The Test

Chapter 20

Layna

After getting the okay from my doctor, we left for Toronto the following afternoon, arriving in the evening. Tom and Steve were also coming down, but they weren't able to fly in until the day of the funeral.

As Derek drove us in our rental car through the city, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. I was back in the city that I had grown up in, and seeing everything again for the first time in a while caused a warmth to spread through my chest. It was December now, and a light snow had started to fall as we drove, making everything look just that much more beautiful.

But as happy I was to be back home, it also brought me that much closer to Timothy as well. When the case on him had gone to trial, he had pleaded not criminally responsible, and the judge had accepted the plea. He had been sent to a maximum security prison for the criminally insane just outside of Toronto, where he was getting treatment.

Dr. Jones words were running through my head, and I was at a loss for what I should do. I wanted desperately to bring it up with Derek and get his input, but I didn't want to burden him now when he was so emotionally compromised. He had just lost his father and was barely holding it together. I was scared that if I brought up anything to do with my kidnapping it could break what little control over his emotions that he had.

There was a comfortable silence in the car as we drove towards Derek's childhood home. Mrs. Jackson had invited us to stay at her house during the time we would be back in Toronto and we had accepted. I knew Derek missed his mom, and to be honest so did I. Talking to her over the phone, and the occasional Skype session wasn't the same as having her physically in front of us, so we wanted to be able to spend as much time with her as we could while we were in the city.

When we arrived at the house, Derek pulled into the driveway and parked the car. I got out stretching my sore back, and couldn't help but look over to where my old house was. It looked the same as I remembered it, but also completely different. A warm hand on my waist broke me out of my reverie, and I smiled softly up at Derek.

With Derek carrying our suitcase, we made our way up the path to the house, and I rang the doorbell. It only took a minute for the door to be opened, and I was greeted by a very enthusiastic Adelia Jackson who immediately pulled me into her arms, efficiently squeezing the life out of me.

"Oh Layna, I've missed you so much!" She said happily. She looked the same as I remembered; Derek had gotten his dark hair and light eyes from his mom. The only change I could tell was that her eyes had dark circles under them from lack of sleep. I couldn't help but hug her a little tighter, unable to imagine the pain she was going through.

"Thanks mom," he huffed as he made the way up the walkway. "Nice to see that I'm loved around here."

I ignored him, and pulled back from the hug, "It's nice to see you again too, though I wish they weren't under these circumstances."

"I know," she said sadly, resting her hand on my stomach. "But, in a couple of months this little munchkin is going to be here, so that's a beautiful miracle that I get to look forward to."

"You're going to be the best grandma that this baby could ever have," Derek said, putting down his suitcases and wrapping his arms around his mother.

"That's because I'm going to be the only grandmother."

"That is also true," he said, a smile on his face as he placed a kiss on the crown of her head.

Shaking her head while she tried to hide her own smile, she ushered us into the living room where we made ourselves comfortable on the couch. Adelia made us some tea, and we sat together, catching up until late in the night. When we could all barely keep our eyes open, we said goodnight, and made our way to our respective bedrooms.