Between Shadows

by Joanne Durann

  Chapter 26

  At the end of the day, Miranda had made one more decision, so at dinner she told everyone her plans.

  “I realize it’s only been six weeks since I left the human world,” she turned to look at Jared, “but I think I need to go back early and confess to my parents and let them know where my life is. I hope everyone can understand, I just can’t lie to my mother anymore, and I believe on some level they both already know. I haven’t spoken to my dad since the day I left, he calls out from across the room, but he is always too busy to talk. I need to make things right and I can’t lie to them anymore. In the morning I’m going back.”

  Jared looked at her alarmed, “You are taking me, right? We are doing this together, I told you that you’ll never be alone again, and I meant it.”

  Carma looked at Sahen, “I want to come with you. Miranda I’ll stay at your house and help with anything there. Please, whatever you need me to do just let me come with you and be there for you.”

  That’s when Sahen interrupted, “Us, please I’m sure there is something that we can both do to help you. Carma can stay with you at the house, while Jared and I take your stuff to the cottage. Mattis and Michael are working on a job right now, so please let us come with you early and help out.”

  Miranda looked over at her friends they were all so willing to help. It was more than that, they really loved her for who she is, and not what she could or couldn’t do.

  “It’s okay I don’t mind if you all come, but on the day I go to see my parents to tell them the whole truth, only Jared can come. I don’t want to overwhelm them with all of us and what we are at the same time. If you can understand that, I have no problem with any of you coming along,” she turned to Jared, “Jared, do you mind it if they tag along?”

  “Why would I mind, this is your family, you should get to decide who goes and who doesn’t. Miranda have you thought about what it’s going to take to sell the house? I don’t mean how long, I mean clearing it out and cleaning it up. If I remember correctly the yard needs a lot of work, doesn’t it?” Jared was thinking ahead to all of the work that they would need to do to help get the place sold as fast as possible.

  Miranda smiled and answered him, “I have already called a landscaper back home and a house painter and they’ll be there tomorrow. I gave them directions on what to do, I told them to get started, and mentioned that I would talk to them when I got there. I also know there’s a lot to do on the inside, so if you guys like to paint, get ready! I want to paint every room before next week because I have a carpet guy coming in to put in new carpet throughout the house. When we’re done that then the house is going up under market price I figured I would just tell them I’ve already moved and I need a quick sale.

  “It sounds like you have everything under control and all sorted out. Way to go Miranda! You are ready to move past your old life.” Carma smiled because she knew what Miranda was avoiding, “How are you going to deal with your parents, and most of all your mother?”

  “I knew you weren’t going to let me off the easy, dam and here I thought I had it!” Miranda laughed, “That’s the one thing I haven’t wanted to think about yet. I know I need to tell her, but I just don’t know how. I’m hoping it will come to me while I’m painting and cleaning. It doesn’t matter though, no matter what happens, I’m going to tell her. I can’t keep going on camping trips with you guys, it won’t work for long, no one is that dumb. I also want to go back and finally quit my job.”

  She stopped to think, “I think I have an old ring in the house from my family that can look like an engagement ring. I’m certainly not explaining a binding ceremony to them.” She smiled and looked at Jared, “They would never get it, no matter how long I try, and no matter what I would say.”

  Jared looked over at Gage, “Can I do it now?” Gage nodded his head and smiled. Jared stood up and came around to the other side of Miranda. He gently pulled her chair sideways.

  He reached in his pocket and pulled something out, he got down on one knee and smiled, “Will you marry me?” A tear came to his eyes because he knew this is what Miranda would need to get through the next few days. He had already decided a long time ago, he was ready to give her whatever she needed, whenever she needed it. The ring he had was beautiful and very big, “I thought we could get married in a human church for your parents before we come back and then we can be bound officially in our ceremony here.”

  Miranda had tears in her eyes as she answered he, “Yes, of course, yes! I can’t believe you thought of this, you really thought about my family and how they would want to see us get married, you are so amazing! Where did you get this ring it’s perfect, it’s beautiful...”

  “And big!” Carma took the words right out of Miranda’s mouth, “God Jared that thing is huge! Where did you get enough human money to buy that thing?”

  Sahen smacked her on the shoulder and gave her an even worse look; he couldn’t believe how inappropriate Carma was being. “What! Sorry, it’s just that I’ve known Jared a long time, and DAM!”

  “Jared I got this one.” Gage looked at Miranda, “honey Jared didn’t want to give you just any ring, he wanted it to be a special ring, so he came to me to ask my advice. I asked him if he would give you my wife’s ring, if you don’t want it that’s ok, we thought it might be away to bring everything together in your life, both worlds, both families and both men.”

  “I love this ring and it means more to me knowing that the two of you came together to give it to me. The fact that it belonged to your wife, and you gave it to Jared to give to me, that means so much more. Thank you both, I love it.”

  She walked over to kiss her father on the top of his head, and then went back to Jared and kissed him too many moans and groans.

  “We should all go to bed now.” Gage threw in to break up the little love feast, “tomorrow is going to be the start of a long couple of weeks for you. Miranda, I’m going with you to see that you get there safely, and I’m, going to stop in from time to time until you return. Please don’t argue with me, I’m letting you know right now, and I am coming no matter what.” Gage was very father-like and stern, and he wasn’t going to let her talk him out of it.

  “It’s okay; you can come with us and help out if you want to. I’m ready for anything! Only one more hurdle to go and one way or the other, I’m finishing this chapter of my life.”

  Miranda was finally happy with her life the way it was. She knew it would be hard talking to her parents, but she hoped that when they saw how happy she finally was, they would be okay with her decisions.

  The morning came bright and very early, the night of having fun and drinking had gotten to all of them, but they started out to the house and by midday they were there.

  “I can’t believe how far I’ve come in this short amount of time. A year ago if anyone had told me where I would be today, even with my own eyes, I would probably tell them they were crazier than me.”

  Miranda was smart by the time they had gotten in her house; the hired help was well on their way to getting things done. “The front yard didn’t look this good when we bought the place and look at the house! He’s a third of the way done painting it. Hey you guys need anything, the bathroom, a drink, something?” Miranda called out to the guys as she walked from the woods to the house, she turned the key and walked in, she had no idea her mother was already there.

  “Miranda, how are you doing? Funny thing, I came to check on the house and found all of these workers.” Her mother looked angry and Miranda didn’t have time to think about what she was going to say, so seeing her mother there right in front of her, she stuttered.

  “Hi! How you doing mom? It’s good to see you. Where’s dad?” were the only things she could think to say, she didn’t have time to breath, or hid the ring Jared had given her.

  Everyone was standing behind her, they all stopped short, and the painter was in the house organizing the paint Miranda had ordered for the inside of the house. �
�Jared, why don’t you take this nice man outside and let him know what I want done with the back of the house, please. Carma why don’t you and Sahen see to the landscaping crew for me, would you?”

  No one wanted to leave Miranda alone, especially when her dad came down the stairs, he looked very angry. Jared looked over at Carma, “Sahen take care of the landscaper and Carma show the painter the back.” The painter was half way out the door already, he could feel the tension in the room, and wasn’t sticking around.

  As they went outside Carma and Sahen explained it to the painter and the landscaper, “Her parents don’t want her to move and they were making it difficult so she did this on her own. Don’t worry it’s her house, her money, and her life. So you’ll get paid, just try the ignore anything they say, her parents don’t like us very much. They keep calling us stupid names, her father’s really in to sci-fi, and he’s a little crazy. He thinks everyone is a vampire or a werewolf or something. No wonder she wants to move away.”

  Inside the house things weren’t going so well her mother was pissed, “I don’t get it! Haven’t we put up with enough, and now you try to leave behind our backs! What were you going to do call us from some strange place? Miranda with everything you have put us through! This is the thanks we get! You haven’t been the easiest child to live with, you ruin family events, you always say the most improper things, and look what you’ve done now! I didn’t think you could ever be this selfish, you can’t understand what this means!!! What in the hell is wrong with you?”

  He parents were screaming at her and Jared really couldn’t take it anymore. He jumped in front of her to protect her when her mother lashed out to grab her.

  “Yeah try and protect her until her disability get you killed too!”

  Miranda screamed, “You have no idea how it was being your daughter! You only think you did the right thing, you will never understand what I went through, because you never tried! How dare you blame their deaths on me! How dare you even try to understand what I’m doing! I have tried for so long to be what you wanted, to be want everyone god dam person on this earth wanted! What about me? When was someone going to ask me what I want? When do I get to be the priority? Do you even care what my life has been like?”

  Her father and mother gave it back at both barrels. They were so angry they didn’t realize what they were saying, “Miranda you have tried our patience for the last time!”

  With that her father grabbed very roughly and Jared lost control. His fangs came out and he took Miranda in his arms away from her father, “Don’t you ever touch her like that again.” His voice was calm and steady; he had no qualms with revealing himself to them. “If I ever see you speak or touch her like that you’ll deal with me.” He was up in her father’s face, his body was tense and his heart was pounding.

  “What is this?” Her mother said as she noticed the ring on Miranda’s hand and pulled her hand toward her, “you’re marring a vampire?” At first her voice was low, but then she became to explode, “All of those years we kept you any from all of this and this is how you repay us? You’re going to marry a god dam vampire! What the hell is wrong with you? Didn’t we raise you better than that? God dam it Miranda!”

  “I told you not to speak to her like that, don’t you understand me?” Jared was getting angrier by the minute and Miranda didn’t know exactly what to say or do, she never wanted them to find out this way, this isn’t how she wanted it all to end.

  “Miranda, what the hell are they?” Her mother was pointing out the window at Sahen and Carma, “more vampires?”

  “No mom,” Miranda finally spoke, “at least not both of them. Carma is a vampire and so were, Michael and Mattis, but Sahen is a werewolf. Can you two please calm down? I wanted to talk to you; I was coming to your house at the end of the week to explain everything.”

  “Well, there it is.” Her father was being very sarcastic, “she was coming to explain it all. How was that going to go, anyway? Hey mom and dad I met a vampire and we’re going to get married! Are you that stupid?”

  Her father’s voice went from sarcastic to infuriated in about three seconds, “How can you think we were ever going to let you do any of that? You’re not going anywhere, no now and not with him, or any of these freaks.”

  Just as Jared lurched forward, Miranda stopped him, “No, not like that,” she stopped Jared and held him back.

  She turned back to look at her parents, “I don’t get you, either of you, you claim to be high and mighty, let me live a tortured existence and then when I finally know who I am and what I want, and you think you have the right to destroy it? What gave you that right? My birth? Because when you were raising me and Gage told you there would be problems...” Miranda saw the looks on their faces and realized she said her father’s name.

  She stopped and then decide it was too late and continued, “Yeah, I know about Gage, and so I do know what I am. What you have kept from me and instead made me think I was crazy or a freak, yeah thanks for that one too. I figured out why you didn’t want me near my grandmother, until right before she died, you were afraid she would tell me the truth. Oh and guess what mom, you were right, I was going to kill myself that day.”

  Miranda had a matter of fact attitude in her voice. She was tired of it all, her parents had lied to her throughout her entire life, but she wasn’t suppose to lie to them, she was always the good girl.

  “I went into the woods because I knew Jared was send to kill me, guess what, he didn’t. Go figure I couldn’t get that right either; all I wanted to do was die! See what all of your lies did to me! They made me want to die!”

  Miranda looked at Jared, “He was sweet and took care of me, he knew something wasn’t right, he knew I was someone special. He was the first person I knew to think I was someone special! He found Gage and he let me know what my options were, did you two know that I was going to stop aging at twenty seven? Did you know my power would then start growing? Did you also know that unless I took control over them I could kill a city block because I was mad I broke a nail?”

  With this her parents had were finished, “Fine.” Her mother said it in the way you can never answer back, “We’re leaving, good luck. Enjoy your new destructive life, drugs and alcohol would have done less to you.”

  As they turned to go Miranda lost control, “Do you have any idea who I am?” Her body was glowing blue, her eyes were on golden, and her hair was flowing like the hottest blue flames in the middle of a fire. “I have more power than anyone known to man and you stand there and pretend once again that I am nothing? I am your daughter and you treat me like a slave. How can I make you understand?”

  Her parents were terrified they ran from the house and got in their car, and pulled away. Miranda was once again in tears, they had never accepted her, and they never would.

  “I will never be good enough for my own family. I don’t understand, why is it that they can’t love me for who I am the way that you do?”

  She sobbed as Jared held her. He knew they couldn’t leave like this, he knew she would have to make things right, they were only angry because they got caught in their own lies.

  The day ended with a painted house, over half of the landscaping finished and a realtor who was ready to sell the house in days. She told the agent that she wanted to wait until the weekend until the inside painting was done and the carpet was in, after that she said, “the sooner the better I need to forget everything about my old life, I need to just move on.”

  Jared put her to bed and told her he wanted to go see Gage and ask him to wait a day or two until he came back, Miranda knew that was a good idea, so she told him to take his time, “don’t make dad suspicious, I didn’t need him here to, and I don‘t need all three of my parents fighting.”

  Her parents were sitting down to some prime time TV, when the knock on the door came. Her dad got up and answered it, “What are you doing here? You came to kill us for pissing off your new bride.” He was enraged that Jared even sho
wed up. “Get off of my step; you’re a liar and a freak, just like she is!”

  Jared moved him out of the way and walked into the living room, “You two just don’t get it, you lied all of Miranda’s life, you let people call her a freak. You ruined any chance at happiness because she waited to tell you the truth? She knew when we came back she had to tell you, she didn’t want to keep it from you, yet you kept it from her for twenty seven years! What makes your lie any more important and any less worse? She loves you, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why, you have lied to her all of her life. You are now willing to destroy what you still have with her in order to make her feel bad? I just don’t get humans, stupid things you are, she still loves you after all of that and you want to destroy her? Did you knew she was willing to get married in a human ceremony to make you two happy, and we still have a binding at home? If I don’t understand you, I guess I‘ll never understand her human side, good thing she’s half Force!”

  Jared wanted to get into her parents minds and let them understand how proud they should be of their daughter, “She has defeated the worse of our kind and look her, she’s still the same wonderful person she was when I met her.”

  “You mean the girl who wanted to die?” He father was a very sarcastic and angry man. He refused to give even an inch.

  “Yes, she wanted to die, because everyone in her life lied to her, until she met me. Do you know she said I was the first person that was honest with her and that she could be completely honest with? Can you tell me why, of all people, she couldn’t be honest with her parents? You see because where I’m from, my parents are the ones I have to be honest with and they are the ones who have to be honest with me.” He sat down in the chair across from them, “Why does she always feel like she’s running to keep up with you, and she always trying to stop herself from upsetting you? Why do you make it so hard for her to just be alive?”