A Way Back Home | Adopted by Gerard Way (Book Two)

Laura Barry (42)

My head started to hurt only thirty minutes into the four hour long drive to Laura's place in the neighbourhood of Elmwood, Rhode Island, just outside Providence. That's when I concluded that the miserable few hours ahead were going to be more unbearable than I thought. Luckily, the sound of the tires on the asphalt and the movement of the car lulled me to sleep within an hour and a half, and when I woke up, we'd reached our destination.

When we pull up and park on the curb just outside the house, I note that it's unwelcoming from the outside. The paneling is an odd, off-white colour, and the wooden stairs look rickety. But of course, I can't be picky. Not when this house has intact windows that don't seem to give the impression that they'd let in a draft, unlike the place I last remember living in with her all those years ago.

"Come along, Evelyn," Diaz says as she takes the key out of the ignition and the engine dies.

"Aren't you supposed to help me out with this transition? You know, be supportive and patient at least?" I ask her, staring at her through the rearview mirror. My voice is slightly raspy from the amount I've cried in the last two days. I've decided that that has been enough tears to last me a lifetime and I won't cry in front of Laura. I bet she'll want me to open up to her, be vulnerable, but I won't do it. That would feel like giving in, and I'm not ready to accept this reality.

Diaz raises her eyebrows. "I thought you'd like to get out of the car by now, stretch your legs at least?"

"Why would I want to get out when we're outside the house that belongs to the woman who ruined my life?"

"The judge decided that this is the place best suited for you," she says, and I audibly groan and roll my eyes. She doesn't even acknowledge it. "I understand that you don't agree with that decision, but keep an open mind, Evelyn. It may turn out to be better than you think."

"I might not be here for as long as you think," I say under my breath as I open the car door.

"Leave your things," she says when I lean in to grab one of the boxes stuffed in the backseat. "We can go inside and meet Laura and come back for it after. It's not going anywhere."

"I've actually already met her, I thought you knew that," I remark sassily.

Diaz ignores me and walks up to the house. Her heels, just as I expected, creak on every stair leading up to the door. I hold the railing as I trail behind her, my knees having suddenly started shaking. Before she can even knock on the white panelled door, it swings open and standing there is the woman whom I've dreaded to see, especially since our unfortunate encounter at the courthouse.

I might be dramatic, but the sight of her standing there with a wide smile on her face makes me feel sick.

"Evelyn, I thought you'd never get here! I've been waiting around anxiously since I woke up," Laura says.

I bite my tongue to keep from telling her that I, on the other hand, wish I hadn't ever gotten here. That I have been crying since I woke up, packed all my things into a car, got torn away from my family, cried some more until I had no tears left, and slept off a painful headache. I'll have plenty of time to express my resentment at being sent here after Diaz has left, after all.

"Hi," I say flatly, not returning the smile.

"Please, both of you, come in." She steps aside and I let Diaz go in ahead of me, Laura's happy demeanour never faltering. "We can go to the living room."

I don't bother taking my shoes off at the door, although there is a shoe rack next to it, nice and neat. That's something I immediately notice about the inside of the house: The neatness. It's so clean I might even call it pristine. The open floor plan displays the kitchen to the left, the countertop expertly organized down to where each coffee mug should be kept, and the living room on the right, with each throw pillow on the white fabric sofa not having been thrown at all but meticulously placed.