Chapter 25

It felt as if it had been a long time coming. But all his loose ends were at last tied up in Greece. Roman, that day, had given notice that he was leaving his job. He would not be back. His colleagues were shocked he was leaving for good as up till then he had said he was going to be on holiday.

But he did not mean to come back. He could feel it in his bones that his while life was about to change, and words did not describe how ready he was for that.

His life here was done. His bags were packed, he could leave it all behind at last.

He had been on his way to the living room when he heard a voice behind him.

"So where is it you kids are going off to first?" Victor was sitting in the wing backed chair by the window nursing something amber.

Roman knew he could ignore him.

And why would he not? He was the one with the backing of his mother.

Still it did not change the fact Victor did not sound as if he was best pleased.

And it also did not alter the fact they had spent many years under the same roof.

And they had lived through a lot of time together.

So yes he was going to answer him. It didn't cost him much to now after all…

"I think to France and then Germany." He said the lie which he had rehearsed with his sisters. "And then we go down to Italy or come home – as of yet we are undecided."

Victor cleared his throat.

"If you have any feeling for your mother, you are going to come straight home – she is going to miss you," he said to him gruffly. So, he was going to miss him too.

But even after all this time…

Roman could not say that the feeling was mutual.

"As I said, we do not know what we are doing yet," he said to him in a way which he knew was more than a little arrogant.

But he could be now.

And the aim was to give him and his sisters as much time as they could have before anyone came to look for them.

By which time they would be home with their Pa. Even now he was an adult he found the idea of being back with his father wrapped him in such security.

But the arrogance had done its job and wound-up Victor.

"I swear to god young man if anything happens to either one of your sisters when you are away, I am going to hold you personally responsible."

That was enough to get a rise out of Roman.

"After all you have done, you have the nerve to talk about any harm coming to my sisters as if you are not the one who has caused them the most harm through their lives."

So now they got to it thought Victor as he paled.

"All I have ever done is love them – and indeed you, as if you were own."

"And is that not the heart of the matter?" Roman snarled. "Despite what you and my mother did, we were never yours."

Victor did not know what to say to Shawn's loyal boy as he stood in front of him. Victor had always believed in time, the kids allegiance would swap to him – but Roman's never had.

It now never would.

And deep down he knew he must have lost the girls somewhere along the way too.

"Roman, l – " Victor begun but even before he had started to speak, he had had a feeling he was not going to get very far.

And he was right.

With his head held high, Roman left the room, glad that when he left this house for the last time, he did so having slain a dragon.

X x x

When she knew he was having a shower the night before they were due to leave, Kayla stole into Bo's room. She had thought about it long and hard.

And as much as there was no part of her which was ready to let Kim and Roman down, nor did she feel as if she could just leave Bo without a trace. But side by side with that was a need to ensure they had a head start.

And so, she had written down the address they were going to – the Salem Inn and would plant it in his room.

He may never find it, but it would make her feel better about leaving.

Going over to the mantel piece in his room, she tucked the envelope with Bo's name on behind a picture of them together.

If he thought of her there – well, he now had a way to find her. And that felt right to Kayla.

But of course, anyone else who found it had a path to them to them as well. The others would not thank her for that.

But still it was something she had to do.

She left the room and knew her soul was more peaceful for what she had done.

And that was how she knew she had done the right thing.

X x x

Justin and his aunt Caroline were the only ones left behind who could offer the travellers genuine good wishes the day that they left.

Justin did not think his beloved uncle had ever got used to the idea and nor quite frankly had Bo. But Justin had his law degree to keep him busy until they got back. Bo just had the end of his schooling and now actual idea of what he wanted to do to keep him company.

"Safe travels," Justin said as he gave Roman hug. "I look forward to you getting back."

Roman felt a tug, for he was going to miss Justin. If all of this went the way he thought… he would not be coming back, and neither would the girls.

Who were at that moment saying bye to their mother…

"Oh, I want you all to have a lovely time in France," said Caroline as she gave the lot of them a goodbye hug.

"Be safe and look after one another."

Victor stood back in the doorway – it was clear for all the fact he was allowing this to happen, he did not approve. And all of this was happening without his blessing. He was not going to give it.

"We will mama," Kayla assured her before she turned to Bo.

She had done what she could for him she reminded herself as she looked at his unhappy face.

"Now I know it has always been a tall order for you but please do not get into any trouble whilst we are away," she said to him.

Even though he had his seventeenth birthday fast approaching, she did not think he had ever been the most sensible of lads and it remained the fact that whenever he had got into trouble in the past, she had always been there to get him back out again. She was the one who went to their mother and Victor to make sure all was forgiven. And then they all moved on until the next thing happened. But for at least the next few weeks it was not going to be like that.

Bo had known he was going to miss his elder siblings when they were gone. What he had not expected was for that feeling to kick in before they had left - which it had.

It all felt odd to him.

As if more was going on then what he had been told.

Yes, that was the feeling.

But this wasn't the time for that.

"You know it is only going to be a month and then you are going to come back right," he said to her and there was something in her eye at that moment that if they had been on there own, he would have loved to probe in to a bit… because for the first time he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that she was not going to back in the month.

Something else was afoot.

"I'll keep in touch," his big sister replied. The words were so layered that they proved his gut right and maybe unsurprisingly they lit an anger in him. So, he had been right all along.

He pulled back but it was clear he was not going to get any more from her.

Kayla looked behind Bo to Victor.

This was a lot harder than she had known it was going to be. Whereas she had a feeling once he knew what was really going on, it would not be too hard to patch things up with Bo, she was under no Illusions things were never going to be the same way between her and Victor. Once and if she found her real father…had he really taken them without permission? Was the man who had raised her little more than a kidnapper?

If the answer to either of them was yes, then this was the last uncomplicated moment between them, so she was going to take it.

"I love you, Papa." She said quietly. So quietly she hoped her elder siblings did not hear.

Victor nodded. "I love you. Be safe," he replied. In spite of his annoyance, he could not give up his goodbye with his dear girl. So, he held her and hoped she'd be back.

Then he turned to the others.

"You are to look after yourself Kimberly," he ordered as he gave the older of the two sisters a kiss on the offered cheek.

Kim smiled politely. There was no point in being any other way.

"Goodbye uncle," she bid him before she returned to her mother for once last hug before she got in the car which would take them to the airport.

"Love you ma," said Roman as he grabbed the last of the bags and kissed Caroline's cheek.

"I love you," she said tenderly.

"Have a good summer," Roman bid Bo and Justin as he shook their hands. Justin did so with warmth, but there was some thing going on with Bo. That was clear.

Normally, Roman knew he and his sister would get to the bottom of this – but now there was no time. What ever he had got upset about, Bo was just going to have to deal with on his own.

"See you soon little brother," Roman clapped Bo on the back. And now there was only one goodbye to say.

Roman turned to his stepfather.

"As I said Roman, you are to look after my girls."

He said as he shook his head. This felt to him like freedom and a parting of the ways.

At last.

"I will look after my sisters, but just so you know – they were never ever your girls."

With that last kick in the stomach for Victor, Roman left his stepfather and got in the car.

"What did you do to upset him?" Bo asked but did not wait for an answer, but he went back into the house.

"I – I hurt him. Long ago." Victor acknowledged to himself, truly for quite possibly the first time ever.

X x x

Kayla was quiet on the way to the airport. She knew Kim had known they would do this so much longer than she had – but some how Kayla was finding it all a lot harder. Pulling away from the house had been a wrench - and the wound still felt fresh to her as she took her seat on the plane.

When they had arrived, it turned out they had two seats together and one on there own, which she was quick to take. It was not like her, but she did not want to talk.

As for Roman since that first flight all those years ago, he did not think he had ever been as happy to get on a plane as he had been that day.

That first flight as so bittersweet in his mind. He loved to fly – but his inaugural one had taken him so far from all he loved. He hated the fact the times he had flown between them had been on family holidays with Victor and Caroline.

He wondered if in time it would become easier to think of them.

If it would, then it was not yet.

As they flew through the air, he felt a weight on his shoulders as Kim put her head down. When she had got on the plane, she had felt her shoulders drop for the first time in weeks. There was nothing more she could do. She had spent so much of the time planning her return to her father's life from what she would wear to what she would say and now… there was nothing more for her to do but sit on the plane and go home, truly, for the first time in forever.

She could relax. All the fears she had had that they were going to be stopped or not allowed to go melted away as they left the runway. And then they were in the sky and on there way.

The flight was spent with the three siblings in various states of self reflection and sleep. It was a long journey from home – if they could still call it that. From Greece to America was no small distance. But at last, they had done it.

It was dark as they made their descent.

"Welcome home baby," Roman said as he dropped a kiss into Kimberley's hair. He had told himself a long time ago he was going to bring the two of them – his sister's - home again. It was a promise to him and his dad. And now it was a promise kept.

Kim could not keep a smile off her face. And if the lights blurred through tears she did not think could be blamed.

As they touched down, she felt even more emotion than she had known she would. She did not remember much from the day they had left but she did remember that she did not want to leave. She knew she had cried into her mothers' arms, and she had begged to go home. It had been a request which was denied over and over.

She had known if they had left something bad would happen.

And she had been right.

But now – now some thing very good was about to happen.

And she could only hope it was worth the wait.

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