Epilogue
Deborah steered her Chevy through the hills of icy and snowy roads, wondering why Theresa had chosen the mountains of Northern Colorado as her new home. It was too cold, too far away, and too secluded. As she approached the address, she admired the three-story home of red brick and rock, white pillars, and stained glass windows. She had not seen Theresa in a year and was looking forward to finally catching up. Deborah had been busy since returning to school a few years prior and had receiving her Master’s degree in Computer Science. She had to drop out her first time around due to the one week pregnancy.
“A miracle baby,” the family called it. She was thin one day and looked nine months pregnant the next. The family thought it was divine intervention but Deborah knew the truth. She wanted the abortion but it was much too late. Theresa advised her to give the baby up for adoption but Deborah wanted to keep a close eye on him, not knowing what tricks Hek had in store for little Michael or her. She figured that if she raised the boy with values, love, and kindness that there was a good chance that he would turn out okay.
He was ten now and had quite the vivid imagination, loving to draw and tell fanciful stories. He also loved acting, singing, dancing, and telling jokes. He was excellent at being the center of attention and making everyone laugh. He was a good boy.
“Are we almost there, Mom?” Michael asked from the backseat, eyes still focused on his Nintendo DS.
Deborah looked at her son through the rearview mirror. “We’re here, buddy.”
“All right!” he shouted. “I can’t wait to show Aunt Theresa my new Pokémon game! She’s gonna be jealous,” he said excitedly while unbuckling his seatbelt.
“Michael! I told you that you need to wait to do that until after we come to a complete stop, not before,” she scolded him.
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
Deborah smiled at him and parked the SUV in the driveway. They held hands as they walked to the double doors and rang the doorbell. A moment later they were greeted by Theresa Miller, hugs and kisses abound. Theresa looked the same as she did the day Michael was born, except for a shorter hairdo. “I’ve missed you guys so much,” she said before they exchanged greetings and entered the house. Michael showed off his new game as the adults tried to complement each others’ looks and catch up on the past year. They walked through the halls, looking at photographs, paintings, and the rustic décor.
“How is Joshua?” Deborah asked.
“He is the same, of course,” Theresa answered. “He is still as handsome and strong as ever but does not move or speak. He’s in the room to the right. It’s story time.”
They approached the room and Theresa opened the door.
Joshua sat in the middle of a brown leather sofa, eyes open and looking straight ahead, towards an icy window. Next to him sat Laetitia Janequin, book in hand. She looked up and smiled pleasantly with a short wave. “Joshua, we have company.”
