The Disgraced Angel Book Two: The Dark Guardian

Chapter 39

After two and a half months, Lilly began to wonder if Damon and Angela were ever coming home. She kept in mind what Damon had said before they left. They were coming back. Every morning, she looked out the window to watch for Angela's car to come down the road. Nothing. She carried her phone with her everywhere just in case Angela called. Once again, nothing. Sometimes it was hard to remember the old saying that a watched pot never boils. Either way, she couldn't help it. The two most important people in her life were gone to somewhere, she didn't even think existed. Apparently, she was wrong. Then again, how she had thought places like this after being connected to the devil for so long, she would never be able to explain. In any case, she had no idea when they'd be back. Despite that Lilly kept in mind what Damon had told her, every day it seemed a little less likely that they would return. Some days, she would get mad and yell at herself for even doubting that they would come back. Damon would protect Angela, and knowing how she idolized her father; Angela would do the most she could to protect him and they would come back.

As the weather began to change and it started to turn very hot as the spring months turned to summer months; Lilly woke up every morning like she normally did the last little while. She checked her phone, wondering if Angela had called or texted while she slept. Nothing. As she dressed and prepared for work, she no longer felt the urge to cry, only to scream. She'd gotten used to swallowing this urge through the work day. So she put on a smile for the customers at the restaurant, which felt entirely forced; and went about her day. She didn't say much; only spoke when she was spoken to. Thankfully, the work day went faster than normal today. Good, she just wanted to get home. It was fair to say that Lilly was thoroughly depressed.

On this particular day, however; everything changed. When she got home that evening, she made dinner, as she always did. By the time she was finished eating and watching television however, she was ready to scream. It hurt so badly, she wanted to scream. Why hadn't she gone with them? Stuck with her gut, and gone with them? And then... her phone rang. Good, get her mind off of this craziness, if only for a couple minutes. When she looked at her phone, she was breathless! Angela was calling!

"Oh, my fucking God, where are you guys?!"

Under any other circumstance, she would have been a bit upset to hear Angela laugh because she was worried. Today however, she didn't care one bit. It was a relief to hear her daughter laughing again.

"We just left Oregon State. We'll be home in a couple days."

"Wonderful! Did you get everything you needed?" she asked, worried.

"Hold on, Mom. Let me put you on speaker."

"We got everything she needs, Lilly. We're on our way home." Damon said. Lilly's heart leapt just a little. She never would have imagined the day that would happen. But apparently, that day was here.

"Are you all okay?"

"We're fine, Lilly. We'll be home soon."

"I love you guys."

"We love you too, Mom." Angela spoke again. If she could have she would have kept them on the phone all night. But they hung up after that, and that was all she really needed. For the first time in months, Lilly went to bed with a calm mind and a happy heart. In a couple of days, they would all be home.

Two days later, Lilly called in sick from work just to clean the house. It wouldn't do any good for the three of them to come back to a disgusting apartment. She'd spent most of her days at Damon and Angela's apartment just to feel closer, not that it had done much good; she realized. But it was better than being completely alone. She spent the entire day cleaning the house, finishing the living room last, a couple of hours before they came home. Lilly knew she would have most of the day before they came back, anyway. She couldn't keep herself from sitting out front with a book and some iced tea, though. The sun was starting to set before she heard a car start to slow down. Lilly looked up, and her heart raced when she saw Angela and Damon pull up into the driveway. She stood up and smiled, resisting the strong urge to run to them and hug them both. She wasn't a child.