Chapter 8
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If all of the strength and all of the
courage
come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
full of grace
full of grace
my love
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She let the cabbie let her out near the peer where they had found Rick's car a month ago. It seemed like a life time. Even Imohtep felt like something that she had dreamed about. This was something new to her. She wasn't sure what to do or how to feel. She didn't believe anyone knew how to feel when they had killed their husband's evil twin brother. She stood there for a long time watching the waves drift by and slowly lap up the ends of the beach. It was a gray day, but it wasn't because it was cloudy outside. Evelyn took a deep breath. Letting everything she ever knew and felt wash over her. And then the wind picked up and she shivered against the breeze. As she huddled in her jacket the very thing she was longing for was Rick to put his arms around her and keep her warm. Evie's eyes flew open. "Thank-you" she whispered and then left for home.
There were only three places that Rick could have gone. The bed and breakfast that they went to on mini-vacations, his office, or home. And she knew he wasn't at the last two. She quickly got into a cab and took a deep breath. Everything was going to be okay. She gave the cabbie money and then hopped out and quickly went inside. She made a call to the bed and breakfast and confirmed that Rick was staying there and then went and packed her bags. She called Jonathan and made sure that he would watch Alex for her and then she took Rick's car and drove to the bed and breakfast.
Now that she knew what she was doing and what she felt she saw the light for the first time in over a month. She wanted to laugh and cry and the joy of having her life back together. There was nothing better than knowing everything was going to be fine in the end. It took her nearly an hour to reach the tiny place, but she hardly noticed the time ticking by. She walked in and saw Mrs. Wait dusting one of the tables. "Hello." Evie called to her. The woman turned around and smiled. "Mrs. O' Connell, how nice to see you again. Is there something I can help you with?" she asked walking toward her. "Yes, what room is Rick staying in?" The woman's face fell, "I'm sorry honey, but he left about thirty minutes ago." Evie wanted to cry, but stopped. "Did he say where he was going?" She shook her head, "No I'm sorry. He just thanked me and walked out." Evelyn nodded, "Thank-you." And then she too left.
She felt like crying, again. But she didn't because she was sick of crying, sick of not being in control, sick of being in limbo about everything. Russell had disrupted their lives and although he was only with them a week, he had made her question everything she knew and believed in and it made her livid! At that moment she stopped feeling sorry for herself and what had happened. At that moment Evelyn knew what was going to happen. She was going to go and find her husband, apologize to him for everything, they would talk, make-up, get Alex and be a family again! No room for arguments or questions. She had made up her mind and that was how it was going to be. And with that she drove a little faster.
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With her new resolve Evelyn made it back to the house in thirty minutes. She opened the door and walked in and didn't notice her surroundings until she ran into one of them. And when she saw she smiled, "Hi." He smiled back at her. "Hi." She suddenly felt awkward, her resolve suddenly taking a vacation. "What are you doing here?" she asked. He shot her a look, "I mean I went to the bed and breakfast and you weren't there, I was just wondering what made you come back." He let out a laugh. "You went to the bed and breakfast?" "I went there so that we could talk. I..." "You're ready to talk now?" he interrupted her. She simply nodded her head.
"What do you want to talk about?" his voice serious. "Us. I mean me. I mean you. I mean what happened. I'm sick of feeling sorry for myself Rick and I am sick of being lonely and I'm so sorry that I pushed you away. I just didn't know what to do or how to feel. I was so confused and I just kept seeing your face and it was just too much." He just nodded his head letting her continue. "And when you left my heart broke AGAIN! I hate that feeling. I HATE not being able to lean on you to reach out for you. I have never felt as horrible as I have these past weeks. NEVER! I didn't know what to do and I knew I had to get past it. When you picked up Alex this morning I felt like we were DIVORCED! I knew it wasn't that, but not having you here it killed me. And then to know that I am the cause of it. That I was the reason that you left it was almost too much to bare..."
"Evie." "No Rick let me finish. I went to see Erika. I didn't even realize where I was until I was there. I talked to her. I listened to what she said. Why Russell did what he did. Why she did what she did. And so far the only conclusion that I've come up with is that I'm glad that he is dead. And I've never wished that about anybody. Not even Imohtep." At this Rick gave her a look. "Okay, maybe a little with him, but I never hated him the way that I hate Russell. He didn't set out to kill us for revenge. He would have killed anyone that had done what we did. We were just bystanders of his love. THAT I can deal with. THAT is normal to me. But this? To hate a human being it is new to me. And I don't even think I hate him. I think I feel sorry for him and it took me a long time to get to that emotion."
Evie wanted to take a nap. This had been very overwhelming and cathartic. Sharing this with Rick, getting it off of her chest with the one person she knew who would understand and be strong for her, it was a very freeing experience. "I'm sorry it has taken me so long. If I had done this before.... If I had been able to listen to what you went through maybe it wouldn't have come to what it did." "So are you ready to hear it now?" he whispered. She nodded at him, and moved toward him. "I've missed you Rick." tears thick in her voice. "I missed you too Evie." his voice echoing hers. They held on fast to one another and eventually collapsed onto the sofa. When they were finally settled and both ready to accept what happened Rick started talking.
"I went to get a locket for you. I thought you would like one of us and I had found this great jewelry store. I went in and was talking to Erika. I thought I had seen her somewhere before, but I couldn't figure out where. Like I had seen her in passing, but I couldn't figure it out. And so was about to leave when she called out my name which I thought was weird since I hadn't given it to her, but then I saw this guy who LOOKED just like me walk out. I don't know what happened after that. I couldn't even think. I knew my mom had said something about a twin, but it was so faint. And then he was coming after me. I blacked out after that. I woke up again in some storage room tied to a chair. He then proceeded to spend the next two weeks telling me how I had ruined his life and that he would get revenge. Told me his plan down to his killing you and Alex. I felt so helpless. I couldn't get to you and I was so scared...." He stopped for a moment. He couldn't talk about what Russell said and how it terrified him. Maybe one day, but it was all so surreal that he wasn't sure if he would be able to anytime soon.
Evie knew the difficulty Rick was having in telling her so she squeezed him tighter to her letting him know that she was there. "I don't know how much time passed, I stopped marking them after the first couple of weeks, Erika let me out of the chair. I mean they would let me go to the bathroom, but they always tied me up afterward. Erika came in one day and said Russell was dead. She blamed me for it, but I know that she didn't really blame me. But she still didn't let me go and in her grief she stopped feeding me. And then a couple of days later you rescued me."
Evie had tears in her eyes. The suffering her husband had done was great. And it crushed her to hear it. "I love you." Evie whispered. He looked at her and then leaned down and kissed her. Their first in what seemed like an eternity. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer and then wrapped her entire body around him trying to regain that connection that they had lost. "I missed you so much Evie." he cried. And then she started to cry as well, but that was okay because they were tears of joy and happiness. She was back where she belonged and so was he.
Minutes flew and Rick wondered if this meant that he could finally start getting on with his life, "Does this mean that we're good?" he tentatively asked. She gave him a grin, "I think so." His response was a kiss. And it didn't stop there. The connection had been re-established. They were going to be okay. Evie and Rick both knew that this wasn't the end of their ordeal, but they also knew that it would no longer have the effect on them that it once did. Their love had stood fast and held them together, it was protected and strong. And something that no one could break.
The End.
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Now since I'm feeling very generous and I was curious myself. I will have an Epilogue for you. Which will tie up all loose ends and leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling. :)
Leave a review and I might even put in some sap!
Thanks to all who reviewed! It has been marvelous. You guys are wonderful and I hope that you have enjoyed Full of Grace as much as I have. Thanks - Dylan.