Gifts

Chapter 25 – Personal History–1

Willingly, I follow Jerome and my other guard out of the room and into the hall. The three of us scurry towards the door, guilt roiling in me to be the cause of so much strife. Before I step out the door, though, I hear a little voice call out behind me.

“Wait!” it says.

I turn to see Romulus running down the stairs, a little book in his hands. He dashes to meet me at the door. “I found this in my closet!” he says, “a long time ago!” He holds up the book to me and I can see that it’s a very small photo album. I take it from him gently and flip it open, shocked to see that it’s images of my mother’s wedding day –

And, oh my god – that I’m in them –

“That’s you, right?” Romulus says, peeking at the pages of the book, pointing at the picture of my mother.

“No,” I say softly. “That was my mom. Thank you for showing it to me, Romulus,” I say, looking down at him gratefully. I push it back towards him, as the noise escalates in the next room. I hope that some day I’ll be able to look through it more closely, but now, it definitely seems like time to go –

“No, I you can keep it,” Romulus says, smiling up at me. “And maybe, when you come back, you can bring me a present.” He gives me a big smile and I can’t stop myself from laughing.

“A fair trade,” I say and then jerk up, suddenly, at a crash I hear

“You’d better go,” he says, nodding at

“Will you be okay?” I ask, looking over his shoulder.

at me with confidence. “This

of my guards says, again tugging at my

my guard. “It was nice meeting you!” I call back to – wow, to

waving to me as I

the car on the way home, I clutch the photo album in my hands, not yet ready to open

is waiting for me as I come back into the house. “Well?” He asks, smirking at me as he leans

taking off my coat and handing it to the waiting housekeeper. “Why didn’t

on your own. Tell me, how long did it take her to kick

arms around myself, the photo album pressed against my chest. “I indicated that I recognized the sugar

that, shaking his head a little. Then, his eyes light on the photo

softly, unwrapping my arms and looking down at the little leather–bound

doesn’t push it. “Dinner in twenty minutes,” he calls after me as I head up the stairs.

B

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Gifts

25 – Personal History–2

but don’t look back at

my room, I sit on my bed and page through the album. It’s shocking to me, how much is familiar and

even at a glance I can tell how precious I was to my father on this day. He had me standing at the altar with him as he said his vows to my mother, a hand on

me crying, my arms wrapped around his leg, unwilling to let go. Both of my parents are laughing in that one, pleased, I can see, by my attachment to them

laughing as I get icing all over my face. My heart sinks as I bear witness to the love on his face on that day, his happiness at

I

mother. They had me first and, even though

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