Always Darkest (13 page)

Tori glanced at it.
 
There was a name at the top and below was the address and phone number.
 
She was just getting ready to dial the number for her sister’s cell phone when she stopped.
 
She looked back at the stationary.
 
The name at the top was Pearl Taylor.
 
No, it couldn’t be.
 
Could it?

“Thomas, come here.”
 
She said her voice shaky.
 
He came over and she handed him the paper.

He looked at it in disbelief.
 
“Pearl, it says
Pearl
Taylor
….”

The man who had been helping them spoke.
 
“That is the lady of the house sir.”

“Is she here?”

“Yes, but she is in a meeting with her son and she is not to be disturbed.
Do you know Ms. Taylor?”

“Where is she?”
 
Thomas ran out of the room and towards the stairs.
 
“Pearl!”
He shouted as he ran back out into the foyer and toward the back of the house.
 
“Pearl!”

The man ran after him and Tori and Justin followed.
 
“Sir, stop!” He yelled as he chased after Thomas.
 

Thomas ran into the kitchen and there sitting around a table was a man who looked to be in his late forties with sandy brown hair graying at the sides and a woman. The woman looked very regal with salt and pepper hair and one of those chic bob hair cuts.
 
The man who had been chasing Thomas said, “Ma’am I am so sorry I tried to stop him.”

The lady held up a hand to silence him as she looked at Thomas.
 
“Thomas, is that you?” She questioned.

“
Pearl
, my
Pearl
, God how I’ve missed you,” Thomas said as he walked towards her.
 
They embraced like they had been apart for merely a week.
 
Thomas held on as tight as he could, like if he let go, she would disappear.
 
Pearl
touched his face as if to make sure he was indeed real.
 
Thomas leaned down and kissed her squarely on the lips.
 
When the kiss ended Tori could see that they both had tears streaming down their faces.
 
She had never seen two happier people in all of her life.
 
She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and smiled.
 
The man at the table looked on Thomas and
Pearl
with sheer astonishment.

“Thomas, there is someone you should meet.”
 
Pearl
put her hand on the shoulder of the man who had been sitting at the table and he rose.
 
“This is your son, Peter.”

Tori could see the resemblance now.
 
Peter had the same chin and eyes as Thomas, and the same lean build.
 
Peter looked warily at Thomas as if he wasn’t sure what to do.

Thomas looked at him tears coming anew.
 
“Son,” he said holding his arms out for an embrace.
 
The look on Peter’s face melted from wary disbelief to love as he fell into his father’s arms.
 
They looked at each other Thomas with his hands on his son’s shoulders.
 
There was so much to say, but where to start.

Pearl
had an expression of pure joy on her face as she looked upon her son and her husband.
 
“I’m being rude.
 
Shall we all have a seat,” she looked at Justin and Tori who were standing over by the door to the kitchen.
 
“You two as well, if you helped bring my Thomas to me you are welcome in my home.”

They all sat around the large wooden kitchen table.
 
Thomas sat between
Pearl
and his son.
 
Tori and Justin sat on the other side.
 
The man who had let them in stood by the door with his arms folded wearing a guarded expression.

“Alex,”
Pearl
said, looking at the man, “Please set out some refreshments for us.”
 
Alex nodded and quickly set about getting bottles of water from the refrigerator and setting one in front of everyone.
 
Then he brought over a cheese and cracker tray and resumed his post by the kitchen door.

Pearl
turned to Thomas, taking his hand.
 
“Thomas, where have you been?
 
I have looked for you in every country on this Earth.
 
I never gave up hope, even if everyone thought I was crazy for it. Who are your friends?
 
Please tell me everything.”

“It is a long story, my dear.”
 
He said shaking his head.

“Start at the beginning.”
 

Thomas made quick introductions and told his tale.
 
Pearl
and Peter stared at him in disbelief.
 
Tori and Justin also told their stories of how they ended up in Three Suns.
 
Thomas showed his identification tattoo which read,
Thomas Taylor Unknown
In
Service of King Dante of Three Suns.
 
Justin and Tori also showed the temporary tattoos Mason had applied to them.
 
They were beginning to fade and when Tori looked down upon her arm, the arm that Mason had so gently touched when applying the ink, she wanted to cry allover again.

Tori hadn’t wanted to interrupt the reunion of Thomas and his wife, but now her sister came instantly to her mind.
 
“I need the phone. I need to call my sister to come pick me up.
 
She must still be worried sick.”

Alex immediately reached her the cordless phone.
Pearl
looked at her as she began to dial the numbers.
 
“You said you live in Mercy, correct?”
 

“Yes.”

“Call your sister and let her know that you are okay.
 
I will have Alex drive you and Justin home or wherever you need to go.
 
It is the least I can do.”

“Thank you.”
 
Tori said
Pearl
had the heir of a woman who was used to taking charge of any situation.

Tori dialed her sister’s number as she got up and walked into the foyer.

“Hello.”

“Kathy it’s me.”

“Oh my God!
Are you okay?”
 
Kathy’s voice sounded so hoarse and Tori could tell her sister had been crying.

“I’m fine.”

“Did that man…
 
Did he hurt you?
 
It was on the news a man named Ben was caught Friday, and the man you were meeting was named Ben, and you didn’t come home and I thought you were dead, and it’s all my fault for signing you up for that damn dating service, I thought you were dead…”
 
Kathy had started crying.

“Calm down.
 
Yes he tried to hurt me, but I am okay.
 
It is a long story.
 
I’ll be at your house soon.
 
I have to go now.
 
I love you.”

“I love you too.
 
Come straight here.”

“I will.”
 
Tori hung up the phone and went back in the kitchen.
 
Everyone was standing. Thomas had his arm around
Pearl
and they looked so in love. Tori figured they had a lot of catching up to do.

“Ready to go?”
 
Alex asked.

“Yes and thank you
Pearl
.”
 
Tori replied.

“Think nothing of it.”
 
She came over and hugged Tori.
 
“Thank you for helping bring my Thomas home.

Thomas shook Justin’s hand and said they would stay in touch.
 

Alex led them around the back of the house where a black limo was parked.
 
He held the door open for Tori and Justin to climb in the back.

“
Victoria
, may I have the address where you want me to take you?”
 
Alex asked.

“Yes, of course.”
 
Tori provided him with her sister’s address slowly while Alex typed it into the GPS.

“Thank you Alex, and for letting me come in.”

“I’m just doing my job and I am paid well to do it.
 
As for letting you in, I’m always glad to help a damsel in distress.”
 
He gave her a smile in the rearview mirror.

Then she turned to Justin.
 
“Shouldn’t we be dropping you off first?
 
You live right here in
Carson
after all.”

“I’m not letting you out of my sight until you are safely in your sister’s house.
 
I promised Mason.”

At the mention of Mason, Tori started to cry all over again.
 
Justin let her put her head on his shoulder and stroked her hair until they arrived at Kathy’s house.

Chapter Seventeen

The limo pulled up in front of Kathy’s house.
 
It was a nice brink ranch home, in the suburbs of Mercy,
Kentucky
.
 
Before Tori could even reach the door handle, Kathy
came
flying out of the house to meet her.
 
She stepped out of the limo and her sister flew her arms around her.

“I was so worried!
 
I am so glad you are okay, come in here.”
 
Kathy was holding her so tight she could barely breathe.

Finally Kathy released her sister.
 
“Who is that in the limo?
 
Why are you in a limo?”

“That is Justin and like I said it is a long story.”

“Well, get in the house and tell me about it.
 
Your friend can come in too.”
 
Kathy poked her head in the limo and asked Justin if he wanted to come in the house for a while.

“No, but thank you.
 
I just wanted to make sure Tori got home safe.
 
I have to get home myself.”

“Okay then,” Kathy said.

Tori poked her head in the limo.
 
“Be sure to call me, I gave you my number.”

“I will.
 
You take care.”

Tori shut the door and walked arm in arm with her sister to the front door where Kathy’s husband Randy stood.
 
He was flanked on each side by one of her nephews.

“Hey Tori,” Randy said.
 
“I’m glad to see you are alright.
 
Kathy was worried sick and so were these two little guys.
 
They wouldn’t go to bed until they saw you.”

Tori bent down to eye level with her young nephews.
 
Rick, the eight year old immediately embraced her.
 
“Aunt Tori, mom was so worried all weekend.
 
I was too a little.”
 
Tori hugged him back and she felt Sam the six year old join in on the hug.
 
In that moment Tori felt that she made the right choice in coming back to Earth.

“I love you guys.”

Randy put his hand on their shoulders.
 
“Okay guys, you see aunt Tori
is
okay.
 
Let’s go get ready for bed.”

“But dad,” the boys said in unison.

“No butts,” he said miming a spanking.
 
“You have school in the morning and your mom needs to talk to Tori.”

Randy gave Tori a quick little hug.
 
“I’m glad your back.”
 
Then he turned to his wife and gave her a peck on the cheek.
 
“As for you, don’t worry about the boys, I’ll get them off to school in the morning.
 
You take care of you sister.”
 
Then he ushered the boys to their bedrooms.

Kathy took Tori’s hand and led her over to the couch.
 
They both sat and Tori saw the missing posters her sister had been making spread out on the coffee table. “Do you need anything?
 
Water?
 
Something to eat?
 
I got some wine in the fridge if you need something stronger.”
 

“I’m fine.”