A Twist In Time

Home Sweet Home

Due to us not being able to use a portkey or apparate straight to England, it took us a week to apparate through France while staying under the radar. By the time I returned to Small Heath it had been three weeks since I left and there was a Thomas-J sized hole in my heart.

Instead of apparating into the house, I stopped off by the cut and walked home from there. The morning breeze was relaxing and it gave me enough time to compose myself before I returned home.

Before I even opened the door I could hear them. Finn was shouting at Voodoo for getting in the way and I could hear Matthew and Mary laughing as they ran past the front door. Edward was screaming, he must have been in the kitchen as it sounded far off.

I was happy I listened to Polly when she warned me about taking the silencing charm off the house. She said it left the house too eerie and it would start rumours around town if no nose could be heard from within, especially considering five children under the age of ten lived here.

I pushed open the door slowly, peeking inside as I glanced down the hall. I couldn't see them, the table sat off to the left of the doorway, but I could hear Polly talking to Ada as Finn and Matthew chatted away. I slipped into the house, closing the door behind me and hung up my coat and bag.

Biting my lip, I tiptoed my way down the hall and stopped at the door, peering in at them.

"Are you ready to leave within the hour?" Polly asked, setting a plate of toast in the middle of the table.

"Yeah, Katie's got her new crayons she's going to take and Mary's taking two of her dollies."

"I've got my chessboard ready, Aunt Pol," Finn interjected, nodding to the chessboard resting at the bottom of the pram.

"What about you, Matthew?"

"Sir Louis said he'd show me some French today," the eight-year-old said, with a smile. I', unfortunately, missed his birthday while I was in France. I wonder if Ada gave him his present?

"That sounds exciting, you'll have something to show Romy when she returns," Polly said, wiping Edwards' face as he smeared himself in strawberry jam.

Ada was standing behind Mary, putting her hair in a braid down her back. Katie had the same style, though she had a bright yellow bow tied neatly at the bottom. I smiled slightly at their domesticated breakfast before letting my eyes flicker over to the pram where my pride and joy sat.

He was chewing on his fist, a crumpled piece of toast mushed up in his hands. I flicked my eyes up to his face, smiling at the mushy crumbs covering his mouth. His blue orbs lifted and met mine and I could tell the exact moment he realised he saw me.

"Mama," he gurgled, his arms reaching out for me.

He was met with utter silence from everyone around the kitchen table. Polly almost dropped the spoon she was using to stir her tea and Ada gasped while bringing her hands to her mouth. Finn was smiling brightly, and Katie and Mary started giggling.

I was crying.

I cannot believe he'd just said my name.

"Such a clever boy," I exclaimed, pushing open the door and going straight for him. I didn't care that his hands were covered in soggy toast, I needed to cuddle him. I planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek as I held him tightly.

"Romy!" Finn shouted pushing his chair away with a squeak as he ran to me, wrapping his arms on any part of me he could get to.

"You're back," Polly said with a sigh of relief. I hadn't noticed how tense she was before but she was relaxed in her chair now, her hand resting over her heart and she muttered a silent prayer.