We started down the steps. At the bottom, she said, “I’ll walk myself back, Eden. I just…” She looked back at the house. “You know how I feel about you being in Cainsville, but this—the house, the cat—it does make it easier.” She glanced at me. “You’re happy?”

“Overlooking the absolute chaos of my life right now?” I said. “Yes. I’m happier than I ever thought I could be. There are still things I want settled, obviously. The appeal, for one. But Gabriel’s on it, and it looks good. With any luck, Dad will be out by this time next year.” I hurriedly added, “Both of you will be out.”

“I know your father is your priority, Eden, as he should be. He deserves it far more than I do.” She put her arms around my shoulders, an awkward embrace as she gave a wry chuckle and said, “I never was very good at this.”

“Neither am I,” I said, and hugged her back.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

I walked into the house, where Gabriel and Ricky were waiting in the hall.

“Did that just happen?” I said. “Did this entire night just happen? Or have I moved from visions to full-on hallucinations?”

“It happened,” Ricky said. “Your mom broke out of jail to kill Gabriel’s mom, and you stopped her, and then Gabriel made her coffee while she toured your new house. I’m still not sure what’s the most unbelievable part of that.”

“I believe the part where Olivia stopped Pamela from killing Seanna,” Gabriel said.

I tensed. “I’m sorry. I know maybe you’d rather—”

“I was attempting to make light of the situation,” Gabriel said. “I wasn’t secretly hoping she’d do it.” He thought for a moment. “No, that’s incorrect. I didn’t want Pamela to kill Seanna because you didn’t want her to kill Seanna. The revelation of Seanna’s mark merely makes her a pathetic figure, rather than a nefarious villain. I do not wish to see her dead.”

“A pathetic figure,” I said. “That’s it exactly. I couldn’t condemn her to an eternity of suffering for that.”

“Of course not. I would neither expect nor wish you to do any different.”

He stepped toward me and then glanced at Ricky, as if remembering we weren’t alone.

“You know what?” Ricky said. “I’m suddenly very sleepy, and not at all in need of this.” He produced a bottle of Scotch from behind his back. “You two enjoy. I’ll go nap, and if Todd breaks out of prison to kill my father, please wake me up.”

“Don’t worry, I’d stop him,” I said. “Now, if he went after Gabriel’s father right now, that might be a whole other situation.”