"Cadence! We're so happy to see you!" Liz Findley exclaimed, welcoming her daughter into her home and embrace. "How are you sweetheart?" She planted a kiss on her cheek before taking a step back to survey her oldest daughter, and then pulling her back into her arms.
"I'm okay, Mom," Cadence assured her. She waited for her dad to complete his handshake greeting to Aaron before enveloping him in a tight hug. "I missed you, Dad," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek.
Cadence stopped talking and stared into her sister's hazel eyes. After a long pause, still holding her gaze, she simply said, "Yes." She watched Cassidy's porcelain face begin to crack, starting with a single tear, which splintered into a rivulet of sobs over the course of several seconds as the realization set in. "I'm so sorry, Cassidy," Cadence said, pulling her sister into her arms."How is this possible?" Cassidy asked in disbelief, her head still buried. "I just talked to him, like, last week. He was here... right here... on this couch, giving me a hard time about how short my cheerleadi
Cadence nodded at him confidently before returning to her sister. "We were in a situation where we were trying to bring in a very dangerous Vampire and a team of Vampire Hunters that were angry with us over another situation ambushed us. Elliott died protecting my friend Meagan. He died a hero--he is a hero.""So, how are you going to find this Vampire Hunter, the one that killed Elliott?" Cassidy asked, the wheels in her head clearly spinning.
Clearing the dinner plates was definitely a two-person job considering there had been very little eating going on. Cadence had noticed Cassidy hadn't taken a single bite of the baked chicken their mother had prepared. She was surprised her sister had even made it down the stairs.Liz was rinsing and Cadence was putting the dishes in the dishwasher--their usual arrangement. Cadence knew her mother liked to take advantage of these opportunities to find out information, so as she slipped the dishes into the rack, she waited patiently to see what her mother would ask this time.
The flight from Shenandoah to Kansas City was both short and silent. Cadence spent most of the time trying to concentrate on what she was planning on saying at the memorial later that afternoon, rather than focusing on the fact that her morning had not started out the way she expected it to; she had, once again, woken up alone--something she was certainly not anticipating, not already anyway.Aaron had a perfectly good explanation--he had gone to get her breakfast--which she appreciated. But when she turned over to an empty bed, panic had set in pretty quickly. He had returned within a few mom
Aaron didn't say anything, and Cadence wondered if that was because there really wasn't anything to say or if he was anticipating the beginning of the memorial service. Either way, she sat in silence, her hand in his, trying to keep herself together for the last few minutes before Hannah cued the music and Christian, who was running the sound, began the ceremony in the most unusual and unexpected way, by playing "Don't Fear the Reaper," by Blue Oyster Cult. Like everyone else, Cadence and Aaron glanced around, confused, before breaking out in laughter. After all, it made perfect sense. The last thing that Elliott would want is for anyone to be crying on his account.
As Aaron made his way back to sit beside her, she gave him a reassuring smile, and began to focus on the reverend again. Once it became apparent that the ceremony was just about over, however, Cadence realized that the red-headed woman was gathering up her purse. She was certain Aaron had no idea what was going on--even though he always seemed to know everything; this situation had to be off of his radar. Cadence had to make a decision. As the reverend asked everyone to bow their heads one last time as he went to the Lord, the woman Cadence believed to be Amanda Keen stood and made her way to the nearest exit. With only a second's hesitation, Cadence bolted as well, hoping that if anyone noticed, they would think she was just overcome with emotion.
After a few minutes, they reached the largest of the fountains that decorated a vast green area near the back of the property. It was a simple design, an immense bowl with the statue of a little girl protruding from the middle, a sweet grin on her face, standing on a pillar topped with clouds, pouring out the contents of a watering can into the basin below. Cadence had never really paid any attention to it before, but now that she was standing next to it, she wondered what, if anything, it was supposed to represent."This is Aarolyn," he explained, gesturing at the cherub faced child. "Elliott
"We are having a light luncheon at the main building in a few minutes," Hannah explained as she approached. "Everything all right?""Yes, fine. Why?" Cadence asked as Aaron patted her gently on the back and then went over to talk to Jamie, Shane, and Christian.Hannah shrugged. "You took off out of her so quickly I just wondered if... Oh, my goodness, Cadence! What's that on your hand?"