Restoration: Book 1/3

Chapter 5

Over the next week, I dressed for school and left the house nearly an hour early each day, hoping to avoid running into either Madara or Masumi. Hanabi's bike was gone each time, so I assumed she was doing the same thing.

Over the past few days, I'd overheard illogical conversations between the two adults in the house. They talked about my father, of course, and my sister and me, but they also talked about some kind of Summer camp.

They referred to it as "The Program" and discussed it daily. I couldn't catch every word they said because I didn't want to get closer and potentially be spotted, but what I heard confused me.

Madara spoke of aliens, which wasn't unusual for him given his line of work, but he spoke of them like their existence was a fact and not a hypothesis. He must be crazier than I thought, which is quite a bit. You must be at least a little messed up in the head to immediately move in on a widow just days after her husband's death.

The fact that both acted so nonchalantly about their relationship made me suspicious that they somehow had something to do with the lab accident. How would I ever be able to prove it, though?

On Friday evening, just before bed, Masumi called Hanabi and me downstairs. We hadn't sat down for dinner since the funeral, and everyone's been sort of fending for themselves for food, so it was the first time since the big fight with her and Madara that we were all together.

To my utter disdain, the man was waiting beside her. She gestured for us to sit at the dining table, and we both did without argument. It seems she'd realized that I wouldn't argue much when her new boyfriend was around after he grabbed me and used it to take control of the situation.

My stepmother spoke once my sister and I were seated, "I want to talk to you both about what happened."

I felt Hanabi's hand slip into mine under the table and gave her a small, supportive squeeze as the older woman continued.

"Madara and I were having an affair before your father's death, I admit, and I am deeply regretful that we didn't get the chance to come clean about it before...."

She pretended to get choked up, but her acting was subpar. When both my sister nor I refused to console her, she pulled herself together and continued, "We were planning on telling him, and I was going to file for divorce. I don't want you two to see me in the terrible light you do now. Yes, I made a huge mistake, but I'm human. I'm sorry!"

Masumi was speaking as though she cared what we both thought of her, but she was just pleading with Hanabi and only included me to try to make her case more believable in her daughter's eyes.

My sister spoke up for the first time, her voice wavering as she tried to keep control of her emotions, "How could you do this to Dad? I thought you loved him!"

Madara was simply watching the scene unfold in silence. It was probably the best thing he could do because if he tried to join the conversation as of now, both Hanabi and I would most likely lose our tempers.

"I did love your father, baby, and I still do, but when you're older, you'll realize that sometimes that's not enough. Relationships are hard; sometimes it's best to let someone go rather than let your love turn into hate."

Tears fell down my sister's cheeks, and her voice cracked when she replied. "Why couldn't you wait until...until we've had a chance to mourn before...." Her voice trailed off as she started to sob.

The hand I held slid out of my grasp, and she covered her face. I grit my teeth to keep myself from chiming in with a disrespectful comment toward her mother, knowing well that it wouldn't be helpful to her right now.