The Perfect Family

The Reunion

Vincent:

Seeing my face was obviously not much comfort to Cora, because she started to hyperventilate so badly that she nearly fainted. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body became limp.

She would have completely blacked out if I hadn't taken my hand away from her mouth and used it to pat her gently on the cheek. "Snap out of it, baby." I said, "I know this is a shock, but I promise that I will not hurt you. You have to believe that."

Her eyelids fluttered for a moment before her brown eyes rolled back forward.  She sucked in a breath and steadied her feet, then she opened her mouth and let out a hoarse whisper.  "This is just a bad dream. Trevor is still alive and you are dead."

I shook my head.  "No, you're wrong.  This is real."

"But....y-you can't be alive." Her eyes were now void of any emotion, and her voice was hollow.

"Look at me, Cora.  This is not an illusion.  I have come back to make things right between us."

"There is no way this is real." She put her hand on her forehead and laughed humorlessly. "I have lost my shit hard this time. My mind is really gone."

"Stop talking like that, Cora." I could understand that she was in shock, but there was no need for her to use such filthy language.

She stared into my eyes for several seconds after that, trying to figure out if I really was standing in front of her. The realization that I was here in the flesh knocked the fear back into her, and she let out a scream so loud that my ears rang.

She pushed me away and made another run for the door, but I was able to catch her before she could get away. I wrapped my arm around her waist and put my hand over her mouth again. "Please, you have to be quiet, Cora. There are so many things that I need to say to you. You must listen to me."

Warm tears flowed on to my hand and I whispered a few words of comfort into her ear.  "I saw that boy abusing you this afternoon.  You will never have to worry about that again.  I took care of him for you."

I pulled her further into the house and used a large mirror hanging on the wall to make eye contact with her.  "You really have grown up to be a very beautiful young lady."  I said, using my other hand to run my fingers through her hair.  "You look so much like your mother; very beautiful indeed."

She tensed when I stuck my nose on top of her head to get a smell of her. She had her mother's scent.  It made me long for Emily all the more.

"I know that you and I did not depart on the best of terms, but I want to make it up to you. I want to be the father that you have always deserved, the kind of father that will always love and protect you.  Will you give me that chance again, my sweet Cora?"

"Mmm mmm." She mumbled into my hand, shaking her head with her eyes squeezed shut.

"Now, Cora...you're being very unreasonable.  You should at least give me a chance after all this time."

She looked at me again and her body began to shake like a leaf. The tears fell much faster from her eyes, and she tried to pry my hand away from her face.   Her nails dug hard into my skin.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I cannot take my hand away until I know for sure you will stay quiet.  If someone were to hear you scream, the police would come and I would be sent back to the hospital."

Her chest moved up and down rapidly again.

"Calm down. I don't want you to pass out. Just be still and listen to what I have to say. If you do that, I promise you'll feel much better about all of this."