He walks up to the dais where the three Councilors are seated, handing Hildebrand what appears to be a flash drive.
"It's all on there," Eli tells them solemnly. "The truth about the excommunicated members. The explosion that killed Santiago's family and the other Sovereign Sons. The attempt on my life. Everything is right there."
I watch on in disbelief as Marco clears his throat beside me. He seems to be as uncertain as I am. But when Eli turns around and meets my eyes, he nods to me, a sign of respect and so much more.
I think this is his way of trying to make amends.
"It can't be you, Santiago," he tells me. "He will pay for his sins now, but it can't be you. Not if you truly want to move forward with Ivy."
34
Evangeline
I’m trying to stay upbeat for my sister. For my father and for Santiago. I’m really trying. But it’s getting harder and harder the more time goes by.
For four weeks, she has lain like this. Unmoving except when the nurses move her. Her expression unchanging. Her belly still somehow growing. I don’t even know if she can hear me, and I’m sure I sound pretty stupid to anyone passing by, but I want her to know I’m here. That we’re all here and waiting.
So, I drag the chair over and sit down, and I take my sister’s hand.
“You’d think they’d have one comfortable chair in this place. I swear my butt feels like wood every time I leave here.”
I turn her wedding band around and around. Santiago took the engagement ring home, but he wouldn’t let them take the wedding band off.
“Did you hear your crazy husband lose his shit when they tried to take this off you?” I ask out loud. “It was sort of funny. It will be anyway when you wake up, and we can relive the moment. They almost had to call security.” I wipe my eye. I don’t want her to hear that I’m crying. I cry every time I come in here. I hate this. Hate seeing her like this. Hate knowing it was Abel who did it to her.
I set her hand back down and put mine to her belly when it moves. “Can you feel that?” I ask. I’m not sure if I’m asking my sister if she feels the baby or the baby if she feels my hand. “It’s the freakiest thing,” I tell Ivy. “I’ve been making videos so you can see when you wake up. I know that sounds creepy, but I thought you’d want it.”
My niece or nephew—Santiago won’t find out the sex of the baby without Ivy—presses a hand or foot against my sister’s belly. I say hand or foot, but for all I know, it could be her butt.
“I think it’s going to be a girl. And I’m making a list of names so you’ll have plenty to pick from. Dad’s doing better, by the way. He’ll come to visit you later, too.” She must know by now that he’s not dead. That Santiago had devised that plan to lure Abel out. It just went so horribly wrong. But I’m not going to think about Abel now.
“Antonia and I have unpacked most of the baby gifts, but they just keep coming. There’s so much, Ivy! Everyone is excited about this baby, even Santiago’s weird sister,” I say, leaning in close to whisper the next part. “She wants to come home, but Santiago won’t let her.” I keep an eye on the door. “I overheard him tell her the house will be ready for you. That he’s going to bring you home any day now.” I leave out the part about not wanting any additional stress for Ivy when she gets home.
I straighten again and tuck the blankets closer around my sister. I look at her face. Then at the monitors. Nothing.
I can’t help a sob when I look down at her again and try to suck it all back in.
“Sorry,” I say, wiping my tear off her face. “I’m trying really hard to keep it together because someone has to, but it’s getting tougher. You need to wake up, okay? You just need to push through whatever is happening inside you and wake up. There’s no reason you’re not awake. The doctors say so.” I take a deep breath in and pull myself together. “I’ve never seen Santiago like he is. If he’s not in here, he’s in his office in the dark. He just sits there like a ghost or a vampire or something. Never comes out when anyone is around. I think he doesn’t know how to be without you. We all just really need you back home.”
The door opens, and I turn my face away to swipe at my eyes.
“Hey.” Hazel’s greeting is soft, warm, and concerned. She’s my sister, I know, and I’ve gotten to know her over the past few months, but it’s still weird. I barely remember her being home, but she left when I was six or seven, so I guess that’s normal.
“Hey,” I say.
She reaches into her bag and takes out a candy bar for me. “Michael says it’s your favorite.”
I take the candy. “Yes! He came through. Here.” I reach into my pocket and pull out a mini bag of gummy bears. “These are for him.”
“You guys have a junk food swap going?”
I shrug a shoulder. “I’m his aunt. I’m allowed to spoil him.”
“You’re thirteen,” she says, dropping the bag of gummies into her bag. She looks at Ivy and sighs deeply. “Anything?”
I shake my head. “How’s Michael?” I still can’t believe Abel kidnapped him and Hazel. I just don’t get it.
“He’ll be okay,” she says but I know she’s not telling me everything.
“You?” I ask.
“I’m fine,” she says with a warm smile as she squeezes my hand. “Thanks for asking.”
“The baby’s awake,” I say as we both look at the blanket move over Ivy’s belly. “Let me get my phone.” I dig it out of my back pocket and start to record it.
“You know that’s kind of creepy right?”
“I don’t care. She shouldn’t miss this. I’ll show her when she wakes up.” When the baby settles down, I put the phone away and find Hazel watching me with that pitying look I’m getting to know. “She will wake up. You don’t know her like I do, Hazel.”
“Okay, Eva.”
“Not okay, Eva. She will.”
“I know she will.” She squeezes my hand, and we just sit there for a while. Hazel chatters on about Michael, telling Ivy what he’s up to. The nurses said it was good to do. To keep talking to her. Let her know we’re here, and we miss her.
Santiago arranged things with IVI with Hazel and Michael. I don’t really know what he did or what the problem was exactly, but she’s living back at home now. Dad’s back home, too, but Mom’s moved out. It’s like musical houses with us. I could have gone back too, but I chose to stay with Santiago. He needs me more than they do.
Hazel stays an hour and then gets up to go as the sun is starting to set. “I need to be home for dinner with Michael. And I’m sure Dad wants to come see you, too.” She’s talking to Ivy. “I’ll be back tomorrow, okay?” She adjusts her blanket. “You want a ride home?” she asks me.
I shake my head. “I’ll just stay until Santiago gets here. Marco will drive me home after.”
“All right.” She hugs me, then leans over to kiss Ivy’s forehead. “See you guys tomorrow.”