I lean over and give him a kiss on the cheek. “You didn’t bury your head in the sand, Dad. You and Mom have found and are paying for an amazing therapist for me. You support me…” I chuckle. “You support all of me, every personality, every person who comes out. I can’t ask for anything more.”
Dad’s eyes fill with tears. “We need to make sure we’re here for you. No matter what happens.” He wipes his face, before turning away from me so I can’t see. “It’s the onions,” he quickly adds.
“You’re here for me. In case I haven’t shown it, thank you. I can’t imagine how people with DID could go through life without love and support.”
“Thankfully, you’ll never have to know.”
“I’m home!” we hear Mom say as the front door closes.
She walks into the kitchen, and I notice how frail Mom’s looking. The pant suit she’s wearing is way too baggy on her, and she has dark circles under her eyes. I walk over to her, and without saying a single word, I hug her tight I feel her body completely relax into mine after only a few seconds. Her chest shakes, and I know she’s crying. I hug her tighter. “I love you,” I say as I slowly pull away from her.
She wipes the tears from her cheeks, and offers me the sweetest smile. “You have no idea how much I needed that.”
We’re interrupted by a knock on the front door.
I walk out, open the door to see Dylan with his cousin Gemma. “Hey,” I say as I open the door further to let them in. I instantly notice Gemma’s face. Her right eye is heavily bruised, and her lip is split.
Dylan steps aside to let Gemma in, then he follows and gives me a kiss on the lips.
“Sorry to come over unannounced,” Dylan says.
“You don’t have to tell me you’re coming. Gemma, nice to see you again.” I lean in to give her a hug. “Are you okay? What happened?” I’m worried for her.
“Hey, Molly. It’s good to see you too. This is nothing. Some guy underestimated me.” She shrugs. “Downside of the job. But that guy’s now in the hospital.” She grins.
“She’s a black belt. Used to beat the crap out of me when we were kids.”
“Also protected him when the other kids picked on him,” Gemma adds.
“Kids used to pick on you?” I ask Dylan.
“Hi, Dylan. You staying for dinner?” Dad asks as he comes into the foyer, wiping his hands on a tea towel. “Hi.” Dad extends his hand to Gemma.
“Dad, this is Gemma, Dylan’s cousin. Gemma, this is my Dad, Thomas. And this is my Mom, Paris.” I introduce them all.
“Hi.” Mom gives Gemma a quick hug.
“I’d like to say I’m here for a social reason, but I’m not,” Gemma says slightly elevating her tablet.
I look at Dylan who gives me a sympathetic smile.
Shit, what have they found?
“Does anyone want a coffee, or a drink?” Dad offers as he leads us into the kitchen, so we can sit at the dining table.
“Just some water please,” Gemma replies.
“I’ll have a coffee, but I can make it,” Dylan says as he heads into the kitchen and goes about making a coffee. He brings Gemma and me each a glass of water, before bringing his coffee over.
The nervous tension in the room is making my heart beat quicker than normal. My breath is short, and I can barely pick my glass up without it spilling over the rim because I’m shaking.
I break the strained, dark mood in the room. “You’ve found him, haven’t you?”
Good, we’ll make that bastard pay for what he did to us. AJ is angry, and he’s ready to come out fighting.
“I have,” Gemma confirms.
Let me at the bastard. I’ll fucking kill him. AJ’s wrath is growing with every breath I take.
“AJ, please. This is hard enough.”
I need him dead.
“Just, stop. Please.” I hold up my hand in a ceasing motion.
“Are you okay?” Dylan asks as he places his hand on my thigh for support.
Lifting my hand, I rub the back of my neck, but nod. “It’s just AJ. Please, go on.”
Gemma wets her lips, before taking a deep breath. “Okay,” she pauses, then flicks her tablet to life. “I’ve found him,” she confirms.
I take in a long, deep breath. I stand and I head to the back door, and look out to the darkening sky at the horizon. “There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to know.” I let out a long sigh. “And there’s a part of me that wants to know, so I can drive over there, and kill him.”
“The choice is yours, Molly. I don’t have to tell you. I can take this information straight to Eveline without involving you,” Gemma offers.
“Do we need to know, AJ?”
Of course, we do. We need closure, M. You need to see him brought to justice.
“What about Neve? How do you think she’s going to react?”
I want him to suffer, like he made me suffer. Neve’s voice is small, but powerful.
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
We’re here for you. Kate says.
Yes, we’re all in this together. AJ adds.
“What if no one believes us?” I ask.
It’s not up to us to make people believe. It’s up to us to protect you. And it’s up to you to protect anyone else he may be doing this to. AJ’s words send a chill up my spine. He’s so damn strong, I don’t know how he does it.
“They might call me crazy.”
Do you really care what others think of you? Kate asks.
We don’t care what others think of us. We know what we are, and what we mean to each other. We’re a family. And just like any family, sometimes we’re dysfunctional, and sometimes we’re not. But most importantly, we will always have each other’s back. Neve may be the youngest, but she’s so damned smart.
“Are we sure?” I ask them.
We’re sure. They respond in unison.
Turning, I face my parents, Gemma, and Dylan. All four are staring at me. “We all need to know, because we all need to heal.”
“Okay.” Gemma nods. She taps on the screen again, enters a password and takes a deep breath before turning the tablet around so we all can see.
The person in the photo is crossing the road. He’s wearing a blue overall uniform. He looks much older than I thought he would be. I do the math in my head. If I was three, and he was sixteen then that makes him thirty-one. “He looks so old,” I say. I’m not even sure if it’s him.
It’s him. Neve whispers in a tiny, petrified voice. It’s him.
I don’t want to go against Neve or doubt her, but this man looks like he’s in his early forties. “Are you sure?” I ask Gemma.
Gemma nods. “I double checked. Triple checked, actually, to make sure it’s him.”
“But this guy looks so old.”
“His name is Mack Hewitt, and he’s thirty-one.”
“Mack Hewitt?” Oh my God. I cover my mouth with my hand. Turning away from everyone, a brutal memory surfaces. “No,” my voice trembles, rejecting the flashback. “It can’t be.” My chest aches, it feels like someone’s sitting on it, constricting my breathing. “I can’t.” I step back, trying to put more distance between me and everyone else.