He stood and pulled me to my feet. “Thanks, Henry. I wouldn’t want to do any of this without you.”
Nick would be fine without me, but thankfully, he wouldn’t get a chance to find out. “Me too.”
Epilogue
Nick.
Asense of dread filled me as I walked up the once familiar path. Not much changed in five years, at least not anything good. The house was a bit more worn, the yard slightly more overgrown, and any joy I once felt for the place had long since fled. Only Uriel’s presence kept me on point.
Other angels might see Uriel as a ruthless, cold, and aloof being, but he was still the kind, supportive man I'd known as Alex growing up.
If I asked, he'd have done this for me, but this was my job. It had been my dream to one day come home and free Mom, but now that it was happening, I wondered if it was more fairy tale than dream.
Uriel shifted and I realized I'd stopped on the top step. Did I knock or walk in? I doubted I'd be welcome, so best to knock.
Rapping hard on the door, I heard Jacob shout for someone to get the door. Of course, he couldn't get up. Never mind Mom was probably cooking or cleaning, or doing laundry. Forget hiswife was busy taking care of the kids. None of that mattered. His ass was no doubt parked on the couch, watching some sport he’d never played, and it wasn't his job to answer the door.
I heard someone approach and steeled myself. The door swung back, and standing in the opening, an older woman with mostly gray hair, watched us with weary eyes.
“Yes? May I…. Oh my God!” She put her hands on her cheeks.
She looked older than I remembered and more worn down. “Hi, Ma.”
“Nicky?” She glanced over her shoulder into the house. “Why are you here? It’s not safe for you.”
A flicker of irritation threatened to scuttle my hard earned calm. How bad had things gotten that she thought it was dangerous for me to show up? “Don't worry, Ma. I got this.”
Her skeptical expression answered my unspoken question. It didn’t matter, I could handle them myself now. Not that Uriel would let anything happen to me.
“Mom, this is Uriel Chandler.” I turned and he nodded. “He's my uncle.”
She'd followed my gaze toward Uriel, and paused with her mouth open.
“Laura!” The bellow from Kevin Fenton had struck fear in me as a kid. It still unnerved Mom. “Who is it?”
Mom held out her hands as if it would protect me from his temper. She'd done it enough when I was a kid, but I didn't need her help anymore.
“It's Nick,” I said, loud enough for everyone inside to hear. Mom grimaced, but I shook my head. “It's fine. Let's go inside. I need to talk to you all.”
“What the fuck?” Jacob shouted. “What's that faggot doing here? We told him to never come back.”
When we were kids, Jacob tormented me. His cruelty left me angry, scared, and feeling powerless. I used to dream of makinghim pay for everything. When I learned the other kids picked on Jacob, I couldn't feel sorry for, but I wouldn’t let my anger turn me into my brother.
“Actually, I left on my own and never came back.”
I stepped around Mom and into the house. The room hadn't looked so dingy when it was my home, but now I saw every flaw.
The TV was on, and as predicted, they were watching a NASCAR race. Kevin stood in front of his recliner, and Jacob was coming toward me from the couch. Time hadn't been kind to either. They'd both gained weight and had the sallow look of alcoholics. They were so alike, I wondered how they co-existed.
“Leave.” Jacob pointed toward the door. “No fags allowed in this house.”
The first time he called me that, it cut to my core. I didn't want or need his approval, but the vile word hurt coming from family. Five years later, the taunt lost all its power. Jacob's life was so miserable, he needed someone he felt was beneath him. In every way that mattered, I'd always been better than him, and he knew it.
“Back off, Jacob, I’m here to speak to Mom.” I kept my voice firm but controlled. A tendril of power tried to escape—something that happened when my emotions ran high—but I reined it in, remembering Uriel's lessons about restraint.
Jacob looked stunned. I'd never stood up to him, and my refusal threw him off. Uriel followed me into the house, and his calming influence filled the room. Jacob and Kevin shifted their attention from me to Uriel.
“Who are you?” Kevin asked.
