CHAPTER 6
Somebody, bring my family back
-Faithless, "Bring My Family Back"
The front door to the Coe/Kovich house opened quietly. Alison stepped inside, followed by an awestruck Rafe.
"Well, this is it," Alison announced, closing the door softly.
"Home, sweet home," she murmured to herself.
Alison hadn't visited the house since her Rafe departed. Now she was showing it to some new Rafe, who'd never seen it before. She only hoped she could hold it all together. If she couldn't, she was lost.
"Who are all these people?"
Rafe's voice interrupted her thoughts yet again, and she turned to face him.
"Hmm?"
"These pictures."
He motioned toward the framed photographs over the stone fireplace.
"Oh, sorry," Alison apologized. "I should have told you earlier, but this whole situation is just so... weird."
Rafe nodded eagerly, his eyes pleading for her to continue.
Aiming for a better view of the photographs, Alison walked toward the mantle.
"You see, this isn't actually your house. It belongs to someone named Lucy Coe." She pointed at an attractive, middle-aged brunette in one of the photos. "That's her."
"Lucy..."
Rafe studied the photograph curiously. "Lucy," smiling widely, stood next to a dark-haired, middle-aged man. The pair looked extremely happy, something for which Rafe couldn't help but envy them.
"That's Kevin, her husband," commented Alison, noticing his fascination with the image.
'He's also the man I'm accused of murdering,' she thought to herself.
Alison decided it was best not to bring up that topic quite yet. She wasn't sure whether this new Rafe trusted her or not.
"Who are the kids?" asked Rafe, glancing at his companion.
"Those two beautiful girls..."
Alison smiled as she pictured the brunette toddler and the young blonde.
"...are Lucy's daughters, Christina and Serena."
She pointed to each child as she mentioned them.
"They are two of the most wonderful children on the planet, and they love their mother so much."
Alison couldn't help but grin.
"Everyone loves Lucy. You can't help it. Her optimism is just... infectious, and she cares so much about everything and everyone. She's a wonderful person."
Rafe was a bit frustrated. Sure, he'd asked who the people in the photographs were, but he'd at least thought that Alison would explain their connections to him, not just ramble on about what wonderful people they were. He decided he'd better take action.
"Alison," he began cautiously. "You told me that this Lucy person owns this house, but she let me stay here."
"Yes, she let us stay here," Alison agreed, correcting him gently.
"Okay..." Rafe took a deep breath and then continued. "She let us stay here. Why would she do that? How do we know all these people?"
Alison smiled brightly.
"Rafe, they're your family."
"My fa-family?" stammered Rafe in shock.
He had a family?
Somebody, bring my family back
-Faithless, "Bring My Family Back"
The front door to the Coe/Kovich house opened quietly. Alison stepped inside, followed by an awestruck Rafe.
"Well, this is it," Alison announced, closing the door softly.
"Home, sweet home," she murmured to herself.
Alison hadn't visited the house since her Rafe departed. Now she was showing it to some new Rafe, who'd never seen it before. She only hoped she could hold it all together. If she couldn't, she was lost.
"Who are all these people?"
Rafe's voice interrupted her thoughts yet again, and she turned to face him.
"Hmm?"
"These pictures."
He motioned toward the framed photographs over the stone fireplace.
"Oh, sorry," Alison apologized. "I should have told you earlier, but this whole situation is just so... weird."
Rafe nodded eagerly, his eyes pleading for her to continue.
Aiming for a better view of the photographs, Alison walked toward the mantle.
"You see, this isn't actually your house. It belongs to someone named Lucy Coe." She pointed at an attractive, middle-aged brunette in one of the photos. "That's her."
"Lucy..."
Rafe studied the photograph curiously. "Lucy," smiling widely, stood next to a dark-haired, middle-aged man. The pair looked extremely happy, something for which Rafe couldn't help but envy them.
"That's Kevin, her husband," commented Alison, noticing his fascination with the image.
'He's also the man I'm accused of murdering,' she thought to herself.
Alison decided it was best not to bring up that topic quite yet. She wasn't sure whether this new Rafe trusted her or not.
"Who are the kids?" asked Rafe, glancing at his companion.
"Those two beautiful girls..."
Alison smiled as she pictured the brunette toddler and the young blonde.
"...are Lucy's daughters, Christina and Serena."
She pointed to each child as she mentioned them.
"They are two of the most wonderful children on the planet, and they love their mother so much."
Alison couldn't help but grin.
"Everyone loves Lucy. You can't help it. Her optimism is just... infectious, and she cares so much about everything and everyone. She's a wonderful person."
Rafe was a bit frustrated. Sure, he'd asked who the people in the photographs were, but he'd at least thought that Alison would explain their connections to him, not just ramble on about what wonderful people they were. He decided he'd better take action.
"Alison," he began cautiously. "You told me that this Lucy person owns this house, but she let me stay here."
"Yes, she let us stay here," Alison agreed, correcting him gently.
"Okay..." Rafe took a deep breath and then continued. "She let us stay here. Why would she do that? How do we know all these people?"
Alison smiled brightly.
"Rafe, they're your family."
"My fa-family?" stammered Rafe in shock.
He had a family?