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We reached the end of the road and found ourselves facing wide-open wooden gates. Mom drove through into the big front yard. She stopped the car in front of a two-story modern building with its top wrapped in branches from the tall trees on both sides. We got out, and her eyes shone with excitement as she eyed the house from bottom to top.
“I know this place. I’ve been here before.”
“What?”
“Yeah. I was just a girl then.”
The front door opened, and Finn showed up on the porch with a bright smile across his face. He came down the porch stairs and headed toward us.
“You made it.”
“Hi,” I beamed at him.
“You didn’t answer my last message.” He gave me a brief hug.
“Yeah. My phone died.”
Mom stood stupefied, staring at the house. She eyed the porch stretching from one end of the first story to another, then at the tall windows. Then she looked higher, at the balcony on the second floor and casements of the attic.
“Clare?” Finn called. “Would you like to come inside?”
She smiled as she looked at him.
“You’re Mason Leatherwood's son, aren’t you?”
Finn nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“Then it’s true. You’re not old after all.”
I stared in shock from one to another.
Finn looked stunned too.
“You knew my father?”
“I did. But I was much younger than him. I’ve met your mother as well. Right here when she was pregnant. I was only twelve then. I came here with my mom. She was the only witch who supported your parents.” Mom sighed. “And she was the only one who knew of this place. She took this secret to her grave.” With a bitter smile, she took another look around. “Your father built this house for the two of them, but unfortunately they never got to . . .” She bit her lip.
“Yeah.” Finn looked down to hide the sudden longing in his eyes.
What Mom just said about his parents made it all even more tragic and real. It also brought up a few questions. Like why did they need support from a witch? Or why this place had to be kept a secret. But this wasn’t a good time to ask questions.
“Thank you for inviting us. This place . . . It means a lot to me,” Mom said with a bit more cheerful tone.
“It’s my pleasure,” Finn raised his eyes at Mom, then he looked at me and added, “and an honor to have you both here.”
I shook off my shocked expression, put mythank yousmile on, then turned back to the car and opened the trunk.
“Let me help you,” Finn rushed to my side.
He pulled out my suitcase and one of two bags. I took the second one and Mom and I followed him into the house. The moment I stepped in, I dropped the bag in front of a wide staircase leading to the second floor and glanced around.
The room was big and bright, with a light color wooden floor and a high ceiling. The furniture in the middle, which consisted of a creamy couch with table lamps on both sides, brown armchairs, and a rectangular, dark wood coffee table, sat around the fireplace with glass doors.
Eyeing the large paintings hanging on the milky color walls here and there, I took a few steps toward the dining area with a long wooden table and black leather chairs at the end of the room.
Mom moved forward looking around. Finn approached me from behind and stopped so close that I could feel the heat coming from his body.
“Do you like it?” He asked next to my ear.
