You call this fate?

Chapter 22

By the time I got home earlier than usual with Mr. Rodwell's promise of being there in a couple of hours ringing in my ears, I was perfectly sure this was the worst decision of my life. As far as bad decisions go, I have made enough in my life to fill the Grand Canyon. But this one? This was the ultimate one. The mother of all bad decisions. The one single decision Satan had been conspiring to lead me to from the moment I was born.

I couldn't go and live with Mr. Rodwell! I simply couldn't. Hadn't I been told all my life that doing things just like these got you in trouble? Okay, fine, I got into trouble even without doing anything rash, but that's beside the point. To think that I had actually just agreed to live in a man's house! I had to call him and tell him immediately that the plan was off. I had to. I will just pull out my phone...

But... My hand retreated from where it had been reaching for the purse.

But he was right. This wasn't a normal situation. The state of affairs was dire. My life was in fact at risk. Sometimes you had to hide in a bear's cave to escape the lion. Once the lion was gone, then you could start thinking about how to escape the bear. Not that Mr. Rodwell was a bear. He was more of a sleek, cunning wolf. He was...

I was in so much trouble.

When I reached home and opened the door to find Ella and Hannah huddled in front of the T.V., I still hadn't any idea about how I was going to break the news to them. And I didn't have much time either. Mr. Rodwell would come over to pick us up in about an hour's time. Clearly I would just have to meet the situation head-on and improvise as I went along.

On hearing the creak of the door, Ella and Hannah turned around with identical terrified expressions on their faces. Granny Tonks, sitting snugly in her armchair, reached for something buried between the armrest and her side.

This fear, I told myself, you are doing this to make sure this fear was wiped from their faces.

On seeing it was only me, Ella's frown immediately dissolved into an expression of pure joy, mixed here and there with relief. "Mommy!" she screamed, like she always greeted me. Scrambling over the back of the sofa, she bounded forward and threw her little arms around my middle hard enough to knock me over if I hadn't been used to it by now and been leaning against the doorjamb already. "Mommy, you scared us! We thought it was Hannah's father!" She buried her face in my middle. "Oh, Mommy, I am so glad it isn't him!"

"Of course it isn't him, darling. I told you he won't come here anymore." I ruffled her hair with my hand and turned toward Hannah, who was standing a little way in the middle of the room, her hands twisted together uncomfortably, a sad expression on her face as she watched Ella. I held my hand towards her. "Hannah, honey, I should tell you, I am used to getting a hug from everyone in the house when I come home." Descrying Granny Tonks trying to heave herself off the armchair, I hurried to add. "A hug from the kids."

It took Hannah a moment to decide whether I was in earnest or not. Then she ran forward and attached herself on my side, since Ella was hogging all the place in the middle. I stroked her hair. "That's what I am talking about," I encouraged.

Ella untangled herself from around me and looked into my face. "Mommy? Why are you home early?"

Damnation. Alright, it's now or never.

I took a deep breath. "Yes, Ella, that's something I need to talk to all of you about. Come sit on the couch, will you?"

She looked at me with confused eyes, but let go so I could walk towards the sofa. Hannah didn't seem to realised it was necessary to move away for me to walk freely and remained stuck to my side. I had to use some clever manoeuvres to get to my destination, but finally I managed.