Past, Present and Future - The Devereaux Case Files Book 6

Chapter 1

Thursday 19th February 2028

Faith looked up from her book and smiled. She would never get bored of the French skyline. It was early in the morning, nine o'clock, and everyone else was showering and getting ready for the day. The colors of the sky, the houses in their square, and the tormenting glimpses of sights to see in the distance all made her heart light. She was enjoying a cup of coffee and a chapter of Ayah's latest book while she waited on everyone getting ready. She didn't know why, but had risen early, just after seven o'clock and although she had enjoyed sitting alone on the balcony of their apartment building, she liked it even more when Ayah soon joined her.

They were so close, closer than she had ever thought they could be when she had first married Reggie. Back then, she had never been anywhere outside of her home town Ashfield. When she married Reggie, the only place he had ever taken her was away from her family, to another town where he kept her under lock and key. And then to New York, only because it suited him to have her there, while he tormented her sister.

Ever since Faith had given into her feelings for Reyes, as he lay bound on the doorstep, he had given her so much happiness she could barely believe it was real. Ten years of joy and wonder and new experiences. The night Ayah went into labor with the twin boys, and her children had slept in the hospital waiting room, they had talked about their feelings for each other for the first time. He had insisted on courting her for two years, so that she had time to realize how safe she was, and always would be, with him. But after having spent the five previous years in constant arguments and denial of their feelings, Faith had persuaded him not to bother. With a few kisses that they had both enjoyed very much, she had convinced him to marry her just as soon as Ayah was fit to be her bridesmaid.

To her utter surprise, Reyes had agreed. He had never really been one to go against his gut feelings but apparently she had been quite persuasive. He had married her within a month and a year later they had welcomed their own son into the world. A son of their very own, untainted by Reggie's violence. Faith had been overjoyed, but something had happened to Dicken and Clare then. They had taken their new brother's arrival very badly, and then two years later, the addition of a sister even worse.

Magnus was nine years old now, and Elyse seven, but still Dicken and Clare continued to act out. Faith hoped it was because they had reached those difficult teenage years of eighteen and sixteen. They were certainly testing her patience, that was for sure. Reyes had hoped the family trip would improve them but it didn't seem to be working. Both Caleb and Mason, who were just ten and notorious pranksters since the age of four, were behaving themselves impeccably. Faith felt let down by her children.

"Everything alright?" Light hands appeared on her shoulders with the words, making Faith smile up at her husband lovingly. He kissed her good morning and took a seat at the table beside her. Ayah had left her to go get the boys ready for their outing, and Reyes had insisted on getting Elyse and Magnus ready himself, so that she could enjoy a quiet morning to herself. She couldn't tell him how much she appreciated it. They were only on holiday for three weeks. Two exhausting days of getting their bearings and checking the tourist information office to see what they wanted to do, had been enough to make her exasperation with Dicken and Clare reach new heights.

"Do you think they'll ever forgive me?" Faith asked softly, reaching out to take his hand as tears came to her eyes. He hated seeing her upset, but they'd had this conversation about the kids a million times. Only now, he wasn't sure what she was talking about. He didn't see what they had to forgive her for.

"Faith, what are you talking about?" Reyes asked curiously, not sure if they were on the same page or not.

"The children hate me, Reyes." She sighed, downhearted. He could only frown. He loved her, he really did, but sometimes she drove him completely crazy. Not because she worried or cried a lot, but because when she said 'the children' she was talking about Dicken and Clare. For some reason 'the children' never included the son and daughter he had given her and he didn't understand why.