Ev

I let out a heavy exhale looking at the marble gravestone before me and thinking back to a time that seemed like a lifetime ago. It had been eight years since my Dad died. Eight years since I last saw his smile. To be honest, I wasn't even sad about it anymore. I had grieved enough for him. Now all the memories I had of him, were mostly filled with nostalgia.

Jackson Cornelius had been an incredible man. He was one of the few people that I genuinely looked up to, close behind Louise Cornelius, my Mum. It had taken me some time after they first adopted me to realise it, but both of them were wonderful parents and I was lucky to have them in my life. I wouldn't be the man I was today if it hadn't been for them.

I stayed by his grave for a couple of minutes, before at last, returning to my car, and driving away. As I stopped at a red light, I thought about it for a few seconds and when I saw green, took a right turn, away from my apartment where Danny and Omen were waiting for me.

The weeks that had followed Daniel's talk with Colin had been harrowing, to say the least. The following day had started with the news of his parents' arrest hitting the media. The videos the judge had gotten had been enough to grant the police with an arrest warrant, and I had been pleased to find out that they had also managed to find the videos I had left behind. They had actually found everything. The videos, the toys, the photographs... just everything.

In their first hearing, at which Daniel didn't need to attend, they had pleaded not guilty, which had personally surprised me, but according to Colin was to be expected. With all the incriminating evidence the police had found I had figured they would plead guilty and try to minimize their sentence, but -of course- things wouldn't be so easy. Instead, they seemed to want to fight. Part of me was kind of looking forward to watching them get dragged to court. But then again, the fact that Danny would have to sit through a trial didn't sit right with me.

Colin had told him he didn't have to testify in the same room with them if he didn't want to, as he definitely was eligible for 'special measures' but for some reason, he had refused. He wanted to be in that room. As to why I wasn't sure. When I had asked him about it, he had only shrugged.

I parked my car not too close to the house, but close enough to be able to see it. It hadn't really changed on the outside, the wonderful ivy-covered stone walls still giving it an imposing aura. I took a very deep breath, slowly let it out and walked up to the heavy wooden door. I knocked two times and then shook my nerves away. It would be alright.

At last, the door opened and in view came a young girl, around the same age as I, with deep mahogany hair and a uniform. She smiled at me and opened the door a little more, heat for inside hitting my face.

"Hello, how may I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"Is... um, is Louise Cornelius here?" I asked back, hating the fact that I spoke with a stutter.

"Is she expecting you?" I started shaking my head before I answered.

"No, I'm..." I paused to clear my throat, "I'm her son".

The smile on her face wavered for a moment and then very hesitantly stepped back a little. I tried to smile at her and seem as non-threatening as I could and with small steps got into the foyer of the mansion.

"I will... go get her," she told me and closed the door behind me. I gave a small nod and shoved my hands into the pockets of my leather jacket, looking around at the room, a little amused with the lack of change.

Some moments passed after the maid left me alone and then I heard heels click against the wooden floors. I turned to the sound and couldn't help myself when my Mum came into view. Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes and for a moment I wondered whether coming here had been a mistake. Silence engulfed us as her wonderful hazel eyes moving over me in an examining manner.

"My little boy..." she said and took three large steps and pulled me in her arms.

It took me a second to realise what had happened and then I broke down, wrapping my arms around her waist and lowering so that I could rest my forehead on her shoulder. Tall would not be the word I'd use to describe my Mum, but I couldn't even think about the strain on my back as I almost sobbed, her rich, floral perfume invading my senses and sending me to a time that I had almost forgotten.

When she pulled back, she took a deep breath and wiped away the few stray tears that had rolled down her face. Wrinkles hugged her eyes as she smiled brightly at me and softly, she nudged me towards the living room.

"Nina," my Mum said to the maid who had opened the door for me and was standing by the entry of the living room, "would you be a dear and put the kettle on? Also please call and invite over Sarah and Seraphine."

She complied with a nod and excused herself to another room, while my Mum and I went to the parlour. We sat down next to each other by the fireplace, that was not lit, and my eyes at once drifted at the TV above it that was open. The news was playing, something about some political dick-measuring contest happening.

"Look at you..." my Mum said, reaching out and putting a strand of purple hair behind my ear. "You've grown up into such a handsome young man," she added and the crack in her voice pulled my heartstrings. "How's life been?"

"Good... busy..." I muttered in return, not exactly sure where to start.

"Sarah and Seraphine will be over in a bit, miss," Nina said as she came in. "May I take your jacket?" she sweetly asked me. I nodded and shrug it off.

A couple of moments, silence hung between us and then my mother cleared her throat.

"What happened?" she started, "Why did you leave?"

I lowered my head, my left hand at once going up to my right wrist and touching the scar, knowing she could see the ink on my arms, and maybe even notice my scar. I took in a deep breath and let it out heavily.

"I blamed myself. And I thought you blamed me too". She had started to shake her head before I even finished the first sentence.

"It was not your fault, sweetheart. It was an accident. We didn't blame you," she assured me. "We... I thought I'd never see you again..." she said and sobbed.

"To be honest with you, I didn't think I'd ever return here," I admitted.

"What made you change your mind?"

"I... I met someone who made me realise how much I missed you," I told her.

"Well, I'm glad you met them," she replied and reached out to clasp my hands in hers.

We talked for a couple more minutes and then the doorbell rang, and I braced myself for my sisters to barge in. Sarah and Seraphine were two years older than me, being identical twins, whose only difference now was the fact that Seraphine had dyed her blonde hair deep green.

"Ev..." Seraphine said, as soon as they entered the room, Sarah being too out of breath to utter anything. I stood up and barely had a second to react as they both dove in for a much-needed hug. I laughed as they squeezed the air out of me and when I pulled back, I noticed Nina bringing out our tea.

It was well after we had our tea and an extremely detailed conversation about the last eight years that my attention was ripped away from them. I felt my phone buzz and excused myself when I saw Daniel's name flash on the screen. I went to the dining room and answered.

"Hey," I said softly, "did something happen?"

"No... well, yeah, but- eh... Colin just called me," he answered, piquing my interest. I frowned and hummed for him to go on. "He said... he said another victim came forward," he said with a small tremble in his voice.

"Daniel, that's great news!" I exclaimed, not really understanding where the issue here was. "Well, not that there's another victim, but that they came forward. This will only help you and the victim."

"I know," Danny said with a sob and I froze. "But Ev... I... I know him."

"What... what do you mean?" I replied slowly.

"We used to play together when we were little... before everything, he... my parents always invited him over and we used to play together..." he paused as a more violent sob racked him. "We stopped hanging out a little after my parents... a little after I turned eleven and then his parents sent him to a boarding school and I... I never saw Lucas again."

"Wait, you said Lucas?" I said, having to lean against the doorframe.

"I didn't know," he replied with another sob. Figuring he wouldn't answer my question I let out a small breath.

"Danny, it's okay..."

"No, Ev-"

"You reported them. And both of you will get the justice you deserve. Listen, I'll be home soon, okay? I'll come home and we can talk or watch a video or just sit together, but until then I need you to hold on, okay?" I cut him off.

"Okay... I'll be here," he said and exhaled with a tremble.

I waited for him to hang up and then had to stay leaning against the doorframe for a couple more seconds. The title of the video I had found in his parents' basement haunting my thoughts for a moment before I finally breathed out and unglued myself for the doorframe. I returned to the parlour only to feel my stomach drop.

"Vile humans..." Sarah was muttering as all three of them were watching the news. On the screen, a picture of Danny's parents was being shown as their lawyer was talking about the case.

"I pray that poor boy finds some peace when this is all over," my mother said and placed a hand over her heart.

"I pray that his parents die in fucking prison," Seraphine countered making our Mum scowl at her.

"Or get shivved," Sarah muttered. I couldn't help but agree with her, but as the news changed and I was faced with the picture that had been published of Danny back when his parents had reported him missing.

"Will you be staying over for dinner?" my Mum asked me, seeing that I hadn't moved from where I stood.

"Eh, no. I need to get back home actually, but I will come back soon..." I answered quickly as all three got sad expressions. Slowly our Mum stood and came up to me.

"Don't you dare disappear on us again," she told me and placed a hand on my cheek.

"I promise I won't," I assured her and hug her and then my sisters.

Then after some more goodbyes, I took off and headed to my apartment, wanting nothing more but to talk with Daniel. When I got home, he was sitting on the bed, playing around with Omen. We talked about Lucas and his fears about the trial and how he felt in general about it. The fact that he didn't seem to be regretting really lifted a weight off my chest.

When he asked me how I had spent my afternoon, I told him about going to my Dad's grave and then going to see my Mum. I told him about how apparently, I was an uncle now, as Sarah had given birth to a little girl not even two months ago. I told him about how I wanted them all to meet and he actually seemed to be eager about it as well. We talked until both of us got tired of talking and ended up making diner while watching a live stream.

The weeks that had followed Daniel's talk with Colin had been harrowing and as his parents' hearing approached us the more stressed we both got. But I knew and Danny knew that we would get through it. We had already gotten through so much.