Page 47 of I Summoned A Demon For A Date?!
By the time we reached the heavy oak door of the library, my heart was pounding uncomfortably in my chest. Aldaine squeezed my hand once more before I knocked.
"Come in," my father's voice called from inside.
I pushed the door open, Aldaine a reassuring presence at my back as we stepped into the book-lined room. The libraryhad always been my favorite place in the house, a sanctuary of sorts, but now it felt charged with an uncomfortable energy that made the hair on my arms stand up.
Dad and Jan stood near the massive stone fireplace where a small fire crackled, despite the mild day. They turned as we entered, and I was immediately struck by how united they appeared, standing close together, a unified front. But not, I realized with surprise, against me. There was no hostility in their postures, no disapproval in their expressions. Instead, they both looked nervous? Uncertain?
Especially Jan. I'd never seen her look quite so unsettled. She was fidgeting with her wedding ring, twisting it around her finger in an uncharacteristic display of anxiety. Her usual perfect composure was nowhere to be seen.
"Rosie," Dad stepped forward slightly before hugging me tightly. "Thank you for coming. And Aldaine," he added with a nod of acknowledgment.
"Is everything alright?" I asked, unable to keep the wariness from my voice. Too many years of experience had taught me to be on guard in situations like this.
Dad and Jan exchanged a look that I couldn't quite interpret. Then, to my complete shock, Jan stepped forward.
"Rosie," she began, and I was struck by how careful her voice sounded. Unsteady, even. Nothing like her usual confident tone. "I owe you an apology. A real one."
I blinked, certain I must have misheard. Jan had never apologized to me for anything in all the years I'd known her. She'd never even acknowledged that there might be something to apologize for.
She took a deep breath, her hands still working restlessly at her wedding ring. "For years, I let Stephany set the tone. I let her jealousy, her spite, shape how I treated you. Because it was easier to side with her than admit my mistakes. Easier to believe you were the problem, not her."
I stood frozen, hardly daring to breathe, waiting for the other shoe to drop. This couldn't be real. Jan didn't show emotional honesty. She didn't do vulnerability. And she certainly didn't admit failure. Yet here she was, her voice growing increasingly unsteady as she continued.
"But this week, seeing the way she treated you, the way she treated everyone," She shook her head, something like shame crossing her features. "I see it clearly now. And I'm sorry. For all of it."
Her voice cracked on the last word, and I was stunned to see the glint of tears in her eyes. This was not the Jan I knew. Not the polished, perfect woman who had never shown a genuine emotion in all the time I'd known her.
I felt Aldaine's hand at the small of my back, a silent reminder of his presence, his support. I needed it. My legs felt unsteady beneath me as I tried to process what was happening.
Part of me wanted to be suspicious. To look for the trap, the hidden agenda. But as I searched Jan's face, all I could see was raw, genuine emotion. This wasn't a performance. It wasn't a manipulation.
It was real.
"It doesn't erase everything," I admitted finally, my voice quiet but steady. "But..it matters. More than you know."
I was surprised to feel tears pricking at my own eyes. How long had I waited for some acknowledgment from her? Some recognition that the favoritism, the coldness, the subtle cruelties hadn't been my imagination? I'd given up hope of ever hearing anything like this years ago.
Dad stepped closer then, wrapping an arm around Jan's shoulders. His eyes, when they met mine, held a warmth and regret I hadn't seen in a while..
"It's time we act like the family you deserve, not the one you grew up with," he voiced simply.
The words landed like physical blows. I'd spent so manyyears convincing myself I didn't care what they thought, didn't need their approval or love. That I was fine on my own. The lie of it all crashed down around me as tears spilled over onto my cheeks.
Dad continued, his voice gentle but firm. "Whatever happens next, Rosie, you're not alone. Not anymore."
Chapter Twenty-One
CHAPTER 21: ROSIE
Istared at my father and Jan, barely able to process the seismic shift that had just occurred. The library felt too warm suddenly, the crackling fire and sun conspiring to make the air thick and heavy. Or maybe that was just the weight of decades of hurt and hope warring in my chest.
Dad must have seen something in my expression because he took a half step forward, hands raised slightly as if to steady me. "We don't expect you to forgive everything overnight. We just want you to know you're wanted here. God knows I have so much to make up for being so absent in your life."
The simple statement hit harder than any of Jan's tearful apologies. Wanted. How long had I ached to hear that word from them?
"I..thank you," I managed, my voice catching. "Both of you. I just need a minute."
They nodded, understanding in their faces that made my throat tighten further. This new version of them, caring andpatient, was almost harder to handle than their previous coldness. At least I'd known how to armor myself against that.
