“Ohmigosh, yes.” Jolted from her frozen state, Naomi looked around. She reached for Liam, dragging him into the camera’s field of vision. “This is Liam. He’s my Chosen,” she said proudly. “I’m a librarian, here in the Hudson Valley.”
Beth found her voice as well. “I’ve been on a bit of hiatus, but I’ve been working toward my Master’s in Psychology.” Not an untruth, but there was time for delving into the details another day.
Janette reached out one hand, as if she could touch them through the phone. “My babies,” she whispered brokenly. “It’s been so many years, I gave up hope that you were even alive, much less that you would be found, that we’d see you again.”
By her side, Russell nodded, clearing his throat. Reaching off camera, he produced a Kleenex and blew his nose loudly.
“I have so many questions,” Janette said, with a half-laugh. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“It’s a long story,” Naomi said, hedging. She and Beth exchanged glances, in silent agreement to keep things positive. “But we only found out a week ago that the family that raised us, wasn’t our family.”
“That’s a story for another time,” Beth leaned forward to say. “But we cannot express how relieved we were. Mark showing up out of the blue was… well…”
She seemed at a loss for words.
“The best surprise,ever,” Naomi finished for her.
“Yes, that,” Beth said, grinning.
Janette’s gaze shifted, as if seeking her son. “Mark, how in the world did you find them?”
He switched the camera to face himself. “There was a post on the shifter chatboard. You know I stay caught up on shifter news there, and Maroulla Kazakis, the Warden for the Northeastern US, had posted asking specifically for news of any clouded leopard shifter women abducted about twenty or so years ago. I instantly contacted her.” He grimaced. “She kind of put me through the grinder with questions, but once I told her my sisters’ names… their kidnappers never changed their first names… it was pretty clear we were talking about the same girls. So she told me where they were, and I jumped on the next plane for New York.”
“You never said a word about it to us,” Russell said.
Mark looked uncomfortable, but stuck to his guns. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up, just in case… well… just in case. But itisthem. I knew the instant I laid eyes on them.”
Russell handed Janette a tissue, and she mopped her eyes. “W-when can we see you?”
“We can be on the first plane out in the morning,” Russell stated. He paused, visibly swallowing. “That is… if you want…”
His voice trailed off, but Naomi and Beth nodded in unison.
“Yes!” Naomi could hardly contain herself, the bubble of excitement, of wanting, needing, the arms of her mother and father around her.
“There’s a local bed and breakfast,” Beth put in. “That’s where we’re staying. We’ll give Mark the information… or, well, he can come with us, and he can talk to the owners himself.”
She glanced at Naomi, who nodded vigorously. “There’s a lovely lounge, with comfy sofas and a fireplace where we can sit and talk. And the owners are Others,” she assured them. “As far as I know there’s only shifters staying there at the moment…”
“And one mythical,” Liam reminded her.
“Oh, right! And Lady Flora. You’ll hear about her when we go into the whole story. But the point is, we can speak freely at the inn.”
Beth glanced at Mark, then back to the phone. “Could we call you?” she asked hesitantly. “Like, this evening?”
“Of course!” Janette and Russell said in unison, then looked at each other while Beth and Naomi giggled.
“It must be a family thing,” Naomi said. “We do that all the time.”
Through the phone came the sound of a door chime, and Russell looked to the side, then back.
“We have to go, we’ve got guests arriving.”
“But we’ll talk to you tonight,” Janette put in, looking so happy she almost glowed. “My darlings! I love you so much.”
“I’ll get them your phone numbers,” Mark promised, then hesitated. “Mom? Dad? This has kinda been a shock to them, too. Maybe just tell our grandparents first, so Naomi and Beth aren’t too overwhelmed? Then, once you’re here in New York, we can let the news loose on the rest of the family.”
Russell. “I agree, Son. Good thinking.”
