SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Thirty-Six: Erin's Permanence
Chapter Thirty-Six: Erin’s Permanence
MAINE was dropped off in front of the Bismarck mansion’s gates with a dazed expression, still in a trance about what happened in the car.
A blush crept from her neck to her cheeks as second-hand embarrassment kicked in. Holy mother of god, she just frenched the stiff Detective who’s, by the way, older than her by nine or ten years. Oh, my!
After the kiss, Maine remained silent for the rest of the trip going back to Sutton City. Philip, too, didn’t speak about his impulsive actions earlier. Neither of them wanted to talk about what just happened, afraid of knowing the answer themselves.
It was Maine’s fault, anyway. She was blabbering her emotions and sentiments in front of a man who lives by his “one question, one answer” rule. Naturally, he doesn’t know how to silence someone’s outburst because he did so poorly with hers.
Oh, how he kissed you senseless. Is that what you described as “poorly”? Her mind teased, clearly opposing her attempts to invalidate any morsel of attraction that she now felt for the man.
Is this bound to happen? She can’t help but ask herself that. Am I lusting for an old man?
Maine Bismarck has this urge to sob because of the foreign sensations and awareness that has awakened inside her but she stopped herself just in time because her brother, Max, marched towards her with his wife in tow. Hyacinth struggled to keep up with the ground-eating strides of the angered Maximillian.
At last, he now stood in front of her.
“In under no circumstances that you’ll talk to Detective Mayers without me around. Is that clear, Maine?”
She nodded with tears. Oh, boy. Maine couldn’t stop the traitorous moisture from slipping out of her eyelids. They continued to stream like waterfalls on her pale cheeks.
She’s overwhelmed by the fact that Erin and Hyacinth will disappear for a decade. She’s agitated because her first kiss happened as a consequence of an unladylike outburst of emotions in front of a man who seemed to possess a stone-cold heart. She hated herself for not being able to help. She hated herself for lusting for an old man named Philip Mayers.
And the worst thing is that she didn’t even know which emotion should she deal with first.
Max touched her cheek. “What’s the matter, sweetie?” His thunderous expression earlier melted away and was replaced with brotherly concern.
Maine couldn’t bring herself to discuss the conversation between her and Ben Sinclair. She would hate to see him miserable when he realized that there was nothing they could do to stop fate.
Hyacinth went to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder when she saw her trembling. “Maine, share it with us. We’ll listen.”
She nodded as she exhaled, remembering what Philip had told her before he dropped her off.
There’s no use in hiding the truth from them. They need to know this soon or it will be too late to save Erin from uncertainties.
And Maine started to impart the knowledge she had regarding the threads. She saw the sadness in Hyacinth’s eyes and the hurt that registered in Max’s expression as the couple stared at each other, their eyes conversing silently on acceptance and promises that only they would know.
Hyacinth sighed heavily, then walked to her husband and whispered in his ear, Max closed his eyes and kissed Hyacinth’s cheeks one last time before Hyacinth went inside the house.
The scene almost felt like a goodbye.
Maine touched her brother’s arm. “Where is she going?”
Max regarded her with sadness that almost broke her. “She’ll bring Erin back to the future.”
.
.
Erin’s chest contracted as her mother approached her. The two-year-old Erin is in her crib playing with toys, oblivious to the emotional scene between the two.
Hyacinth lowered her head to kiss the baby’s forehead. “Erin, honey, see you in a decade.”
A glistening teardrop landed on the baby’s forehead and the baby muttered incomprehensible words that almost shattered Hyacinth.
“Can you believe this, Erin? I didn’t disappear because I don’t want anything to do with you.” Hyacinth lifted her head to meet her teenage daughter’s stare. “It might feel like I abandoned you for a decade, but for me, I never left your side. Technically, I was beside you all along, guiding you. Saving you. Being here with you when you needed me the most.”
Erin’s heart exploded inside her chest and ran into her mother’s arms. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry you have to do this because of me.” Erin sniffled and wailed against her mother’s chest. “If only I didn’t touch Dad’s thread, I’ll not be here and cause trouble—"
Hyacinth shushed her. “Erin, you are a possibility that we chose. Your father and I chose you as our future, and altering fate comes with consequences.” She sobbed when Erin shook her head. “We’ll endure the consequences for you, Erin. We’ll always choose you above everything else.”
“But what about you and Dad—”
“We will meet in the future.” Hyacinth touched her cheek, then her palms crawled their way to the dangling thread behind Erin’s back. “I now know why I have a dangling gray thread in my back.”
Erin’s shattered heart throbbed in anguish. “Why, mom?”
“A gray thread means a sacrifice for another being’s life. I’ll sacrifice a crucial part of my life saving you from the chaos of fate, Erin.” Hyacinth kissed her cheek. “A gray thread didn’t necessarily mean death. It only meant a significant sacrifice.” With that, Hyacinth grabbed the thread behind her daughter’s back, and the two disappeared into thin air like a dark smoke dissipating as it scattered into the vacuum.