1927: Redemption

Talk with Talia

“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of. A trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack otherwise impossible.”

- C.S. Lewis

2021-DECEMBER-FLORIDA

Two days have passed since thanksgiving and Adeline was totally freaking out. Now it was Saturday, and she had only ten days left, and she was no closer to figuring out what she was supposed to do from now on.

And, news flash- Adeline had read everything, and in everything means the entire stack of documents left by James as well as her saviour, the beast- Williams, who had abandoned her, again!

Now, she was on her own.

Well, whatever the hell she was supposed to do should do her a favour and make itself known in the next few days. Adeline was praying that she was going to make headway someway, somehow tonight, since she was scheduled for work at the coffee house. It was a bonus that she would get to see Talia, too.

Dragging herself home off the subway after meeting with Dr Carter usually went there ignoring the questions and completing the formalities. Well, she took a hot, pounding shower for as long as possible before she had to head for work. Hospitals always made her feel dirty- not knowing why, but Adeline always felt dirty after visiting the hospital.

Her thoughts kept drifting in and out of the most random things possible on the train ride over to the coffee house. This usually happened when she had too much free time on her hands, and the Lord only knew she hadn’t had enough of that lately.

When Adeline finally got to the coffee house, her teeth were chattering and it was a relief to finally step inside the warm, cinnamon-scented place.

“Oh, hello, Adeline. Is it cold outside?”

Looking at the front counter, Adeline saw Talia and god did she look horrible. Her hair might have gained a few more streaks of grey, it looked like she hadn’t slept in two days, and the dark bags underneath her eyes sort of gave her the garish appearance of a raccoon.

“Too cold, I should have worn an extra jacket today,” Adeline answered, forcing a smile.

“I probably should have called,” Talia said, wiping down the front counter with a bit of force. “It’s kind of dead in here. You should not have had to come in.”

Well, that was surprisingly upsetting. Why would Talia not want her to come?

“Oh…no, that’s okay,” Adeline said slowly. “It’s empty at my place… like always. Besides I wanted to see you, it feels like we haven’t talked in ages.”

Talia glanced over at her as she walked behind the counter to the kitchen to drop her stuff off by the coat rack.

“Yeah… I know, it slipped my mind.” Said Talia as Adeline returned with her apron on.

She shrugged. “Not a problem. I’m used to it now, you know it’s been five years now….. yeah I’m used to it now. Being lonely and all… totally fine..”

Adeline didn’t know why she was babbling like an i***t, telling Talia something she probably didn’t even need to know, but it sort of felt good getting that off her chest.

“Sweetie, I’m sorry… I didn’t know you were”

“Oh, no, it’s okay, really, Talia-”

Talia held up her hand, cutting Adeline off. “Whenever you feel like it, you can come here. It’s your home too, Adeline. It’s not right to be left alone so much.”

Okay, that was literally the last thing she was expecting her to say. Adeline knew she was a kind, caring person but to the point where she was willing to house her for a few days was just the slightest bit surprising and she wasn't sure if staying in Jonathan's house was going to end up turning into a catastrophe. For Ace or for her was the question.

“Thank you….” Adeline trailed off, biting her lip. “I’m just…oh, I don’t know…umm… how are you?”

Talia smiled a bit in sympathy. “I’m fine, Adeline. Just fine.”

That was definitely a lie and she could tell that much although she wasn’t a super-intelligent genius like Ace.

Glancing around at the rest of the coffee house Adeline was sure enough that Talia was right. There were barely any patrons in here at all, and it was almost six in the evening.

It was the perfect time for a talk, right? Probably not, but it was now or never. Ten days were ten days.

“I, uh… really liked the rest of the family,” Adeline started, hopping up to sit on the counter.

“Good,” Talia said, her voice sounding a little weary. “I’m glad, and they liked you too.”

This was clearly going nowhere.

Adeline fell silent for a moment, watching Talia as she went about restarting the pastries in the case. She knew Talia was sort of a heartbroken person, but it hadn’t ever been this obvious to her before. She must have been as good at hiding her emotions as Ace was.

“Look, Adeline…. I don’t know what to say…”

“If you’re talking about Thanksgiving, then don’t.”

Talia looked up at her in surprise, her eyes widening, “Excuse me.”

Adeline flushed bright red and immediately fixed her gaze on her shoes, but kept talking. “It’s not only you who have kept eyes on me for the last five years Talia. I’m also good at observing, I’ve known about it for a long time. Besides, Ace told me what happened. I don’t think it’s anything you need to apologise for.”

Talia said back on the floor with a baffled look on her face, as if she couldn’t really believe what Adeline had just said. She figured that Talia wasn’t very public about what had happened to her, or her PTSD. Sure, she had gotten just about everything from Ace, but a lot of these were assumptions Adeline made on her own. She highly doubted they were wrong, however.

“I see,” Talia finally said, sounding very weary.

Adeline didn’t know what to say to that.

Was there anything she could say to comfort Talia?

“I’m sorry, Talia. If I could only do anything…”

Talia barked out a laugh, her eyes bright and shining with unshed tears. “Don’t apologise, Adeline. What happens happens. It’s in the past, and there’s not anything we can do about it.”

“No,” Adeline said suddenly. “No, that is not true at all. What was in the past was in the past you are right about that but there was nothing there that said we couldn’t move on from those horrible things, change our opinions of them, to try and make life worth living, life was always worth living even if it did not seem like it…. You still have Katerina, Carolina, and Ace,” Adeline pointed out hesitantly. “And me of course.”

Talia gave a watery laugh, wiping at her eyes with her shirt sleeves. “You’re just like Rose. Always ready with a monologue. Sure she is not with us anymore, but her fiery spirit is alive in you.”

“Everyone says that I’m like her, like my mother,” Adeline continued on with a sudden upsurge of confidence. She slid off the counter and sat cross-legged on the floor beside Talia, folding her hands in her lap. “If I would have only known her, seen her… it’s just that…. I don’t know. I just want to see all of you guys be happy, I want to bring that happiness among us, it’s like the path is in front of me- but I’m not able to seize the opportunity at hand. We all deserve better after everything we have been through. I’m probably messing this up right now, and I don’t think I’m making much sense here because I’m rambling like an i***t, but I hope you get it….”

Talia burst out laughing and held up a hand to stop her random string of babbling. “I know, sweetie. I know what you are getting at. And, if your mother would have been alive she would have been proud of how beautiful and intelligent a woman you have become.” Said Talia, caressing Adeline’s face.

Sighing a heave of breath, “How was she? My mom….” Asked Adeline.

Talia sighed, her eyes glistening as she looked up at her. “She was a ray of sunshine. Brightened everyone’s life in this house. Kevin’s dad loved her the most out of all of her siblings. But, after her death, everything changed.”

Adeline frowned, thinking about what Talia said. “Why?”

“We did not just lose Rose and Jack, but along with her Kevin’s Dad sanity too. He was lost without her and having someone murdered in the family isn’t really something to be proud of. Nobody talks about it because nobody wants to accept something as bad as that actually happened. Why do you think Arris was away from his house?”

Adeline’s jaw dropped, nearly hitting the floor. “Because of his grandfather?”

Talia nodded grimly, a hand at her forehead….

And Adeline knew she was going to listen to the worst story ever, well a part she had already heard from Ace, but let us see what Talia would reveal.

What do you think Talia has to say to her?