Vivienne's parents found the perfect house. A stunning Nineteenth Century Victorian at Rue Renaud, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
One of those houses with personality and vibe; good enough to charm even a reluctant teen into moving to what she dubbed th...
Rất tiếc! Hình ảnh này không tuân theo hướng dẫn nội dung. Để tiếp tục đăng tải, vui lòng xóa hoặc tải lên một hình ảnh khác.
"It's over. God, it's over!" A completely reestablished, Daria and Gabe rushed towards their daughter, thankful for having survived the ordeal. For Vivienne, it was like meeting her parents for the first time. When the blessings of generations washed upon her, she lived their lives, learned their secrets, felt their love, and understood their fears. They were whole, and safe, but was so much to heal, to learn, to look forward to. Right then and there, it was the perfect moment.
Except for one thing.
"We are not keeping this." Vivienne held the box in her hands. "As it is, the spirit of the Mother of Shadows managed to escape her prison in the crossroad by piggybacking on this trinket. We can't risk that it might accidentally open in the future. Got knows what it could drag here. This box was meant to be a blessing, to unite a daughter and a mother, to make their bond stronger through time. But its purpose was lost, and it became a curse. However, time finds a way to fix things, doesn't it?"
Without saying much more, Vivienne hugged her mother. And as Daria did the same, all that had been broken started to mend.
"I need to go back, if only for a moment." Vivienne had something else in mind, and it was easy to see, her mother suspected as much. "The veil is thin, but the crossroad waits. I know we could go to New Orleans and meet the Lady at Lafayette. The question is, why wait? The sooner, the better. It'll be safe in Brigitte and Wedo's hands."
"You have been through so much. I can do it." Daria refused to let go of her daughter. As happy as she was over the reconciliation, she couldn't help but think Vivienne was still too weak to see the day through. "Besides, I owe little Wedo. He had been kind to us all."
"Let her finish." Gabriel held his wife, making her turn to look at him. "I think she's earned her big girl badge twenty times over. Go on, Viv. Don't be late for dinner, though. You still have curfews." He winked at her, as Vivienne rolled her eyes, and moved her head in an incredulous negative, right before crossing the threshold with the house offering in her hands.
Walking into the crossroad was a lot easier this time. Being fully aware, of whom she was, and how that place will always call out to her, it felt like coming home. Where there had been for roads in shades of gray standing over a precipice, not it opened, bright, with clear paths ahead, each a possibility...
Meanwhile, in Rue Renaud, things were not as bright.
"If all this house ever wanted was to keep a happy family under one roof, it's about to have that wish granted. Hold on to your best smiles, Dari, because we are about two withdrawals to throw off our retirement. Damn it!" Gabriel picked up a piece of something so rotten and mushy it was impossible to determine if it had been wood, cloth, paper, or sheetrock.
"Let's call a break before this beats us to a pulp. It's understandable right now to want to set it on fire. I do too, We need a shower, not a salvaging mission" The rush of adrenaline had subsided and Daria just wanted to disappear.
