“So you’re the little spoiled bitch’s mother,” Carmilla said as she looked my mother up and down. “Carmilla Holmes…Proud…Holmes at that and this is my lover, Dorian Holmes. I see where Bellamy gets his looks from…a shame you weren’t in his life. You missed out on an amazing man then again? He probably wouldn’t turn out so great had you raised him.”
Cynthia didn’t even bother to look at Dorian nor me for that matter. She only had eyes for Milly, and I knew that look all too well. Unfortunately, Carmilla had no tact, much less any respect for anyone outside of herself and her needs. Before things could go any further and I had a feeling Cynthia could take it there, I stepped in.
“Ignore her and her lack of manners. This is the first time she’s gotten dick outside of the family. How is my grandmother?”
Draco turned his head to cover his laugh with terrible sounding coughs. Lovely giggled while Carmilla’s mouth dropped as her fangs silently drew down in rage. Dorian kept astoic emotionless face because it was really Maggie he wanted, not Milly. Cynthia looked from me to my cousin then back at me, unsure of what to say or how to respond.
“She’s uh…She’s…in Savannah right now…won’t sleep or eat…The house didn’t burn down, thankfully. Doctors don’t know what’s going on obviously but Vanessa Dubois?” She hesitated before sniffing back her own emotions. “She said it's something that’s been set in motion long before she was born so she did what she could do to help but it's out of her control. My mother and Marvin…My daughter…you…Just a whole generational curse of just…”
“Fucked,” I answered for her.
Her eyes began to swell and darken with blood as I looked away. She was going to cry right here in front of me, what the fuck was her problem? When I looked up at her again, she already turned her head to the side while wiping her face to hide the fact that tears had already fallen.
“Well I for one, didn’t know Marvin had other children, and with the same woman? That’s shocking,” Draco said. “I pictured him to be more of a mover…”
“Why would my grandfather have multiple baby mamas?” I asked. “He was married.”
“Yes but you know…Marvin was the man back then.”
“Hmmmph,” Milly huffed as she walked off after realizing she wasn’t going to get a rise out of my mother.
“I think it's beautiful that he has more children,” Lovely said as she tightened her hold on my mother’s arm. “My father wasn’t exactly the friendliest…but Marvin always struck me as a lover man.”
“Speaking of which,” I muttered, catching more people walking up.
“A family affair!” Trevor Coleman shouted with his hand raised in the air. “Hey people!”
My eyes landed on Himora who was pushing a covered stroller made for the rugged terrain. Her glasses, short bright orange hair with the blunt cut and bangs made her face look square. She wore a black oversized t-shirt and black pants with flats. Trevor held the small duffle bag strapped across his body as my mother walked over towards him.I wondered if the two became more familiar with one another.
“How are you holding up since we last spoke on the phone, lil sis?” He asked. Cynthia laughed for the first time as the two hugged, but I could see she was fighting back another set of tears.
“The fact that you look every bit of two years older than my daughter but I’m the little sis.”
“We can’t all age with grace now can we?” He asked as his eyes fell on us. “What’s up everybody?”
I kept my eyes on Himora. She was distracted by the baby when she gently picked up and held her in the air for a moment. Lovely gasped so loud, you’d think she sucked all the air out of the woods before rushing over to see her. Trevor and Draco shook hands with the introduction while Carmilla’s eyes immediately sunk in on Trevor with the instant attraction. Everyone seemed to bond and pair well but my eyes remained on Himora. Our small numbers were steadily growing as we remained just outside on the edge of the forest.
“You’re Andrew Holmes daughter,” Trevor said with a point towards Lovely who now latched or attempted to cling to Himora. Only Himora made it clear she didn’t like to be touchedbut she let her get close enough to see the baby in her arms. “The rest of you–––”
“Inbreeding if you will,” Milly said with a dry tone before perking up. “Dorian and I plan on having children and hope to break the cycle…”
Cynthia Norwood made her way towards me as we both leaned against my car with her arms crossed against her chest. I should have moved or stood somewhere else but when I looked down at her, I could feel the sadness radiating off of her.
“I regret how I raised my daughter,” she said suddenly. Her voice, low enough for my ears only. “Not because of how she turned out, but because of the mother I turned into. It…” She sniffed as she looked around. “It seems like those closest to her have no worries or fears about her yet here I am…I can’t imagine the idea of her being out in the world without me because of what she is.”
Well that simply wasn’t true. Everyone at some point was concerned for Maggie’s whereabouts, especially now during these times but I said nothing. Sulk and sit in your regret and guilt.
Cynthia turned to look at me. “My mother only mentions your name…and your red eyes…I can hate my mother until the end of her days which doesn’t seem to be much longer… but it doesn’t change anything.” Cynthia smeared her hands against her cheeks to wipe her face. “You are my first-born son and I’m crying to you about your sister and my mother…”
“You don’t know me, and I don’t know you so it’s only right,” I said. Lovely caught my gaze, silently checking on me before focusing back on the baby in Himora’s arms. Cynthia reached in her pocket to pull out a folded photograph before handing it tome. I stared at it for a second before taking it as she took in a deep nervous breath. Unfolding the picture, I froze when I saw a man standing in the middle of a dimly lit room. Tall, dark skinned with a slender athletic frame, work boots, and a military haircut. He held his face up close to a baby wrapped in a blanket that was covered in blood, and although the picture was grainy, you could see him leaning down to kiss the newborn.
“I’ve been going through my mother’s things and found this,” she said. “That is your father crying while holding you when he thought you…passed. He accepted you the way you are and would have adored the man you’ve become.”
“Who took the picture?” I asked.
“My mother or my father. Who knows at this point….”
“Hey people!” Trevor suddenly shouted as I heard a car door slam shut.
