Determinant: One choice will change everything

Chapter 44: Tobias - Understanding

Chapter 44: Tobias – Understanding

It was a mistake to come to this service. I thought I owed it to those who died protecting the city, but everyone assumes I'm here for Marcus. And I swear I'm going to lose it if one more person tells me they're sorry for my loss and goes on and on about what a great man my father was.

But I can't leave yet, not until Cara and the others from the bomb shelter are ready, since we're all driving back in the same vehicle. So, instead I wander around trying to avoid people, and trying to keep my thoughts focused on anything except him.

I pass the gravestones, ignoring the first one and reading the names of the others being honored – those who died on our mission. Robert. Lisa. Pari. Paul. Mona. We lost a third of the group that left the bomb shelter that night. But as I look around at the hundreds of people attending the memorial service, I know that those people are alive because of our mission. We stopped the NUSA army as it gathered outside the gates, preparing to attack. We saved every life in this city.

Unfortunately, I have no desire to be treated as a hero.

My eyes make another circuit of the area, looking for a quiet place to hide out while I wait, and I settle on an abandoned building that overlooks the park. I should be able to watch from there to figure out when the others are ready to leave.

I make it out of the crowd and am halfway to the building when I hear a familiar voice.

"Tobias!" my mother calls. I stop, debating how to respond, but I know she at least won't offer sympathies for Marcus' death. And she's certainly not likely to smother me with thanks. So I let her approach, though I cross my arms over my chest to ensure she doesn't try to embrace me.

She stops a few feet away, watching me with an unreadable expression as I glower at her. Our last conversation wasn't exactly friendly, and I'm not in the mood to rehash it right now.

After a long moment, she slips her hand into her coat pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper, holding it out to me.

"I did as you asked," she says tightly. At first, I'm not sure what she means. It's not until I take the paper and see my own handwriting that I understand. I had forgotten about the note I gave Zeke as we left Erudite. It feels like that was years ago – so long that I have to read it to remember what I wrote.

Evelyn,

I decide who's permanent in my life, and right now, you're not on that list. If you ever want to change that, you need to start by respecting the people I care about – Tris and Zeke and Tori and their friends. If you harm them, you and I are done. But if you can get over your personal vendetta enough to work with them, then maybe there's a chance for us. It's your choice.

– Tobias

"I cooperated with Tori and Anna," my mother says, her tone an odd mixture of hesitation and insistence. "We worked together to prepare the city for attack."

I just stare at her, unsure how to respond. She listened to other people? She actually worked with them? Because I asked her to? It's more than a little hard to believe.

She clears her throat before adding somewhat bitterly, "It was difficult for me to accept what you wrote at first…. I have to admit that your note made me angry, and I'm sorry to say I put Zeke in jail for a day. But I did release him. He was not harmed in any way."

I nod very slightly, still watching her. I have only spoken with Zeke once since returning, just long enough to let him know that Uriah was safe, and to make sure he and Shauna were okay. He didn't mention anything about this, but he was free and seemed fine. It's somewhat surreal to think that's because my mother was trying to repair our relationship – I had all but given up on that ever happening.