Sebastian Holloway ran away when he was 15 after a terrible fight with his father. Ten years later, a family crisis forces him to finally return home.
(Author is resurrecting this story, much like Seb. Although I am currently in grad school, so apol...
"If I stay in town for awhile, I want to do it on my own terms," Seb folded his arms once his mother had calmed down.
"Of course. What do you have in mind?"
"First off, I don't want to become the prodigal son," Seb began slowly. "In fact, I want to decide who, how, and when to tell everyone that I'm here. Second, I'm not moving home to pretend we're a happy little family . . ."
"I assumed you would want to stay with Jasper anyway," his mother interjected.
"Good, that's what I was thinking as well if he'll have me." Seb turned to face his mother and look into her cloudy blue eyes, taking hold of her hand. "My third condition is the most important one: I don't want Martin to know I'm here, for as long as possible that is."
"But how are you going to heal your relationship if he doesn't know you're here?"
"I'll tell him when I'm ready, but not until then."
Mama looked like she was about to protest, but the door handle shook. Seb, fearing the worst, took a deep breath and watched as the door swung open.
"Mama, are you feeling up to . . ." Rebekah said as she entered, then stopped at the sight of Seb talking to his mother. He could easily see her confusion. To her, it looked like a strange man was sitting on her mother's bed, holding her hand. It was a scandalous situation in every respect and Rebekah's confusion quickly turned to anger.
"You need to leave," Rebekah demanded of the brother she didn't know, marching over to him as if ready to pull him away by force if necessary.
"Rebekah, sit!" Mama said with as much strength as she could muster. Rebekah looked like she wanted to question this request, but thought better of it and sat down in the chair by the bed. Instinctively, Seb marched over and closed the door, not wishing to add anyone else to this conversation. He then lingered at the foot of the bed, letting his mother start the conversation.
"Rebekah, honey, do you remember anything about your brother Sebastian?" Mama asked carefully, giving a side glance toward Seb.
"Barely," Rebekah replied. "But what does that matter? He's been dead for years."
"Honey," Mama reached out and took the girl's hand. "What I'm about to tell you might be hard to understand, but I beg you to try. But it turns out that Sebastian is not dead like we thought he was, that he is still is alive."
"Then why has he never contacted us?" Rebekah asked. "If he's alive, why not write home and why not visit?"
"Because he couldn't," Seb interjected.
"And how would you know?"
"Because my name is Sebastian Holloway," Seb replied calmly, looking her in the eyes. "And despite what people seem to think, I am very much alive."
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Rebekah's eye grew wide as she looked at Seb, searching for any kind of evidence to confirm or deny this accusation as she stood and walked toward him.
"How is this possible?" Rebekah asked him, still looking at him as both intruder and ghost.
"It's a long story," Seb replied, running his hand through his hair nervously. "But none of the story involves my death, I can tell you that much."
Rebekah reached out and touched his chin as if testing whether he was physically in front of her. When she felt the sharp little hairs of his scruff, she jumped slightly. In her mind, he has been dead for more than half of her lifetime. Seeing him couldn't be easy and would seem nearly impossible to comprehend.
"You're real?" Rebekah said in a half-shocked question.
"Yeah."
"Then get out of here!" Rebekah shouted as she changed her sweet gesture to slap Seb across the face.
"Rebekah!" Her mother yelled, but she didn't pay any attention to her. She kept her focus on Seb, looking at him like he was the devil.
"All you bring is hate," Rebekah snapped. "When you left, it was like we could breathe. Are you come back to send Mama to her grave? You are not welcome here and you certainly are not wanted here."
Her words stung. Deep down, he knew she was right. His absence had been for the best and now his return would threaten the future of his family. If Rebekah hated him, the other reactions would be worse. She had the least connection with him, other than perhaps Tom, so if she felt so strongly about him being there, so would the others.
"I asked him to come home," their mother explained. "I want this family whole before I die. Now, Sebastian has agreed to try. Can you do the same?"
"No," Rebekah shook her head as tears started to form. "All I remember of you is the yelling. You're not welcome in my life."
"Then at least keep this knowledge to yourself," Seb pleaded. "Let me meet with everyone else, let them come to their own conclusions, then maybe I can work on changing your opinion of me."
"Fine," Rebekah frowned. "But not because you asked. I don't want their reactions on my hands." Rebekah looked from Seb to her mother and back to Seb. "I want nothing to do with this. Whatever happens now, I take no part in it. Stay in town, leave, make good on your already presumed death—I don't care. But leave me out of it."
And with that, Rebekah stormed out of the bedroom, her shoulders bouncing from her sobs. Seb stood in the middle of the room, shocked. He knew that his older siblings would be a difficult reunion, but he had never expected such a reaction from Rebekah. She was sweet and young. If she had such hatred for him, he couldn't imagine how much worse it would be with those who remembered him.
"You really think it's a good idea to stay?" Seb asked his mother. "They all hate me."
"Rebekah was shocked and angry," his mother said flatly. "Give her time to feel. It's a lot to take in."
"I guess you're right," Seb sighed. He knew his own feelings in this situation—the nerves, the hurt, the uneasiness—and he couldn't fault anyone else for feeling the same way.
"She'll keep quiet," his mother assured him. "That'll give you time to tell the others on your own terms. But you should leave now. Tom will be home from school soon, and unlike Rebekah, he will tell everyone you're here. So if you want your gradual reunion, I suggest you leave."
And that is what Seb did. Without another word, he turned around and escorted himself out of the house all the while questioning why he had even bothered coming home in the first place.
