Anything For Rachel

Chapter Three.

I fixed the sofa for Pedro to sleep on, then went down to check on Rose. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face when I peered in to see Rose curled up asleep against Logan. He was passed out too, his long legs hanging off the foot of her bed and his mouth slack. The sight warmed my soul, and further solidified my decision to not go to Castrum de Petra.

I walked across the hall and climbed into my own bed, laying back on my pillows and staring up at the plain old white ceiling above me. Going back would be bad. I've spent way too much time pushing down those memories, only bringing them up when I write them down in my books. At first it was therapeutic to write about what had happened to me, of course, my readers all think it is an elaborate work of fiction, but I know the truth. It felt good to know that it was all real, and to put it all together into a book so that when my memory does begin to fade, I'll have that to fall back on, but now...Thinking about it now, all these years later is painful.

All the things that happened there, and all the people I left behind, they need to stay there. I don't belong in that place, never have. I belong here with my little family where I am happy and free to do whatever I want, whenever I want to. As nice as it is to see Pedro again, I had hoped to never see any of those people again.

I hardly slept at all that night. My dreams were haunted by figures lurking in the distance, and smoky blue eyes watching me carefully. All around me I could hear his voice, calling to me. "Rachel....Rachel...Rachel."

"Rachel, wake up." His voice was different now, raspier. I opened my eyes to see Logan standing beside the bed, Rose already dressed for school on his hip.

"You were making funny faces." Rose giggled, making her little pigtails bounce.

Logan leaned down to kiss me swiftly. "We're heading out, babe." He told me like he does every morning.

I sat up quickly and I caught Pedro standing in the doorway. When our eyes met he shook his head. "I, um." I said. "Rose is going to stay home with me today so she can get to know Pedro." I told Logan.

He looked a little confused, but Rose was grinning. "No school?" She asked happily and I nodded.

Logan shrugged and tossed Rose over onto the bed. "Alright, my beautiful girls, have a great day!" Logan called, blowing me a kiss as he left the room.

Rose jumped into my lap and hugged my neck. "What's a Pedro, mommy?"

Pedro walked in then. "Oh, darling." He grinned at her. "A Pedro is a person, not a thing, and I am him." He told her, pointing to himself. Even though he'd slept in it, his blue suit looked as crisp and clean as ever. "I've waited a long time to meet you." He told her with watering eyes.

"Really?" She asked him. "I've never heard of you."
I shushed her, hugging her tightly. That's one thing about kids, you never know what they might say.

"Pedro is your..."

He brought his eyebrows together and shrugged. "Papa?"

Rose looked between us both. "Papa Pedro?"

He and I nodded and laughed. Rose looked at us like we were crazy but she shrugged her shoulders and went with it.

We spent a while talking, letting Rose and Pedro get to know each other. Every now and then over the next few hours I'd catch Pedro trying to get my attention, obviously wanting to talk to me without Rose, but I didn't want him to bring up me leaving or Calvin anymore to me for right now. Today, all I want to do is enjoy having his company again, and make sure that Rose will be comfortable with him before he tries to leave with her.

We'd spent the whole day playing and talking in Rose's room, and she seemed just as taken with Pedro as he was with her. As the sun set, the realization that I'd have to face this at one time or another finally sank in. I was just about to tell Rose that Pedro and I were going to go get dinner started when I heard a knock on the door.