Page 147 of Secret Mission

“That had to be hard.” Allison shakes her head. “But why didn't you reach out? I wish you would have.”

There’s a heavy silence, then more shaky words.

“No, dear. You seem to have everything you need. I didn’t want to destroy your past any more than it already was.”

Allison’s fingers bite into my arm as she wipes her lashes with the back of her other hand.

“I want to see you,” she says softly to the woman who was forced to give her child away.

“I’d love that.”

We spend the next few minutes talking about hypothetical logistics. But it’s not happening until we know where Westerly is and getting to the bottom of what his interest is in Vandemora.

We have to get to the root of how Allison's research is caught up in that web of darkness.

When I hang up the call, Allison crumbles into my arms.

It’s hard to listen to her crying, but I know she has a lot to mourn. There’s only one way to move on. It’s to move through the pain.

“I can’t imagine how you feel right now.” Kissing the top of her head, I stroke her back. “You’re going to need time to grieve all of this.”

“I know.” Her sigh is heavy. “But truthfully, so much makes sense now, and as much as I hate that I didn’t know my biological parents, now I know why I was basically neglected.”

The need for revenge burns through me like a match through paper. “I’m gonna make that asshole pay.”

“I just want this all done.”

“Me fucking too.”

She leans up and kisses me. “I’m just so glad to have you.”

“We’re family now. Me and you. Over dinner, we’re going to talk about what that looks like.”

“How will we make it work? I travel. You travel. Are we just going to be ships passing in the night?”

“Are you going to keep working in Vandemora?”

A light fires up in her pretty eyes. “I really want to. There's so much fascinating history there. I’m just getting started, and I think there are some very important minerals and materials hidden there, yet to be uncovered. Or I should say, uncovered again.”

The passion about her work is shining bright.

“I can ask to be stationed there at Agile's Vandemora headquarters. I think that Marshall Lake has decided to keep a team there.”

This makes her smile in a way that causes a layer of rust to fall away from the cavern inside of me.

“Let’s do it.”

I grab her hand, kiss her ring finger. “Are you ready for me to propose?”

Her eyes go wide. “Um. I’d love that…”

“But…?”

“I kind of already told you that we’re getting married.”

“So, it’s a done deal?”

Her beautiful smile deepens. “I think so.”

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