REBEL GRAINED

KARMA

"Lars."

Hearing his brother call his name sent shivers up his spine. Of all his siblings, there was only one Lars sought approval from.

"I'm back, for better or worse." Lars had to say something lousy; otherwise, he would cry.

His prolonged tanned skin left marks. His face looked more mature, but he was still Lars. Though Jonas had rehearsed remaining collected, he could not resist spreading his arms and hugging his little brother. Almost two years had passed since the events that divided the Potsmann siblings.

Lars felt the tears line up on his eyelids for a big dive down his cheeks. He didn't expect such a welcome or any welcome at all.

None thought Lars would come to the Christmas meal. His arrival created an awkward stance that Jonas broke, and Leone smashed to bits.

The boy came running to Lars as if he had left them yesterday. He remembered this man who looked like a younger version of his papa.

Lars scooped Leone up, "Wow, little man, you sure weigh your good health. Gosh, how he looks like you, Jonas. It's insane."

One by one, the Potsmann came to greet Lars.

Ulrich's handshake almost broke Lars' hand, but his hug revealed the warmth of the oldest brother.

"Mom, Dad," Lars called.

His father turned his back to cover his tears. No parent wished for siblings to fight. The feud between Lars and his siblings was the longest and hardest crisis the family had ever experienced. The older man was hospitalized more than once due to a weak heart condition, but all knew what broke and accelerated the take was his worrying about his youngest son.

Lars greeted his nephews and nieces, but Sierra's triplets retained his attention. Jonas' boys, with their blonde hair and bright eyes, were carbon copies of their father.

"Hey, what's your name?"

Malia turned to look at his mother. Sierra nodded and got up. She couldn't feign ignoring Lars, knowing she had prompted her husband to welcome him warmly.

"You're very pretty, just like your mother," Lars said before advancing to see Sierra. He needed to apologize to her if he wished to regain an ounce of consideration for himself.

Lars had forgotten how petite his sister-in-law was. Sierra reminded him of another petite woman. Thulile's slitted eyes appeared before him like an omen. The vision of them pricked his soul in a place Lars didn't even know existed. It appeared his life was an endless list of wrongdoings he constantly chased to fix, but there, Lars knew he could never repair what he had done to Thulile.

"I'm so glad to see you, Lars," Sierra said.

If there was one thing Jacob drummed into her head, it was the act of forgiveness. People make mistakes, and one has to forgive others just as they would desire God to forgive them. Lars was young, and his desire to prove his talent and ambitions blinded him. All knew Rut manipulated at the time. Lars was one of the many men who could not resist the honeysuckled words of a vamp. Rut misled him; Sierra understood that.

She was happy to see Lars back in peace and without a scandal. Also, she knew how anxious her husband was. Though Lars was unaware of Ruts' and the Gautiers' plans, he contributed to something that could have destroyed the Potsmann and Jonas forever.

Sierra remembered her conversation with Jonas when news of Lars' return arrived.

"You can hate him, Sierra. I understand if you do," Jonas said.

Jonas carried the grudge and loathing against his brother in her stead for a long time, but too much water had flowed under the bridge for Sierra and Jonas to hold anger or resentment.