"Hello," Vanessa said as she peeked her head into the hospital room. "I heard I had a new nephew and I just couldn't wait to meet him." Before anyone could react to her presence, Vanessa headed straight for the baby to get her first look at the new addition to the family. "Oh Alma, Edward, he's so precious. What's his name?"
"Jeremy," Alma replied. "Jeremy Edward Wilton."
"Ooh," Vanessa cooed. "Hello Jeremy. I'm your Auntie Vanessa. Yes, I am."
"We're glad to see you, Vanessa," Edward said. "Very glad, considering all that's happened recently. How are you doing?"
"I certainly can't complain. After what I've been through I can't take anything for granted. It's just so good to have my freedom back."
"What happened?" Amanda asked. "One minute you were going out to your car for a minute, the next I saw your car speeding away."
"Amanda thought you were running out on the bill," Andrew said with a laugh, which earned him a dirty look from his wife, but Vanessa was understanding.
"I can see why you'd think that. I did just go out for a minute. I was leaning into the backseat looking for my date planner when someone shoved me onto the floor of the car. I barely had a moment to realize what had happened when I felt someone on top of me, shoving a cloth into my mouth. I must have been drugged, because I blacked out and the next thing I knew I was locked up in this dank warehouse behind bars and then there was Sebastian . . . I'd hoped I'd never see that man again." She tried to shake the memories out of her head.
"That must have been an ordeal," Edward said.
"Yes. Yes it was. Honestly I'd prefer not to talk about it. I'd like to put it all behind me," Vanessa said, leaving the room silent for a moment. "Let's focus on the present and the good things. You look good, Alma. How are you feeling?"
"Not too bad."
"She did so well," Edward said with an affectionate smile. "I'm so proud of her."
"Well, you look fantastic and the baby is absolutely precious. You've truly been blessed."
As the others beamed at the new baby, Amanda fought back the tears and slipped out of the room before anyone could notice her emotions were getting the better of her.
"Mr. Arrendale, thank you for coming down here. We really appreciate you taking the time out of your day."
"Sure. What can I do for you?" Lawrence asked. The officer on the phone had been vague when he called and asked him to come to the station. He was curious about what the police wanted with him.
"I asked you to come down here because of your uncle," Logan explained as he led Lawrence through the police station towards the interrogation room. "He wants to see you."
Lawrence stopped in his tracks. "I have no interest in seeing him. I have nothing to say to him and I don't need to hear anything he has to say."
"I can understand why you want nothing to do with him, but it would be a great help to us if you would just meet with him for a few minutes. I believe your uncle might have some information that could help us with one of our ongoing investigations. He agreed to cooperate with us, if we agreed to a few conditions. One of those was that he wanted to talk to you."
"Why would he want to talk to me? We may be related by blood, but we're practically strangers."
"I don't know why, but I do know it would be a huge help to us. You are free to end the meeting at anytime if you feel uncomfortable."
Lawrence thought it over for a moment. Silas was one of the last people he wanted to see, but if it would help the police, sitting across from his uncle for a few minutes wouldn't be too much to ask. "Ok, I'll do what I can."
"He's waiting for us," Logan said as he stood in front of the door to the interrogation room. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Lawrence answered without hesitation, but when Logan opened the door and was face to face with his uncle for the first time since their confrontation at the hotel, his confidence started to waiver. He thought about their rocky past, all Silas had taken away from him and was still trying to take from him, and it was all he could do to keep his rage from boiling up from under the surface.
"Hello nephew. How good of you to come."
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