"You would learn everything so quickly!" an excited May clasps her hands together.
"And you would even outstrip her," Niall adds.
Neva sees May Mae glaring at her husband, but he just shrugs and flashes them a playful grin.
"It's true," May says with a smile.
Neva returns the smile.
The three of them sit in the living room. May Mae is beside Neva on the couch, while her husband sits on the one opposite.
May and Niall have been narrating her life, just as Neva asked them to.
When she was only ten, Niall and May took her in after the accident which claimed her parents.
Just like Rhett had said.
And now she knows the reason her father, Dr. Neal Noe, was involved in the creation of the virus Ruhd.
It's only because he was exploited—forced by the influential industrialist who was his chief, a man whose name her aunt and uncle still don't know.
He, along with other employees, became a victim—used in the creation of both the virus and its antidote—for their employer's personal gain.
Dr. Neal Noe eventually turned in those involved to the covenant for their crimes.
And Dr. Neal Noe had become a target—a nemesis to his chief, who was never seized, always working cautiously from the shadows.
Later, his own colleague, Dr. Draco Earl, betrayed him.
Dr. Neal Noe exposed Dr. Draco Earl before he could advance further with his scheme.
But the danger hovering over Dr. Neal Noe and his family only grew worse.
For the safety of his daughter, he designated her as the key to the capsule where the only remaining sample of Ruhd is secured.
If he couldn't find another way, at the very least, she would survive.
But most of the time, Neva's mind drifts in and out of the conversation with her aunt and uncle. It has been three days since she returned to Erriador.
The day before, Rhett took her to Riverdale—a city within Erriador, two hours' drive away.
It was a quiet, secluded place, with only a single cabin nestled in the forest by the sea.
Inside the cabin, his then-boss, Elk, and another agent she was already acquainted with, were waiting.
She was handed a cell phone and instructed to call Ishmael, so he could track the exact destination they plan to lure him to.
"Neva,"
"Huh?" Neva meets May's worried gaze.
"You're shaking," May says, squeezing Neva's hands.
Neva glances down at her hands resting in her lap—and only then does she realize they're trembling. Just like they had yesterday, when she heard Ishmael's frantic voice on the line—laced with fear, but somehow also relief and urgency.
Her voice had trembled too, urgent and strained, as she responded just the way Elk had instructed.
She can only hope Ishmael heard past the ragged breaths, the thudding heart—felt her longing to be near him again, not her fear. Not the fear that he might find out what she'd done. That she'd betrayed him.
He had assured her, in that moment, he would come for her. Soon.
"Are you worried about your children?" May asks.
Neva nods slightly. It's a half-truth. She's been told Ace, along with another agent, has gone to fetch the twins from Finland—while Ishmael is already here in Erriador.
"Don't be. They'll be safe," May says with a gentle smile.
Neva presses her lips together and nods again. But the unease clings to her bones. What if something goes wrong? Did she make the right choice?
"We had twin babies too, once. But they were gone while still newborns—within weeks of each other," May adds softly, her gaze lowering, sorrow threading through her voice.
"I'm sorry," Neva mumbles softly.
May shakes her head, her face glowing with a sense of being favored.
"You make us whole, Neva. You're our greatest blessing," May says, leaning in to embrace her.
"Thank you for providing me with a home," Neva wraps her arms around May.
May shakes her head. "You're our daughter. You hurt me with such words. But I thank you too, for being safe. And I'm guilty, for not being there when you needed me the most. I'm sorry I couldn't care for you properly."
"No. It's me who should be sorry." Neva murmers weakly.
May pulls away, tears dribbling down her shrunken cheeks. "Don't ever place the blame of sick-minded people on yourself, Neva. It is I who failed you."
Neva's gaze softens. "Aunt—"
Niall sits beside the weeping May, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her cardigan. In consolation, he gently squeezes her shoulder.
"Mama," Rhean says, sauntering into the living room, with Zoro trailing behind him, his fluffy tail wagging.
Neva smiles at him and opens her arms.
In response, Rhean speeds toward her, crashing into his mother's embrace, a bright grin blossoming on his face.
Neva secures Rhean on her lap as a meek Zoro sits down in front of them.
"Are you done feeding Zoro?"
"Yes," he nods, grinning wider as Neva calls him a good boy and kisses his rosy, bread cheeks.
"Have you told him about the visitors we're expecting?" Niall asks.
Neva's smile fades.
She notices both Niall and May watching her closely.
She shakes her head. "Not yet."
"It's better you tell him before he's startled."
"Yes."
"Who're the visitors, Mama?" Rhean looks up at her.
Neva hesitates, unsure how to explain it the right way.
Her aunt and uncle exchange a reassuring glance, then quietly leave the room to give them space.
"Rhean," Neva begins.
She pauses, taking in his adorable face—those big, round, starry cocoa eyes blinking up at her with curiosity.
She offers a gentle smile and strokes his cheek. "How would you feel if you had a little brother and a sister?"
Her heart sinks at the immediate frown that forms on his face.
"Don't want," he says, laying his head on her chest, his small arms hugging her tightly.
He just got his mama back—he doesn't want to share her with anyone else.
Neva sighs softly and wraps her arms around his little frame.
"Will you be angry with me if I had two more babies… just like you?" she asks gently.
She feels him stiffen.
He doesn't answer.
Neva says nothing more. She simply kisses the crown of his head and holds him close, swaying them gently side to side.
She knows he's upset, and she gives him the quiet space he needs to process the sudden news.
She knows he's upset, and she gives him time to process the suddenness of it all.
"They're here," Rhett says.
When Neva looks up, she sees him standing in the doorway, his expression calm.
"The kids."
Neva closes her eyes and exhales a breath of relief—but the tight knot in her stomach remains as Rhean's arms cling even more tightly around her.
"Rhean," she murmurs, gently taking hold of his arms and pulling back.
Her heart shatters at the sight of his lowered head, with silent tears trailing down his chubby cheeks.
"Nothing—no one—can change my love for you," she whispers, wiping his tears with the pad of her thumb.
Rhean slips off her lap.
Before Neva can reach for him, he bolts out of the room, dashing past Rhett, who doesn't stop him.
"I'll go check on Rhean. Go to them," Rhett assures her, stepping closer.
Neva rises to her feet. "He'll be okay… right?"
Rhett smiles, taking her hands gently in his. "He'll be fine."
He presses a kiss to each of her hands.
Neva smiles softly in return.
"Go," he says.
Neva nods and makes her way downstairs—to her children.