Snow and the Wishing Well (Fallen Tales series)

Chapter 51

Chapter 51
Justin
Pa and I walked down the hill to Beaker's farm. Sarah hadn't come with us, but instead was stuck with Ma walking around the gardens of Locksley  Manner. I still had a smile when I thought of Sarah's face when Ma suggested the idea. I guess she had never done the boyfriend's mother bonding thing. It was new territory for me to. She was the first girl I had taken back to my parents.
I rubbed my neck, thinking about what I should say. But Pa started it first.
"So Sarah, she really suits you," he told me.
I was surprised, I couldn't deny it.
"I-I'm glad you like her," I stuttered not really knowing what to say. They've known each other a week now but they still seemed to know very little about her. But they couldn't know a lot without finding out the truth.
"It doesn't matter what we think, as long as you're happy," he said making me feel guilty.
I sighed, stopping, giving in, "See, that's the thing, whatever I choose affects you either way."
He frowned, "what do you mean?"
The pressure became too great, that I stood there for a couple of minutes, running my hands through my hair and shifted from foot to foot.
"What is it Justin?" he asked more serious.
I sighed again, "Sarah has someone coming after her, that's why she moved to London. She was there for two years before the person found her and threatened to hurt me if she didn't give the person what they wanted, that's why we came home without telling anybody."
Pa was so slow to react that I feared that I had spoken to fast and I would have to explain it all over again.
But soon he shook his stunned expression away and asked, "Do you know who the person is?"
I opened my mouth, going to say that it was her stepmother but on an impulse I said, "No."
"What about what this person wanted from her?" he asked.
I blinked twice before I shook my head.
He nodded trying to sort out the information in his head.
To help him out a bit, I added, "We don't know if this person will find her again but if they do, Pa we can't stay."
"Wow, wait," he said stopping me, "We?"
"Yeah," my heart started to race, "Pa, I can't leave her. Not when I've just found her."
He raised his hands in an attempt to calm me down.
"What I meant was, not to do anything rash. Your life is here Justin, you can't ignore that."
"I know that, but my life is with Sarah now. If there's a life without her in it, I don't want it," I confessed.
Pa bowed his head, losing the fight. He didn't look crossed or determined to change my mind. He just understood.
"Okay, well, there's no point getting worried about what might happen when it hasn't happened yet. But I don't think either of you two should leave Locksley Manner, at least not alone," I nodded agreeing, "I won't tell your mother about it, I know how worried she gets. And if or when something does happen, instead of running off, we will talk about it properly, okay?"
I didn't realize that he actually wanted an answer. When I did I just nodded. The problem wasn't keeping me here, it was keeping Sarah.



Sarah
Gina and I walked through the gardens of Locksley Manner together. We didn't really talk, but every so often Gina would mention something about how well the Spring Gentian were growing this year or how their gardener, Mr Clark, was doing an fine job on the Primroses. When she spotted Mr Clark's apprentice, she left me to ask him a couple of questions. I turned and spotted a group of Summer Snowflakes. We had them around the Abby at home. It was Mother's favourite flower so when she died, Father made it a mission to have that flower growing in half of the garden.
"Ah, the Summer Snowflake," Gina said coming up behind me, "Beautiful aren't they?"
"Yeah, they're my favourite," I said before I could stop myself.
"Really, they were my best friend's favourite too, before she died."
I frowned as I straightened.
"What was her name?" I asked, curious.
"Siana White."
My eyes widened and my heart started to race. She couldn't have just said my mother's name. She couldn't have.
But she had.
"S-Siana White, as in the Lady of Willow Tree Abby," When she nodded, I continued, "I read about that, she died of cancer, right. And the Husband remarried right?" I asked already knowing the answer. I had lived through the answer.
"Yes, that's correct."
"Wow," I said surprised trying to get the thought through my mind.
But if Gina and my mother had been best friends, then why hadn't I heard about her.
"So what happened between you two?" I asked hoping that she wouldn't find the question weird.
"Oh, well, Siana and I had been friends for years. Actually, we had planned for our children to get married."
My eyes grew wide and my mouth dropped.
"What, wait?"
She immediately looked guilty.
"Oh honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to –."
"No its fine," I resourced her, "keep going."
She looked shock but continued, "Well, I'm sure you know that Justin was adopted, and Siana had also had trouble conceiving. So when it finally happened, we thought it would be a great idea. But then Siana died and then Keegan remarried to that horrible witch."
A smile spread across my face as I became shocked. Did she just call Victoria a witch?
"I just feel so sorry for that girl," She stated, probably thinking out loud.
I frowned, "What?"
"Oh, I thought you would know. Keegan died about two years ago, Sarah–Snow hasn't been seen since."
My body went numb. My head started to go in overload. Why did she just call me Sarah–Snow? As she continued to say where she thought where I could have gone, I began to think. Was my real name Sarah–Snow, if it was, why didn't I know?
"Who knows what she's been up to?"
That question brought me out of my trance.
"Wait, what do you mean?" I asked, my heart starting to race.
"Well, she was a heiresss, I doubt she's ever had a job."
"No, I mean, if she had chosen a bad way of life, if she had taken an easy way out. Would you judge her?"
Then she saw it, even if it was only for a second, she saw through the lies and saw the real me. She might not have truly known, she might just have guessed, but she knew deep down who I really was.
"No," she said with a smile. I saw the spark in her eyes that I saw Justin get whenever he looked at me, "No, I wouldn't judge her."
And just like that, a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But it wasn't just what Gina thought of me, it was me and Justin. If my mother hadn't had died, if I hadn't moved to London, if Justin hadn't of come to London in search of Abbigail, we still would have met.