AllFreeNovel
Share Us
MICHEL
Checking the doorknob, I smile when it twists easily. All these years later, my parents still don’t lock the front door. I step inside, remaining quiet so as not to startle them. The TV plays from the family room while dishes clank in the kitchen.
Silently, I slip past my dad napping in his recliner and enter the kitchen. My mom has her back turned to me as she hovers over a pot on the stove. The sights and sounds, even the scents take me back in time to when this house was my only safe place.
I recall all the walks home with Eli. He insisted on making sure I got home safely whenever they didn’t have practice or a game. When they did, I was safe because all the bullies were on the football team. I wonder if his parents still live down the block.
I remember reading his email to me when he announced he was going to London for graduate school. I knew at that moment I would never see him again. It made me sad, but in some ways, it was a relief. I knew Eli would go on to do great things. He’d grow into a handsome man and find a pretty wife. His life would be charmed, and I would live in his shadow. No, it was better that our lives took us in different directions.
“Oh!” My mom startles when she turns around and sees me. “Michel, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Hi, Maman.” I walk around the island and kiss her cheek. “How are you?”
With her hands on my arms, she studies my face. The sound of her heartbeat is drowned out only by my own. Can she tell?
“You look… different. So… changed. You seem taller, even.”
“I’m not taller. I’m just standing straighter, Maman.”
“You said you had changed your lifestyle, but this is unexpected. Did you do surgery?”
“No. Just, um, treatments. For my skin.”
“Your skin. Your teeth, your hair. Everything.”
Swallowing, I nod. “It was necessary, Maman. Do you not like how I look?”
“Of course I like it. You look handsome. Are you happy?”
“Yes.” The lie comes too easily now. The last thing I need is to worry my parents. “It’s good to be home.”
“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming to visit? I would have made up your room and cooked your favorite meal.”
“Because I have news.” I lean back against the island, stealing a grape tomato from the bowl of salad beside me. “I’m not visiting, Maman. I’m home for good.”
Her eyes go wide. “Mon Dieu. This is true?”
“Yes. I’m done exploring. I see the value in planting roots here.”
“Oh.” She throws her arms around my neck. “Oh my boy is home. Where are you staying?”
“I found a short-term rental for now, but I’ll be looking for property.”
“You can stay here and save money.”
“I know, but I’m thirty-three now, and I can afford it.”
Her brow crinkles. “Last time we spoke, you said your job was a dead end. Did something change?”
How to explain the sudden influx of money in my bank account? “I had a few jobs I did on the side and saved the money.”
“I see.”
I can tell from the look in her eyes she doubts my answers. I had hoped not to use compulsion on them, but if it’s for their protection, I think it’s okay. I put my hand on her shoulder, holding her gaze, and sending waves of compulsion through her. Under my influence, she is very suggestible.
“Maman, I made my money selling a few businesses while I was in Chicago.”
She nods, staring into my eyes.
