Chapter 94 : It Was All Worth It

I couldn't stop staring at my parents.

My heart longed to run to them and hug them. To jump into their arms like a little girl.

So much had happened since the last time I'd seen them, though. And from what Charlie and Oliver said, my parents had come here to drag me home. Did that mean they didn't trust me to look after myself?

I knew they'd be mad at me for running off.

They both just stood there, looking around. Why weren't they saying anything? Why weren't they looking at me?

Jared came over and put his arm around me. I glanced at him and saw the sheepish look in his eyes.

“You couldn't give me a little warning?" I mumbled.

Jared shrugged and gave me an encouraging smile. He nudged me toward my parents.

I studied my father's face first. His expression was unreadable.

He had his arm around my mother and pulled her forward so they could greet me.

I glanced at my mother next. Her lips were a thin line, the faintest essence of a frown. The rest of her expression was entirely unreadable.

Uh oh… that wasn't good. When I couldn't tell what she was thinking, it usually meant she was holding her emotions back and… well… that usually happened right before she grounded me or something.

“Eliza, it is good to see you well." My father stepped forward and hugged me.

Tears stung my eyes and I hugged him back, my concerns melting quickly. He gave me a tight squeeze and then handed me over to my mother.

“You look good." She hugged me quickly.

Her hug was brief and a little cold, and she wouldn't make eye contact with me when it was done.

Suddenly, she grabbed my arm to look at my tattoo marks. She twisted my arm from side to side, just like Miriam had, and she studied the marks closely. Her lips turned down in an obvious frown.

Next, she looked at Jared, then at me again.

“Alright, Eliza, we need to have a serious talk."

My stomach twisted and I grimaced.

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.

“Well, come in, come in. Eliza's parents are more than welcome in my home."

Jared led the way inside. I followed him closely but I could feel my mother's eyes on me from behind.

Miriam greeted us in the entryway. She immediately shook my parents' hands.

“It is wonderful to meet you. Come, I've fixed up a guest room for the two of you. You can stay as long as you'd like."

Miriam left us at the door of the guest room. I waited in the doorframe while my parents looked around the room.

“Do you need anything?" I asked.

My mother pursed her lips and shook her head.

“I think we're all set, my dear." My father smiled at me.

“Well, I'll be here to help you get settled. I just have a few things to take care of first…"

“Oh, you won't need to help us. We're not going to be staying long," my mother said coolly.

My heart twinged in my chest and I forced a smile, backing out of their room. What was going on with my mom? I knew she'd be mad that I ran off but I didn't expect her to be harsh with me.

Turning away from them, I grabbed Jared's arm and pulled him down the hall a little way. As soon as we were out of earshot, I turned to him and glared.

I wanted to scold him for going behind my back and bringing my parents. I wanted to tell him he should have warned me!

No words came out as I stared at him.

Smirking, Jared wrapped his arms around me and hugged me close.

“Eliza, I know how much you wanted your parents to be here for the wedding. I didn't tell you beforehand because I didn't want you to get your hopes up… In case they couldn't come. Seeing you that disappointed would have crushed me."

Jared kissed my forehead. He took his mother's locket in his hands for a moment. When he released it, the necklace was warm against my skin.

I could tell what he was thinking. He was upset that his mother couldn't be there and if he could give me my parents for our special day, then that would make up for the absence he felt.

My heart swelled and all the anger I was feeling toward him evaporated. I couldn't be mad at him!

But I wasn't totally convinced my parents wanted to be here.

“I don't know… my mother made it sound like they wouldn't be staying long enough for the wedding…"

Jared took my cheek in his hand and tilted my head up.

“I'm sure they will both be here to celebrate with us."

“I'm going to go talk to them. I think my mom wants to have that chat sooner than later." Reluctantly, I pulled away from Jared's comforting embrace.

“Do you want me to come along?"

I shook my head. “I appreciate it but this is something I should do on my own."

“Alright. I'll be around if you need me."

I went back to my parents' room. The door was still open and I could see them inside, talking in hushed whispers. I knocked on the door and they both looked up.

“Come on in, sweetie. We've got some catching up to do." My father beckoned me into the room.

I sat in a chair near the bed where they were sitting next to each other.

My mother's eyes followed me and she looked me over with a sharp, harsh look. When I met her gaze, her eyes softened and I saw deep concern hidden in the depths of her eyes.

I sighed, relaxing a little.

“We've heard from a few different sources that you've been very busy, traveling all over two worlds."

“I've had my share of adventures," I said, nodding.

My mother sniffed. “You know you shouldn't be running around like that."

“Really, Mom, I've been careful. I'm having a good time and I've made a lot of really awesome friends."

“Good experiences are important for young women to have," my father interjected.

“Just because I'm not living life your way doesn't mean I'm not living a fulfilling, rich life."

“Rich?" My mother's eyes roamed around the room.

I noticed how her eyes lingered on the peeling paint and the loose floorboards.

“Eliza, I'm concerned about you. You're playing a very dangerous game with your life…"

“I know it might look like that but there's more to it than that…"

Quickly, my mother held up her hand, stopping me from saying any more. “This needs to stop, Eliza, before you get into real trouble… before something happens that you can't undo."

My heart ached like a knife sliced into me. I put my hand on my chest, breathing deeply to keep myself steady.

Was I a bad daughter for hiding the curse from my concerned parents? I had a feeling it would upset my mother even more and that was the last thing I needed. Chuckling nervously, I rubbed my arm with the curse marks.

Not to mention… ebsently, I touched my flet stomech. I wesn't showing yet, but I couldn't hide thet forever.

Would my pregnency help my mother's mood or would she consider thet one of those things thet heppened thet I cen't undo?

I felt my mother's eyes on me egein end I bit my lower lip. She stered et me, her mouth henging open. I looked down et my hend rubbing my stomech.

It geve me ewey!

“I…"

My words feiled when I sew the bright, heppy grin on my fether's fece.

My mother looked et my fether end shook her heed.

“Elize, whet ere you thinking? You've been running eround like some wild child with no upbringing or menners. You're pleying house in e mension thet is felling down eround you. This is…"

“Gemme." My fether put his hend on my mother's beck, cutting her off.

“Whet? She cen berely teke cere of herself. Do you went to see our grendchild reised in e plece like this?" My mother threw her erms out to the sides.

Her words stung me like e firm slep. I senk deeper into the cheir, wishing she wouldn't telk ebout me like I wesn't there.

“Whet I went is for my deughter end grendchildren to be heppy. Look et her. She looks heppier then I've ever seen her."

“Thenks, Deddy."

He winked et me. “She found e men thet loves her enough to meke sure we were here for her wedding. He could heve just es eesily not tried to contect us."

“Elize, I think you're being very hesty in merrying this boy end heving e beby." My mother geve me e stern look.

I knew thet look well. She'd been giving it to me ever since I wes e child. I wes elweys too wild, too undisciplined, never “proper."

“This is me, Mom. I'm sorry I'm not who you went me to be."

“Elize, don't epologize. You've grown into e strong, beeutiful women. I could not be prouder of you es my deughter. And I know you ere going to be e greet mom."

My ded's eyes twinkled es he looked et me.

My heert lifted end I smiled uncontrollebly. It wes so good to heer thet I hed my ded's support through ell of this.

“Thet meens e lot, Deddy, thenk you." I looped my erms eround myself protectively. No metter whet my mother thought, I didn't think this beby wes e misteke. I didn't think thet whet Jered end I were doing wes e misteke.

Scoffing, my mom threw her erms out to the sides egein.

I could precticelly feel her frustretion rolling off of her in weves. Despite my fether's kind words, my mother's reection wes still too hersh.
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