Page 14 of Where Darkness Falls

We laugh as we open the door and enter the fray. The entryway corridor is lined with hooks holding cloaks, boots stacked neatly in a row, and satchels on the opposite side with their own hanging hooks. Even though Amelia loves having a large family, one thing she can not stand is for the house to resemble a pig sty.

I’m placing my satchel on its respective hook when I hear the tiny pitter-patter of feet. I look just in time to see Aine before she flings one of her little arms around my leg, while she wraps the other around Cara.

“Maeva! Cara!” she squeals in delight at our arrival.

“Hello to you too, my little doll,” Cara coos affectionately.

I might be biased, but I think Aine is the cutest seven-year-old I’ve ever seen with her big, blue eyes and auburn curls. She usually wears some sort of frilly dress, which truly makes her look like a little doll. Eventually, she releases our legs and grabs each of our hands, guiding us deeper into the home.

“You’re never going to believe it! I lost another tooth today,” she exclaims.

She smiles wide enough for us to see that there is indeed a new gap in her mouth where her front tooth had been previously. Cara and I take turns gushing over her, which makes Aine beam with pride at her latest accomplishment.

As we are pulled toward the kitchen, a booming voice calls from over our shoulders. “Well, look what the kelpie dragged in! Two of my favorite, hard-working girls.”

We turn to see Rolph carrying a squirming five-year-old Fion toward the dining room, while simultaneously beaming at us. Rolph—like Cara—has bright eyes, auburn hair, and is the same height as his eldest daughter. Rolph is also devilishly handsome, with a heart of gold, which is probably one of the many reasons Amelia fell for him all those years ago.

“Down! Put me down,” Fion squeals in protest.

“Will you behave if I sit you down?” Rolph asks Fion.

Fion is the youngest of the siblings. He’s also the most rambunctious. He has dark brown hair with green eyes, and a splattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose. He’s adorable, and he wields that knowledge like a weapon to get what he desires—which is usually extra dessert.

Fion flutters his eyes at his father. “Yes, Papa. I promise,” he says sweetly.

Rolph chuckles as he sets the squirming boy down. “Alright then, off you go,” Rolph beams.

Fion immediately takes off. True to his word, he sits down at his seat at the long family table. Closing the distance, Rolph wraps up Cara in one of his infamous bear hugs.

“Hello, my angel,” he coos.

“Hi, Papa!” Cara replies.

Once Cara pulls away, it is my turn. Rolph smiles and pulls me in, squeezing me just tight enough for it to feel comforting. I smile against his shoulder. Rolph might not be my father by blood, but he is the closest thing I’ve had. Not once has he or his family ever made me feel that I wasn’t welcome in their home. I will always be grateful for that and for being accepted as one of their own.

“Hello, Darling Flower,” he whispers.

It’s the nickname that both he and Amelia started calling me when they found out that I enjoyed working with flowers.

“Hi, Rolph,” I say warmly, pulling away from his embrace.

I have neither been able to call him Papa nor call Amelia Mama. They’ve never pressured me into calling them any particular title.

“You may call us whatever you like, Maeva. We never want to replace the family you have somewhere out there… but if you ever decided to call us Mama and Papa, we would gladly accept that role in your life,”Amelia once told me.

It’snothing personal.

I obviously had parents at some point in my life. Whether or not they wanted me, I feel like it’s not fair to them if I were to call Rolph and Amelia by their titles—though in my heart, they are the closest thing I’ve ever had to that.

“We were just about to head into the kitchen to help Amelia finish up dinner,” I say.

“No need, Darling Flower,” Amelia says, rounding the corner with her arms full of serving dishes. “I’m just about done. Why don’t you two get washed up? It will be ready by the time you’re finished.”

Amelia is a vivacious, curvy, and beautiful woman of five feet with deep chestnut brown curls and green eyes. Tonight she wears a cream colored A-line dress that accentuates her figure. Whatever she lacks vertically, she makes up for with her larger than life attitude and loving heart.

Cara and I nod and make our way up the staircase.

“This is perfect timing, because I can show you the surprise I got for you,” Cara exclaims.