It had been a couple of weeks. I still had been angry on dad at first. It all faded after I had worked up the nerve to show Frankie the attic the a week after we had gotten told more news than we bargained for.
"Now, what you see up here, you may not ever come back down." I opened the door letting her go up first.
"Wow, it is beautiful. Grandmother knew how to decorate." Frankie was walking around touching everything.
She was a kid in a candy store. "I have something for you."
I sat down patting the seat beside me. "What?"
I pulled out the box handing it to her. "Grandmother left behind a ring for you."
Franks opened the box covering her mouth. "Oh my gosh, it is gorgeous."
"I know. She gave me one too." I held up my hand.
Frankie had tears in her eyes. "They match, expect yours is black and mine is blue."
"I guess grandmother knew our favorite colors." I watched as Frankie put her ring on.
I smiled. "It fits like a charm Franks."
"I see you two found your way to the off-limits part of the house." Dad came up into the attic.
"Honestly, I was up here a couple of weeks ago. This is Franks first time." I gave a guilty look.
"Of course, you did Sloane." Dad went over to the potion books.
Frankie sighed. "Dad."
He held his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry. It's just hard to know if your sister is mad at me still or if we are still at each other's throats."
I got up going over to him while Frankie looked at the other books on the coffee table. "Dad, we are fine. I'm okay. I guess I get why you done it. Moved away and kept it all from us. I just wished you were the one to tell us. I think that is what hurts the most. I had to hear it from people I barely knew."
Dad put a finger under my chin. "You are right. I should have been the one to tell you. I thought I would have time. I didn't know your friends were going to just jump to it."
"That's just who they are. They tell it like it is and rather just rip the band aid off." I chuckled.
Dad hugged me. "I am so sorry. For everything. I should have been there. I should have been a dad."
I felt tears fall. "It is okay. I get it. You were hurting. We all were. We were just dealing with it all in our own way. That's okay."
"Frankie get over here." Dad held his arm out, as did I.
Frankie came over hugging us. We held onto one another. It had been awhile since we felt like a real family. I guess coming to a small place can make you get closer. You have no choice in some ways.
Weeks later:
We had been spending most of our time at Jason's the past two weeks. It was school then Jason's. We would go through book after book reading. I felt like my brain was about to fry.
The guardians weren't the only ones who had to know the history. We did too. The only difference. The guardians were there to make sure the past didn't happen again.
I laid the book I had been reading down on the table in front of me. I put my head in my hands. I was so tired. Between school work and family history reading. I was over it.
The twins came and sat on either side of me. "Are you okay?"
I looked up at them. "No. I am drained. I can't read another word."
They both smiled at one another. "Why don't we go relax?"
"How? This town is small. There isn't much to do here." I laid my head on the table.
I heard Bodhi. "It may be small. But we know how to have fun. Let's go take a drive up to Ashby beach, surf. It's wooded up in that area, the fleet can run around too."
"Surf? It's cold." I looked up at Bodhi.
"Just because we are in Oregon and it's cold, doesn't mean we can't go surfing. We can get wetsuits." Bodhi put her hand her hip.
Ozzi came up to the table. "Did I hear wet suit and surfing, I'm in."
"I am too." Bowie shouted from the back.
I looked over at Jett, Frankie, and Zeke. "You three?"
They looked at one another and nodded. "I guess we are going."
The twins jumped up and over the table shouting in excitement. Everyone made their way out of the study. Jason had almost been run over.
"Where are you kids going?" He had a book in his hand.
No one answered and kept going. I stopped in front of him. "Surfing."
"Don't sound too excited." Jason chuckled.
I rubbed my hands up and down my face a few times. "I'm tired. My brain feels like it could be fried. I just want sleep."
Jason patted my shoulder. "It will be okay. Have fun. You probably need it. It has been weeks of non-stop school and the study. Go and be free."
I grinned. Free. That word was tempting. "Alright, I will be free. See you later Jason."