles into a rainbow of colors. The ghost girls begin to shake violently and fall one by one, splashing and convulsing into the water.
Aurora gasps and lunges forward to help, but I hold her back.
“No. This is good. The water, song, and moonlight—they are creating a tonic. They’re bringing the girls back to life.” I smile, hugging my twin.
Sure enough, moments later, the girls start to emerge, walking up the river bank. They are full bodied, beautiful, and healthy, their skin and eyes glowing with life. Like they deserve to be. My eyes tear involuntarily as I watch the girls embrace each other.
I look at Zion’s limp body and wonder what ending he deserves? What does he need? After a century of the manipulation and bad deeds, all I know is our brother needs a lot of help.
We watch the mermaids slip gracefully away in waves. As Mom walks towards us, I embrace her. “Mom, you’re amazing,” I whisper in her ear. She shakes her head, but I persist. “Look, we just watched you summon mermaids and heal the sick. You can’t play the fool with us anymore, okay?”
She smiles and kisses the top of my head then reaches her arm out to pull Aurora into the embrace. “The mermaids and I bonded many years ago. My best friends growing up were mermaids. I knew I could count on them to help heal these girls tonight.”
Goddess daughters of the moon and sea, Gran said. Mom squeezes me, and I have a flashback to a mermaid saving Aurora from drowning when we were kids.
Kiara approaches us and bows to Mom. “That was such a spiritual experience. I am blessed to be a witness to your healing, Yemanja.” She turns to Aurora and me, “I am so glad I was here for that, but I need to get back and re-form. I love you all—let’s catch up soon, okay?” She blows a kiss, then in a blink, Kiara is gone.
“Where did she go?” Aurora gasps, and I smile knowingly.
“Back home to her actual bo
dy. She space traveled and created multiple selves here to help us fight,” Liberty replies.
Aurora scoffs, “What? Is that even possible?” She shakes her head. “You know what? I don’t care. Everyone deserves a round of applause for however you made this rescue happen. Now I’d like to know how we’re going to get dozens of girls and an unconscious man on a horse out of this place quietly.”
“Does one of you have a cellphone?” Mom asks. Liberty hands hers over. Mom punches a long series of numbers, then asks, “Leo? Yes, I’m fine, I have the girls. You need to come here. London. Our son is alive.”
Arden and I gape at each other.
Leo is Zion’s father!? I think to Aurora.
“I should change my name to Blindsided, because I did not see that coming,” she responds. We listen as Mom gives Leo our location and tells him to send a private bus.
“I love you, too,” she says, hanging up the phone and turning to us. “Leo is sending a bus. Arden can clean the girls’ minds and we’ll drop them off at a police station, then head to Gran’s. I haven’t seen my mother for years …” she muses distractedly, patting her hair.
“Mom, wait, Leo—our godfather Leo—is Zion’s father?!” I ask, my voice rising. Mom starts up the hill towards the street and calls the girls to follow her.
“Oh, that. Well, yes, Leo is the best man I’ve ever known, and he was my first great love. His family of minor deities always quarreled with Father, and we lost touch after Zion died—well, after we thought he died. But when I had you two, he came back into my life as my oldest and dearest friend.” She frowns at my involuntary bounce of joy. “We’re not in love anymore, Arden, do you hear? But honestly? Okay, we love each other. I’ve always loved him, of course. When my sister Annikay was pregnant with Lilo, she was looking for a name that summoned strength, wisdom, and a great capacity for love. I was the one who suggested the name ‘Leolidessa.’ But we’re just friends,” Mom says.
As I bounce up the hill beside Mom, Aurora catches up to me and whispers in my ear, “Wow. Situation update, Leo is the love of Mom’s life and a minor diety!”
“Wait,” I grab Mom’s wrist, “is he our real father?”
“No, please Arden,” she swats me away, playfully. “I would have told you that.”
“Oh, yeah, you have such a great track record of honesty, Selene, or is Yemanja your name today?” Aurora teases and Mom blushes.
“Okay, point taken. But no, Leo is not your father. He is Zion’s father and your godfather only.”
“But is our father really some married director of the symphony who wants nothing to do with us? Or is there some deity-laced mystery there, too?” Aurora presses.
Mom holds her temple as we near the street. “Aurora, let’s talk about this later, please. The bus will be here any moment now.”
“It’s a yes or no question, I don’t understand—” A low honk echoes from around the building.
“The bus is here!” Liberty yells, skipping as she leads the girls and Lilo and Zion up the road.
“So, there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you. Happy birthday, girls,” Mom says, wrapping us tightly in her arms. “I love you two beyond measure.”
“Aww, yeah!” Aurora squeezes my shoulder, a wide smile spreading across her face. “We made it to eighteen! And we’re all together! Happy birthday, Sissy!”
“Happy birthday, Twinsie,” I say, and we giggle and rest our foreheads together for a moment. After everything, I have my mother and sister back!
“Eighteen years. How could it be so long ago, when it feels like only today I welcomed you to the world?” Mom sniffs.
“What made you change your mind after Zion? Made you decide to have Arden and me and be a mother again?” Aurora asks, biting her lip as if she regrets the words the minute they leave her mouth. We both stare at Mom.
“Because,” she says, brushing away tears. “I knew you would make the world and living in it that much brighter. After a while on my own, I realized my life wasn’t complete without being a mother. And when I got pregnant with twin girls, I knew this would be the best part of my life, forever.”
“I love you Mom. I don’t say that enough,” Aurora says, her eyes welling with tears. “I’m sorry that I’m so much to deal with sometimes. I don’t mean to be. I just … I’m going to try to be better. And I’m sorry I forced us to live in Ohio, it’s probably how Grandad was able to track us down, right? And it’s not how you want to live. We can go wherever. As long as we’re together, that’s all I really need.”
I stare at Aurora. She’s different now. Her heart is cracked open and love and compassion are spilling out. And it’s gorgeous.
Mom holds Aurora’s face in one hand and pulls me close with the other. “I love you two more than anything. I’m so proud that you had the confidence to take on this impossible quest and rescue me. You inspire me.” She sniffs and the tears fall in earnest. “From now on, honesty, always, and the best of me. From goddess to goddess.”
“Aww, Mommy,” I say, and my heart melts at the sincerity in her voice. Like pieces of a human puzzle, we fit our limbs together, promising to be our best for each other and ourselves. Has my heart ever felt this full? In this moment, with Mother, daughter, and daughter in a trinity of bliss, I do indeed believe in happy endings.
I WAKE WITH a jolt the moment our bus pulls up to the curb in front of Gran Gran’s house. I take a deep breath to clear my fogged mind, recalling all that has transpired. The girls were bussed to a police station, their memories of trauma and recovery wiped, eager to reunite with their families. Zion awoke, revealing his true self, a quiet but lighthearted person. We helped him understand what had happened, and he accepted that his memory loss, while permanent, was for the greater good. Now I look out the window and see Leo racing out Gran’s front door. I blink—Could this be a dream? But it’s truly him, here in London. He’s near frantic as he bounds up the bus steps, scanning the rows of seats. The moment his eyes land on Zion, he falls apart, sobbing openly as he scoops his son into a fierce hug.
“I’m going to guess you’re my father,” Zion says, a smile in his voice as Leo thumps his back in joy.
“Yes. I am so grateful to see you again, my son.” Leo is beaming, clutching Zion like a trophy, the best gift he could ever receive.
When we enter the house, Gran Gran and Mackenzie are waiting just inside the doorway. Mackenzie is floating, her body wiggling with glee, and Gran Gran’s face is split between shock, pride, excitement, confusion, and love. One after another, they wrap their arms around us—hugs and kisses and squeezes. Gran Gran makes a point to congratulate each of us—Lilo, Liberty, Aurora, and me.
“Me talk wit Kiara earlier, lawd, a lik a fi mi grandson, mi daughter, it fi you a dis sight me see, child. Me never tank ye enough, eh? Me ‘quiet storm,’” she said, thumping my back with her arm.
Mom and Gran Gran share a long a tearful embrace. They must have missed each other terribly during their decades of silence.
Mackenzie falls in love with Zion immediately. “Hello! You are tall. Your arms are really, really big. Can you carry me on your back?” Minutes later he is giving her a piggyback ride while she gives him a tour of the house.
My stomach grumbles loudly in response to the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen. Finally we gather at the dining room table, and the nine of us gorge on oxtail, rice and peas, jerk chicken, roasted breadfruit, dumplings, and yam. We take turns telling our stories, connecting the puzzle pieces from the past few days, until we have made one big picture, clear and complete.
When they find out that Fanny handed Rora off to Vincent, the cousins exchange a look. They quickly excuse themselves from the table, muttering back and forth how much they hate Fanny. I smile, knowing they’re up to some revenge scheme I will love hearing about later.
Mom tells us how she was drugged and snatched from the flight, that her father laughed in her face as he locked her in the freezer for days, monitoring her as sh
e slowly lost her powers in the cold.
“One thing doesn’t make sense to me, though,” Mother says, looking to Gran Gran. “How was Father able to hide Zion from your visions?”
Gran Gran’s eyes shift a light gray as she reveals that her call-ins with the Fates and visions about the family had been hazy for over a century. “Me tink it stress or dat me ad displeased de Fates, so me say noting. I neva know Ezekiel was a use de science an interfere with me powers.”
Once I bound Zion’s memories, Gran was able to regain a view of his present and future, but not his past. She assures us the evil grip on his mind was gone. But she’s still not able to view where Grandfather and her son Taresh had disappeared.
When everyone at the table turns to me, awaiting my story, I look around at the faces of my family, knowing they want to hear about my tactics, strategizing, and bravery, how I learned Kiara’s power to call Mom, how we fought the Brotherhood and I wiped their memories, how we saved Mom, Rora, and Lilo from evil Zion and turned him good. I haven’t even told anyone the full story of running into Grandfather before the battle yet. My head aches with all the places it’s been. I know I will tell them everything in the days before we return to Ohio, but for now I say the simple sentence pounding through in my heart: “I did whatever I had to do to get our family back together.”
A WEEK LATER, when we pull into our driveway in Cincinnati, Devin is sitting on our front steps. All the way home—on the airplane, in the car ride—I’ve thought of him, conjuring his face, his voice, his hands. Now my heart races, as he strides toward the car. A goddess’s heart calls to her true love when she is ready, Gran said. And so, he is here.
I throw the car door open before the tires have stopped rolling and call out, “You do know stalking is one of those illegal type behaviors, right?”
The Goddess Twins Page 15