she wanted to know the truth. She’d felt as if things were off since leaving the hospital and moving in with Vera. “Then tell me. Tell me everything.”
Tristan nodded. “I’m really not sure where to start,” he began. He rifled his hands through his hair and closed his eyes for a moment. Taking a breath, he started, “Other than what Illeana and I have found out recently, I’ll start at the beginning.”
9
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
“I overheard them talking,” Tristan began. His gaze seemed far and distant although he was staring directly into Ryleigh’s eyes. “My fake parents or, the FP’s as Illeana and I call them…” Ryleigh nodded and tried to not let her mind wander. It was strange. Bizarre. Something unreal and unexpected. She thought for a second that maybe, just maybe, the entire family was crazy and she would make a break for it, run away, and get out of there as soon as possible. “…they were saying something about how Tom and Adrianne were holding up nicely. They were talking to someone else on the phone, and I assumed they could have been talking about someone else, but, we figured out that it had to do with your mom and dad.”
“When was this?” Ryleigh interrupted.
“It was about three months ago. Illeana and I just found out that you moved in with Vera. The FP’s thought we were still at school, but it was half-day or something like that. We never made too much noise coming home; besides, our house is as big as yours.”
Ryleigh said dismissively, “It’s not really my house.”
“Illeana would immediately go change as soon as we got home and I am always hungry, so I headed for the kitchen. That’s when I overheard them. Normally, I wouldn’t have thought anything about it, but their voices…,” Tristan trailed off almost whispering. “They were different. They weren’t my parents. They were… They were someone else. They didn’t even know I was standing there. At first, I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t even know what to say as I walked by. But, I heard them. I heard them say what they said. And then I went upstairs and told Illeana. That’s when we decided to just play along and see what happened.”
Immediately, the world around Ryleigh deafened and her skull felt a tremendous pressure. She was having a hard time processing this information. That her parents were still alive after having to deal with their deaths. Missing them every hour of every day. Not after three months. That would place her moving in with Vera at the time that Tristan overheard this conversation. She couldn’t breathe.
Almost gasping for breath, Ryleigh asked, “So. What do we do now? Where are my parents? Where are you parents?” It was taking every ounce of control she had not to allow the tears welling in her eyes to come crashing down.
“Well, let me ask you this… what do you know about your parents?”
Ryleigh was puzzled by Tristan’s question. What did that even mean? She only knew her parents. She had no idea about the extended family she’d recently been introduced to. “I thought I knew my parents, but you know, I didn’t even know I had grandparents.” Tristan nodded and then said, “You need to talk to Vera. She needs to give you some insight into who you really are. I can’t say much more than that. All I can do,” Tristan said moving closer to Ryleigh, “is show you.”
“Don’t be afraid,” he said calmly as he took another step. His voice emanated a tone that soothed her nervousness. She knew he wasn’t going to hurt her.
Tristan reached out to her and grabbed her hands. Ryleigh felt an electric jolt
Tristan nodded. “I’m really not sure where to start,” he began. He rifled his hands through his hair and closed his eyes for a moment. Taking a breath, he started, “Other than what Illeana and I have found out recently, I’ll start at the beginning.”
9
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
“I overheard them talking,” Tristan began. His gaze seemed far and distant although he was staring directly into Ryleigh’s eyes. “My fake parents or, the FP’s as Illeana and I call them…” Ryleigh nodded and tried to not let her mind wander. It was strange. Bizarre. Something unreal and unexpected. She thought for a second that maybe, just maybe, the entire family was crazy and she would make a break for it, run away, and get out of there as soon as possible. “…they were saying something about how Tom and Adrianne were holding up nicely. They were talking to someone else on the phone, and I assumed they could have been talking about someone else, but, we figured out that it had to do with your mom and dad.”
“When was this?” Ryleigh interrupted.
“It was about three months ago. Illeana and I just found out that you moved in with Vera. The FP’s thought we were still at school, but it was half-day or something like that. We never made too much noise coming home; besides, our house is as big as yours.”
Ryleigh said dismissively, “It’s not really my house.”
“Illeana would immediately go change as soon as we got home and I am always hungry, so I headed for the kitchen. That’s when I overheard them. Normally, I wouldn’t have thought anything about it, but their voices…,” Tristan trailed off almost whispering. “They were different. They weren’t my parents. They were… They were someone else. They didn’t even know I was standing there. At first, I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t even know what to say as I walked by. But, I heard them. I heard them say what they said. And then I went upstairs and told Illeana. That’s when we decided to just play along and see what happened.”
Immediately, the world around Ryleigh deafened and her skull felt a tremendous pressure. She was having a hard time processing this information. That her parents were still alive after having to deal with their deaths. Missing them every hour of every day. Not after three months. That would place her moving in with Vera at the time that Tristan overheard this conversation. She couldn’t breathe.
Almost gasping for breath, Ryleigh asked, “So. What do we do now? Where are my parents? Where are you parents?” It was taking every ounce of control she had not to allow the tears welling in her eyes to come crashing down.
“Well, let me ask you this… what do you know about your parents?”
Ryleigh was puzzled by Tristan’s question. What did that even mean? She only knew her parents. She had no idea about the extended family she’d recently been introduced to. “I thought I knew my parents, but you know, I didn’t even know I had grandparents.” Tristan nodded and then said, “You need to talk to Vera. She needs to give you some insight into who you really are. I can’t say much more than that. All I can do,” Tristan said moving closer to Ryleigh, “is show you.”
“Don’t be afraid,” he said calmly as he took another step. His voice emanated a tone that soothed her nervousness. She knew he wasn’t going to hurt her.
Tristan reached out to her and grabbed her hands. Ryleigh felt an electric jolt
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