An hour after that incident, everyone was in the waiting area and Verona was recuperating in a private room, they were trying to take-in what had happened "how's Verona?" Hawkes asked Archie.
"She's resting now," Archie answered.
"What are we going to do now?" Perfida quipped.
"When you said he's getting worse, I didn't know it was this bad," Nyles was standing with them, still in disbelief at what Roland did.
"I think he knows that he's hurting people," Hawkes said to him. "All we need to do is for him to find peace in everything so he can crossover."
"How?"
"We need to find him first and when we do, we'll talk to him again."
"But where do we find him?" Perfida asked.
"We don't have to find him, Verona and Nyles are here, we just have to wait for him," Archie said.
"He's right," Hawkes agreed.
"Can't you two summon him or something?" Nyles questioned.
"I can't," Perfida answered.
"Because it doesn't work that way, we wouldn't have to be here if we could," Hawkes said. "Right now, I suggest we have to stay here and think of our next move."
Nyles was alone outside the hospital in deep thought again, Archie found him there, he cleared his throat so Nyles turned around "oh! it's you."
"Mind if I join you out here, son?" Archie asked.
"No, not at all, sir."
"Please, call me Archie," he took out a cigar from his pocket. "Want one?"
"No, thank you."
"Alright," he lighted up his cigar and started smoking with the safety laser. "So how are you dealing with all this?"
"I know I saw it happening with my two eyes but it's still so unbelievable."
"A lot of things are."
"That's right," Nyles agreed. "I know it got to this but I just wish that it didn't get to this."
"Compare to me, I think you'd be a great dad."
"What do you mean?"
"I had my son with me but I wasn't the father like he was to my granddaughters," Archie expressed.
"Perfida did told me that."
"But I didn't see that, I missed a lot of years, when he was a boy until his adulthood, I didn't take care of him instead, all I did was party, drinking and women but he turned out fine. Sometimes, I think I don't deserve my grandkids after what I did to him."
"I think wherever he is, he'll say otherwise."
"And I think, you shouldn't beat yourself up too, you're here now, you can still meet your son."
"Yeah, I can still make it right but I have to start somewhere first."
-----
Verona woke up, she sat up but she was holding her chest and Perfida was there to look after her "Verona," she called softly. "Are you okay? do you want me to call the doctor?"
"No," Verona coughed. "I'm okay, what happened? where's Roland?"
"Roland is gone.. somewhere and Dominic will be moving to another room because well, the window in the door shattered because of him but don't worry, he didn't get hurt and no one got hurt too."
"That's good to hear."
Nyles then saw Verona was awake through the window of the door so he took a deep breath and decided to go inside "ahem," he cleared his throat to get their attention, the two saw him standing by the door. "Perfida... I want to talk to Verona...alone."
"It's okay, sweetie, I'll be fine."
"Sure," Perfida stood up and walked out the door feeling concerned if Nyles might do something to Verona, Perdita was there outside with Bryce and Harrison. "Purdy!"
"What is it, Peachy?" Perdita asked.
"Nyles is in there with Verona, can you please keep an eye on them?"
"Sure," Perdita went through the door and started watching them.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to confront you or anything," Nyles walked to the window like he was avoiding to look at her.. "This has been a weird summer, don't you think?"
"I agree, so why are you here?" Verona asked.
Nyles sighed and turned to look at her "I want to say, thank you."
"What?" she did not expect that.
"It got me thinking that maybe I was being unreasonable twenty years ago, you were right to raise him... instead of me," then he turned to her. "And I'm sorry for what I said earlier about Dominic."
"You really have become a fine man, Nyles, I wish I saw that a long time ago."
"Hawkes told me that Roland needed peace to crossover and as a father, I should set an example and by doing that, I want to make peace with you," he tightened his fist reasons of that last part was very hard to say, Verona really felt remorseful and started crying.
"I'm so sorry," she weeped. "I admit I was selfish and wrong to keep him away from you and wanted to keep that secret to my grave" that was difficult for Nyles to hear but he was strong enough to not get angry. "Roland was like you, he had you're talent and love for arts, he was adventurous like Geneva."
"Really?" he smiled.
"Yes, he loved painting landscapes like the ones that Geneva loved to go."
"Yeah, Jen always liked the outdoors, she would take me hiking even though I get tired easily and she asked me to draw the mountains," he reminisced. "She dreamt to have a cottage for her to explore the woods and for me to sketch them."
"Nyles, I really am sorry that I put you through this".
"You know, after everything that's happening, I learn that life is short so there's no reason for me to be mad at you. I forgive you," he sincerely said to her.
"Thank you, Nyles," she sobbed and smiled at him, Perdita was still there seeing that heartfelt scene then she left the room.
-----
"I see you patched things up with Hawkes," Archie walked up to Perfida.
"Yeah," Perfida nodded.
"I really am proud of you, Peach."
"Thanks, Papoli," then they hugged, Perdita appeared in front of them.
"They didn't fight," Perdita said to them.
"Who?" Archie asked.
"Oh! uhm... Nyles and Verona."
"I asked Purdy to check on them because I thought Nyles might do something to her," Perfida explained. Hawkes was watching over Dominic then he felt this headache, he had a premonition, it was like he was seeing things through Roland's eyes, he was in the living room, destroying things and scratching the walls, Hawkes got back to reality then he got out the room. He found the others in Verona's room and Perfida saw him coming "hey! what's up?" she asked him.
"It's Roland, he's out of control," Hawkes warned.
"Where is he?" Nyles quipped.
"I just had a premonition, maybe one of you knows, I saw a living room with nice furnitures and big fireplace by the stairs..."
"That's my house," Verona gasped.
"We have to go there then," Hawkes told them but Verona looked traumatize.
----
They arrived in the mansion but not Archie, Bryce and Harrison, it looked more angsty than the last time because now, it was haunted by Roland, the entrance was wide open, they could hear something thumping, breaking, and scratching and they were still inside the car "you weren't kidding when you said he's out of control," Perdita said.
"Come on, before he brings the house down."
They got out the car, Perfida turned and there was an object coming right at her so she ducked and it pass through Perdita so it hit the car, they saw what it was, "a picture frame?" Perfida picked it up, it was a small portrait of Roland, then she gave it to Verona.
"Uhm... thank you, sweetie," Verona said to her.
"Here goes nothing," Hawkes said to them, they stuck together and slowly got inside, there was the portrait of Verona and Baron with their faces smudged and things flung across the main entrance. Perfida, Perdita and Hawkes could hear crying, they looked up and it was Roland crying on top of the stairs.
"Where is he?"
"Over there by the stairs," Perfida pointed, Roland saw them and everthing in the house stopped moving. "And now, he's looking right at us."
"Stay calm," Hawkes told them.
"What are you doing here?" Roland asked walking down the stairs.
"They wanted to talk to you. Please, listen, hear them out."
"He's coming," Perfida said to them.
"Don't hurt them," Perdita stuttered to Roland.
"It's okay, Perdita, I don't think he wants to hurt us," Hawkes assured her. "Right, Roland?" Nyles and Verona looked at them in a strange way because they were like they were talking an imaginary friend.
"He's right, I'm not going to hurt them," Roland said to Perdita, then he gazed around the place. "This was my home."
"What's going on?" Nyles asked them.
"He's just reminiscing the place," Hawkes replied, Roland then looked at Nyles.
"Dad," Roland called softly to Nyles.
"I think he wants to talk to you," Perfida told Nyles.
"Yes, Roland?" Nyles replied to his son even though he couldn't see him.
"I'm so happy that you're here," Roland voiced. "I'm just sad that we had to meet like this."
"He said that he's happy that you're here but he's sad that you had to meet him like this," Hawkes repeated.
"This isn't how I imagine to meet you too but as long as it's you, I'll take what I can get," Nyles chuckled.
"Roland, I am sorry that I didn't tell you the truth in the first place," Verona apologized then she started balling again. "I admit, everything is my fault". Roland could tell that she was sincere to her words.
"I forgave her, son, for you, it got me thinking too that if it wasn't for her, you wouldn't have a better life."
"You see, Roland, Verona is repenting for what she did and your dad forgave her," Perdita said to him. "Aren't you happy?"
"I am," Roland responded. "I'm sorry too mom for running off and for what I did to Dominic."
"He said he's sorry too for running off and hurting Dominic," Perfida repeated.
"He's going to be fine, Roland," Verona assured him.
"Roland, she said that you like to paint, I'm an artist too," Nyles told his son then he took his phone and opened his portfolio "look" he put his phone out to him but in the wrong way just a few degrees from where Roland was standing so Perfida moved his arm to the right way. It really confirmed to Roland that he got his skills from Nyles as he showed his artwork to him one-by-one. "I recently made a painting of you," he showed him the faceless son paintings. Roland finally found closure because he got what he wanted, he met his father and accepted Verona's apology, all of a sudden there was a bright light appeared in the living room, he, Perfida, Perdita and Hawkes saw it, it didn't even hurt Perfida's eyes, she could see right at it, the place just got brighter. "Wow! now what's happening?"
"Roland is crossing over," Hawkes informed, Nyles and Verona were disheartened but they know he had to.
"What's that?" Roland turned around and was bewildered at it.
"It's the light," Perdita said then they saw Geneva and Baron wearing white and smiling at them, she put her hand out to welcome his son.
"Mom."
"Go on," Perdita nudged, he was about to walk but then he realized something.
"Aren't you coming?" Roland asked Perdita knowing that she too was a spirit.
Perdita shook her head at him "my time here is not over yet."
"Oh! thank you, all of you," Roland was beaming.
"He's gonna go to the light," Perfida was becoming emotional.
"Paint the heavens for me, Roland," Nyles sniffled. "Your mom loves beautiful landscapes type."
"I will miss you, Roland," Verona sobbed, Perfida consoled her.
"I will miss you too, goodbye, mom, goodbye, dad," Roland said to them. "I will watchover you."
"He said that he'll watchover you," Perfida started tearing up.
"I know," Nyles respond, Roland turned around and walked to the light, he disappeared with it.
"He's gone, he went to the light," Hawkes told them, Verona felt a heavy punch to her heart and just embraced Perfida, Nyles was also feeling the pain of letting go but like Roland, he also felt at peace. Perfida and Perdita smiled at each other, Hawkes was also simpering at the fact that everyone was healing from everything that had happened.