Page 105 of Everything We Left Behind

“I have a sunset to paint.”

Her gaze jumps to his. She tugs the end of her hair and her eyes well. “Really?”

“Really.” He pulls her against him and kisses her soundly, amazed at how much he missed her in such a short time, considering they’ve only known each other in person for such a short time.

He lifts his head. He wants to look at the woman who’s been so incredible to him. Her face tightens with emotion and she lightly punches him in the shoulder. “Damn you, you made me cry.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t paint, then?”

“Oh no! You’re painting my sunset. I’ve been waiting for years, and I’m not going to let you leave until you finish.”

“What if I don’t plan on leaving?”

Her surprised expression is almost comical until she bursts into tears. The emotion plows into James and his own breath hitches. “Come here, Nat.” He holds her close as her arms squeeze him tight.

Over her shoulder he sees Julian cautiously watching them. “Give me a second,” he whispers in Natalya’s ear.

Julian slowly dribbles a basketball but makes no move to come closer. James watches Julian and his internal battle. Did his father honestly mean it when he said he’d never leave him behind?

James figures he’ll make it easy on the kid. He asks Marc, who wobbles under its awkward size, to take the canvas, making Natalya giggle. James moves closer to Julian and opens his arms. “Come here, son.”

Julian takes a step, bounces the ball, then takes another step. His mouth, which is pressed into a tight seam, quivers when he finally tosses the ball aside and walks into James’s arms. “I love you, Dad.”

EPILOGUE

CLAIRE

Six Months Ago

December 17

Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Claire Donato was tired of the oppressive heat of Puerto Escondido and the endless trail of ants marching up her walls. She was tired of the sunburns and the sand that always found its way into the wrong places. And she was tired of her grandsons calling her Señora Carla. What a dreadful name. Why she picked that one, she has no idea. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. She never intended to interact with her son and grandchildren. She just wanted to observe, to see with her own eyes what Thomas finally confessed. Her youngest son was alive, but for his safety he had to remain hidden in plain sight.Don’t interact, do not engage,Thomas had told her as ifhewere some sort of government agent.

Well, she’d visited Puerto Escondido more times than she imagined, and she’d let Thomas’s charade go on long enough. She was sick and tired and disgusted from lying. Her son James—even though he didn’t know yet he was her son because he still went by that ridiculous name of Carlos—had brought painting back into her life. The least any good mother could do was return the favor. It was time to bring James home.

She’d consulted a specialist, who advised that James needed to confront the stressor that had induced the fugue state. If Thomas was right, Phil was James’s stressor. James needed to face his brother because hypnosis hadn’t worked. She told Thomas it wouldn’t, and he hadn’t believed her. And because of his idiotic ploy, there was the chance she’d never see her grandsons again. Carlos didn’t trust Claire’s family. He wanted Natalya to adopt them. She couldn’t let that happen. Ever.

Claire turned on her laptop, launched Skype, and accepted the call from the California Men’s Colony for her weekly scheduled conference with Phil. She despised these calls, prearranged and with a time limit. But a mother must do what a mother must do. All her sons mattered. She just wished they’d all get along.

Once the call connected, she said hello to her son, then excused herself momentarily from the room. She needed a glass of water. It was dreadfully hot and her throat was parched.

But she didn’t go to the kitchen. Instead, she waited unseen in the hallway for Carlos to arrive. She’d called him a few minutes ago complaining about her faulty wireless connection. She needed his assistance, she’d said.

Yes, it was a lie, but it was for the greater good of her family.

James would thank her later.

EPILOGUE

CARLOS

Six Months Ago

December 17

Puerto Escondido, Mexico

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