Ve'Rah Daa (The Ephemeral: Book 3)

Chapter 47

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a large, misty space with no walls in sight. An inch of clear, still water covered the ground, reflecting the white nothingness around me, and the sky was open and colorless above.

Unlike the other dimensions I'd encountered, my senses did not feel detached here. In this plane, my existence was whole: body, soul, and consciousness. I could feel the humidity on my skin, the brightness on my eyes, the clarity in my mind.

For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel at war with myself.

A man approached from the fog, his hands in his pockets, his feet sending small ripples across the glass-like surface. As he drew closer, I recognized his old work boots, his hemp shirt—and, as my gaze rose to his tender expression—smile lines, sun spots, and a collection of facial features I never expected to see again.

He stopped a few feet away from me, wearing a sad, patient smile on his lips.

"...Hey, kiddo."

My mouth parted with his moniker on my tongue, a sob building in the back of my throat, but his arms were around me before the strangled sounds could escape my lips.

Solid.

He was a solid body. A tangible memory. An angel waiting for me at the end of this long, harrowing bridge.

The tears came in full force.

"Dad...I'm so sorry," I gasped into his warm, beating chest. "I'm sorry for everything I said to you. For everything I did."

He pulled back to kiss my brow, those weathered hands falling to grip my shoulders. "Don't apologize for a single thing, Al. The goals you've accomplished, the challenges you've faced...what an extraordinary life you've led."

Fat tears dribbled down my face and off my nose as I shook my head at the floor. "The house...the ranch...it's all gone. And Tom..." Where did I even begin with my brother?

"Alex." He lifted my chin, his gaze wet and fond and so painfully real. "I am beyond proud of the woman you've become, and more importantly, the leader you've proven yourself to be." His brow wilted at my remorseful weeping. "You're the greatest blessing a father could hope for, and I'm sorry I never made that clear to you." He leaned close, those eyes begging me to listen. "You are, and have always been, the starlight of my world, kiddo. Never doubt that."

I bit the inside of my cheek, reining in my breakdown. "I'm not really your daughter though...am I?"

His face softened with understanding, and he tucked a stray curl behind my ear. "You joined the family a little late. But I still raised you. And I still claim you as my own brilliant, disobedient spawn."

I wiped my eyes, a reluctant smile surfacing. "Even if I—"

"Yes," he insisted. "Nothing you've done changes how much I love you, Alex. Nothing."

...Gritz. I didn't deserve this grace.

I'd colonized his daughter's soul, killed his wife and the mother to his children, incited the possession of his only son, and yet...somehow, he'd still managed to forgive me. And better yet, love me.

How?

How had I stumbled upon a family so forgiving?

Hazel eyes cradled my heart. "I thought I could protect you from life and all its nasty thorns. But the day you learned to walk, you ran straight for the thicket." He huffed a laugh. "And my, what a garden you've created, Al."