See How She Awakens (The Chronicles of Izzy #4)(58)
“Izzy, my home is wherever you are. I care not for the location, so long as you are there.” Aberto lifted his hand to brush a wayward curl from my face.
“Damascus, huh? It has a nice ring to it. When can we go?”
“Let me find a place, and we will leave as soon as it is secured.”
And just like that, he was gone again. We needed to work on his hellos and goodbyes.
I mustered myself and headed back into the house. It was time to tell everyone where I would be heading. Walking into the office, I heard heated voices. Ian and Molly were at it again.
“She shouldn’t be on her own yet. She’s been through too much,” Ian said.
“Ian. That is why she needs to leave. Don’t you see that looking at us, staying in this place, all of it reminds her of him? If you lost me, and you were forced to watch Izzy and Kennan be with one another, how do you think that would feel? Or better yet, how could you stay in a place so haunted by the memories of a life you can never have again?” Molly asked.
I hadn’t realized she’d noticed. I’d tried to hide how it affected me, but clearly I hadn’t done a great job. Stupid empath skills. There wasn’t any hiding emotions from her.
“But she will be alone.” Ian’s concern warmed my heart. I knew a large part of his concern was for himself as well. We’d had a rocky year, but I was still the closest thing he had to Kennan that remained in this world.
“No, she won’t. She will always have us, and Aberto will be with her.” Molly put her hand on his shoulder, doing her best to calm him.
“I don’t trust him,” Ian muttered petulantly.
“He loves her. If history is any indication, he will walk through whatever hell is put in front of him to protect her. Besides, it isn’t forever. She needs this, and we need to let her go.”
“Umm, hi.” I said, trying not to be as awkward as I felt walking in on their conversation.
“Hey, Pip Squeak. So, you’re leaving us, huh?” Ian put on a brave face, but I could tell it bothered him.
“I don’t want to, but I definitely need to go. It hurts too much to stay here. I will miss you guys.” I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his massive self. He hugged me tightly, and I knew this wasn’t a goodbye forever, but a see you later.
“Have you decided where you will go?” Molly asked.
“Aberto knows of a town in Virginia he thinks will be a good fit. He left to go find us a place to live. I guess we will be living in Damascus soon.”
“Damascus has a nice ring to it,” Ian chimed in.
“Let’s just hope it works.” I smiled, doing my best to put on a brave face. I didn’t want to leave my family. They’d kept me together, helped me piece together my scattered life. I couldn’t rely on them to fix this, though. This mess I had to figure out for myself.
“Have you told the others yet?” Molly asked.
“No, but I will.”
As Molly wrapped her arms around me, practically turning me into a Molly-Ian sandwich, I knew I was leaving behind love. Love that had buoyed me in my darkest hours. But it wouldn’t fade, I’d carry it with me always. I would return someday, and they would be here.
I stayed for a while, reminiscing about ridiculous things that had happened over the past few years with Molly and Ian. I needed to say my goodbyes, I couldn’t avoid it forever. If I was right, Aberto would be back quickly. He had a way of working some magic. For all I knew, he already had a place up there waiting. He seemed to have retreats scattered everywhere.
My aunt cried, and told me to come back and visit soon. I promised her I would, and told her to come see me as well. After all, she was the only blood family I had left. I wasn’t about to let that go. Eleanor, well she did what Eleanor does best. She handed me a sack of heavy books, telling me they might have information that would help me figure out what I was, and what that meant. Conall was reserved as always, and Sena was her ostentatious self. The two of them, I had no idea how they worked, but they did. The last people I saw were Bruce and Cristie. I hadn’t had a chance to get to know them well, but Bruce had always been there when I’d needed him. Always in the background.
It was time for me to move on, and just as I predicted Aberto reappeared. I was ready. My goodbyes said, my meager belongings packed, I headed off to find my future.
Damascus turned out to be everything I’d hoped it would be. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it was a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the world. The population of the town was large enough no one really asked questions, but small enough to give me the peace I needed. Aberto had been right, the town was a transient one. The majority of the people were just passing through on various adventures.
Fall had settled in, and a chill began to fill the air. The leaves had begun changing colors, warming the mountains in their fiery hues. I found peace in the mountains. I spent hour after hour hiking through them. Sometimes on my own, sometimes with Aberto in tow.
Things were easy with him. I never felt rushed or pushed to be something more than I could. He allowed me space when I needed it, and provided company when I didn’t want to be alone. We just were, and that was enough.
“How are you?” Aberto walked out onto the deck of the log cabin he’d found for us. He handed me a cup of coffee and lowered himself onto the porch swing next to me.