for not loving Jerry? Fine. But the least you can do is respect me
for understanding how special he was and giving you the gift of
thinking he was your father.?
?Jerry is my father in every way that counts,? Helen said, wrenching
herself out from the sinking seat of the booth.
She waited with her back turned while Daphne threw down some
bills. On their way to the hotel to get their things, Helen spotted
Hector. He looked right at her and then right past her, just as Matt
had done. The twins were with him, wandering around by the
ferry. Helen heard Ariadne call out to Matt, sounding surprised to
see him, but Daphne pulled her into the hotel before she could find
out what they said to each other. Helen heard Claire?s name mentioned
right before the door shut behind her making it impossible
even to tell what they were saying about her, even with Scion
hearing.
Lucas was in the lobby. Helen didn?t see his face, but then she
didn?t need to. If she had only caught a glimpse of him as he disappeared
around a corner a half a mile away she would still have
been able to recognize him. She turned her face away, knowing she
couldn?t look at him or she would lose concentration and allow her
336/395
mask to slip away. As she hurried up the stairs behind her mother,
she both hoped and feared that he would yell her name, but of
course, he didn?t.
Back in their room, Helen grabbed what few things she had and
brought them to the entryway by the door, hiding her streaming
eyes and her red nose from her mother as best she could. She tried
to let the stranger?s dark hair fall across her face, but unfortunately
this girl had bangs. As her mother checked over the room one last
time before they left for the dock, Helen let out an incongruous