Chapter 9 - The Meeting at Slip 42
The following afternoon, Evelyn Carter walked through the front doors of Vance Manor.
The moment Nick saw her standing in the foyer, something buried deep within his memory unlocked. The curve of her jaw, the warmth in her eyes, the floral scent of lavender that his mother had also worn—it all came rushing back in a tidal wave of emotion.
“Nicky?” Evelyn whispered, dropping her coat to the floor.
Nick didn't hesitate. He broke into a sprint across the marble floor, throwing his arms around his aunt’s neck. Evelyn sank to her knees, burying her face in his shoulder, sobbing years of accumulated grief and desperate longing into his sweater.
“I found you,” she cried, kissing his hair, his bruised cheek, his hands. “I’m so sorry it took me so long, baby. I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t give up on me,” Nick sobbed.
“Never. Not for a single day.”
Across the foyer, Thomas stood beside Valerie, holding his mother’s hand. For the first time since the ordeal began, Thomas had a bright, joyful smile on his face. He leaned against Valerie’s side.
“Mom?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“You were right.”
“About what?”
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“Fear makes people look away,” Thomas said quietly, watching Nick laugh through his tears as his aunt cupped his face. “Courage is just refusing to look away, no matter how scary it gets.”
Valerie squeezed her son’s hand, kissing the top of his head. “You taught me that, Thomas. You and Nick.”
