- I'll walk you home.
- Thanks Connor.
- See you tomorrow Al. I'm glad you're back.
Noah didn't really know what to say, he had wanted her to be back. But now that she was, it seemed harder to talk to her.
- Hey, you're leaving?
- Yes, Ro. Thanks for the soda.
- Anne will be happy to know you're back.
- Yeah.
- C'mon Rose I'm walking you guys home .
- Thanks Connor but I still have things left to do here so I guess I'll just spend the night here.
- You sure?
He asked, looking at Allison, hoping she'd say something. She didn't.
Rose nodded .
- Yeah, Mr.P left some of his books to the Public Library. They said they'll come by tomorrow , her and Noah will be sorting those out so she won't be here all by herself, don't worry.
Hunter couldn't help it. He couldn't change what she'd been through but he sure wasn't gonna let anyone put her through the same thing ever again. So he hit Allison where it hurt.
- We'll see you tomorrow Al. I'm really happy you came back.
Aliyah felt like she was going to faint from all the tension between everybody.
- See you all later.
She said. And she and Connor walked home together.
- Hey I'm sorry about today. Its just been tough for all of us lately and I just really wanted you to be here too.
- I know. And you were right. But I'm here now. And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you as you've been for me these past few years.
She really felt like she had let him down, and in a way, she had.
He said nothing, just smiled and gave her a hug before she went inside.
- Goodnight
- Night .
The house was the same as when she had left. It even smelled the same.
Anne had fallen asleep watching tv on the Big Red, but she heard the door open.
- Rose is that you?
- No, sorry to disappoint. Its me.
She said walking into the living room.
- Allison? When.. how..?
She hugged her daughter tightly.
- Does your father know?
- Yes. I called him to get me out, I had a feeling you wouldn't
- What? I would, of course I would. Its Mr.P, you loved him
- No, mom, its Rose. I came back because of her. If she isn't keeping her promise, why should I.
- Oh honey.. look..
- Mom, I've missed home. I really don't feel like talking about Rose
- Yeah, she'll probably be here in a minute, you'll have time to figure things out I guess
- No, I don't want to, things seem just fine the way they are, and she'll stay over at Mr.P or should I say their home
- Who their?
- Hers and Noah's
- Oh. Yeah heard about that.
- I'm tired , can I just sleep.
- Yes ,yeah sure.
Irene Alden kept thinking about what her daughter had said. She often thought the same things. Rose wasn't easy to control, what if she followed in her mothers footsteps.
She had dealt with Zoe 's scandals but she was her daughter. But Rose?
She felt no connection to Rose whatsoever. Rose was no different than any of the girls she would sometimes help with her charity events.
She resented her husband for leaving her with such a request.
Now she had to deal with Zoe's daughter all on her own.
- Mrs. Alden the gowns you requested for the Ball were delivered today. I laid them in the dressing room.
Her thoughts were interrupted by her maid and she remembered she had to call Rose to make sure she came home tomorrow. She hated that she had to nicely ask Rose to do things. She didn't feel like talking to Rose tonight. So she only sent her a text.
"Be here early tomorrow. Everything is ready and your gown is here. We will have to leave at 18:00 so we need you here earlier to get you ready"
She really hoped Rose wouldn't do anything to ruin the day.
Rose had been such a burden the last four years, her school trouble, her antisocial ways.
She just didn't seem to get along with anyone. Her lawyer Jack Bennet had told her she did indeed get along with his two sons "just fine", but she had never heard her speak of them for the years they had been living together.
From all the troubles Rose caused at school she assumed, same as all her classmates, the lawyers sons had grown tired of all her troubled behavior.
But tomorrow she truly wished Rose would once and for all change the narrative about her. She was giving Rose a second chance to mend things with her high school friends and to be part of her world, truly hoping she wouldn't disappoint.
11pm
Rose was putting Mr.P's books in boxes for the library.
She saw her grandmothers text, felt uneasy and turned off her phone.
Hunter had fallen asleep on the couch and Aliyah had left.
Noah was bringing the other books from the attic.
- I guess this is all.
He said entering the living room.
- the others are ours to keep then
Rose replied in a half smile.
- Yeah, how bout we leave them here, so we don't have to choose between them or fight over them
- Yeah, sounds good. Maybe that's why he left us the house , just so we had a mutual place for the books.
- Hey its possible.
He said and they laughed.
- But this should stay with you
He said handing her Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment".
- What about your moment?
- That too.
She smiled .
- About tomorrow..us going together, do you think its ..you know with Allison here?
- Yeah its fine I guess. We'll have time to talk to her once its over, besides Connor will be with her tomorrow. Us four we'll just go together and meet them here afterwards.
- Yeah I guess you're right. I have to leave earlier, Irene wants me there to "get me ready" kinda scared of what that means.
- We'll just pick you up at your grandmothers then,
- Yeah I'll send Hunter the address.
- 17:30 ish okay?
- Perfect !
- Okay then, it's a date.
He said and he meant it.
- I'll just get Hunter a blanket then.
- Yeah. Its still a bit chilly at night
She found an old brown blanket in the laundry room and gently covered hunter with it.
- So, where will we sleep ?
- We can sleep in the rooms upstairs.
- You mean in Mr.P room?
- Yeah, you can sleep on his bed and I'll sleep on the sofa on his library.
- I don't feel like sleeping on his bed, I just.. it all feels like too much
- Uhm okay but the library sofa isn't the most comfortable one or else I'd say you take it
- Yeah, I practically grew up sleeping on it. Well, what if you sleep in the bedroom sofa and I'll sleep in the bed.
- If that will make you feel better , yeah sure.
He thought if this was her way of asking for help. Of showing she did need him.
They finished the books and went upstairs, Noah opened the door slowly.
His room still the same. Big bed, the sofa in the other end of the room. The tiny balcony in the middle and the big brown wooden closet.
- Will you be okay sleeping there?
She asked.
He wanted to say it would be the first time in four years that she would be really there and not only in his mind, of course he'd be okay.
- Yeah I'll manage.
He said smiling.
She smiled back and said goodnight.
She went to the balcony door and opened its grinds
- There will be light coming in from the moon now and sun in the morning
- Yeah I know
- What happened to the Rose that couldn't sleep if there was light?
"She's as good as dead " she wanted to say but didn't .
- Nothing, I just don't like waking up in the darkness as much.
- Hey you know me, I can sleep anywhere anyhow so as you wish
She smiled.
- I'm glad you haven't changed.
She said as she laid down .
- Hey Noah? Remember you asked what I thought about happiness after here?
- Yeah, you didn't get to answer that.
- Well I don't know. If one is suffering here and can't change it , what comes next is either their happy ending or just an ending. If there is nothing after here, then they will at least no longer feel pain.
- Yeah but Mr.P wasn't suffering.
- Yeah he wasn't , I just hope wherever he went, it was a happy ending for him
- I really believe he finally reunited with Eloise, that has to be his happy ending.
- What would be yours?
- Mine? Seeing mom again I guess. What about you?
- Knowing I've done all I can here.
- Like what?
- I don't know anything good, then I'd calmly float into the unknown.
- So you don't think we fly.
- Well, floating just seems more probable. I'd like to think its floating,
- Yeah maybe you're right.
- Maybe I am.
She said as she pictured herself slowly floating into nothingness.