Chapter 36: Home in Spokane

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Home in Spokane

By the time Iris arrived in Spokane, the sun had already begun its slow descent toward the western horizon. She leaned her head against the cab window, watching the familiar streets pass outside with tired eyes. After nearly six hours on the road, every muscle in her body seemed to be begging for a bed.

The long journey had left her exhausted. She had spent most of it with her headphones on, observing the landscape change beyond the cab window while her thoughts wandered between the events of the past few days.

She had spent most of the journey trying not to think, but it hadn’t worked. Every time her thoughts became quiet, Jason’s face appeared, followed by Vanessa’s. But weirdly, the sting of their betrayal didn’t seem to hurt now that she thought about it.

Whenever she tried to imagine a guy, it’d somehow turn out to be the face of the handsome stranger from Obsidian... Alexander. And the passionate night they both had.

Iris had heard some stories that girls never forget their first time, and she believed it; that’s why she had prepared for a long time to finally lose her chastity to her long-time boyfriend Jason. But sadly... or maybe not, she ended up in bed with a stranger.

Her fingers rose unconsciously to the side of her neck. The strange mark she got since she spent the night with Alexander was still there. She quickly lowered her hand. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t spend the entire journey worrying about it.

She had already spent almost an entire day yesterday doing exactly that with Zoey. They had searched everything they could think of. Everything about tattoos that appeared overnight, skin conditions, weird symbols, occult markings...nothing had given them an answer.

Zoey even researched Lycanthropy, saying that she needed to cover all areas in case Iris suddenly started howling to the moon.

Iris sighed at the thought; she was greatly worried about the mark on her neck, and the visions had only made everything worse. Iris closed her eyes.

She didn’t want another vision; she didn’t want to see that snowy mountain again. She didn’t want to hear that howl. Most of all, she didn’t want to wonder why the pain in that creature’s howl had felt as though it belonged to her.

The cab slowed. Iris opened her eyes and immediately recognized the street. She was home. She felt something inside her loosen. The familiar cream-colored house appeared ahead, surrounded by the same neat garden her mother had spent years tending.

The flower beds were carefully arranged beneath the windows, and the old wooden swing on the porch still hung from the large oak tree in the front yard.

Her phone vibrated in her hand; looking at it, she saw that a message from her mother appeared on the screen.

Mom: Are you here yet?

Iris smiled faintly. She had sent her mother a message earlier that morning before she left the flat she shared with Zoey, telling her she would be arriving that day. She hadn’t called because she knew that if she heard her mother’s voice, there was a good chance she would be forced to explain everything. And she wasn’t ready for that... Not yet.

The cab stopped. Iris paid the driver, collected her luggage, and walked toward the house. Before she could knock, the front door opened, and her mother, Sophia Carter, stood there. For a second, she simply stared at her daughter, then her face brightened.

"Iris," Sophia murmured, stepping onto the porch, a wide smile blooming across her features. "Finally! Oh, my goodness, look at you." She paused, her gaze sweeping over Iris with an almost worried intensity.

"You didn’t tell me you were coming this early. I would have come to pick you up myself if you’d called me instead of sending that little message as though you were informing me a parcel had arrived." She pulled Iris into a fierce hug, her embrace tight and familiar.

Iris laughed softly against her mother’s shoulder, a sound tinged with relief. "Mom, I didn’t want you to go through all that trouble. It’s a long way from where you work at the hospital, you know." She pulled back slightly, looking into her mother’s scrutinizing eyes.

Sophia, still holding her, shook her head gently. "You’re my daughter, Iris. Picking you up from the bus station, or wherever you decided to appear from, is never trouble. It’s... well, it’s what mothers do." Her eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of suspicion flickering. "Did you take a bus all the way here?"

"I took a cab," Iris admitted, watching her mother’s reaction.

Sophia’s eyebrows arched. "From the station, you mean? Or... goodness, don’t tell me, from Seattle?" Her voice held a note of genuine disbelief.

Iris simply nodded, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. "From Seattle, Mom."

Sophia’s mouth fell open slightly, then she let out a soft exclamation. "Oh, my goodness, Iris! You should have called me, truly. That’s a terribly long and expensive ride." She sighed, but a small, fond smile played on her lips. "Come inside, you must be utterly exhausted."

Iris followed her mother, the familiar warmth of the house wrapping around her almost immediately. The scent of polished wood, the framed family photographs along the hallway, the rhythmic tick-tock of the old clock from the living room—it all felt exactly as it had when she was younger.

She should have felt completely at ease. But instead, the thought of Alexander returned, a sudden, sharp pang in her chest, and she gasped softly. What is wrong with me? she asked herself, a silent plea.

They had barely made it halfway through the living room when her mother placed the duffel bag beside the stairs and turned toward her, a familiar glint in her eye.

"So," Sophia began, her tone meticulously casual, though Iris already knew what was coming. "How was the anniversary dinner with Jason?"

Iris stopped, her shoulders slumping almost imperceptibly. She sighed, her gaze dropping to the patterned rug. She knew her mother had been itching for the juicy gossip for the past two days. Sophia’s bright smile faded slightly, replaced by a subtle furrow of concern as she registered Iris’s reaction.

"What?" she asked softly, her voice losing its forced lightness.

"Nothing, Mom," Iris mumbled, avoiding her mother’s gaze.

Sophia stepped closer, her expression shifting from curious to conspiratorial, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"Iris," she whispered, leaning in slightly. "Tell me, did you finally... you know... do the deed with him? After all this time?"

"Oh my god, Mom!" Iris exclaimed, mortified, her cheeks flaming scarlet. She couldn’t believe her mother would ask such a thing, right here in the living room.

Sophia, however, seemed entirely unfazed by Iris’s embarrassment. Her hands went to her hips, her expression hardening with fierce protectiveness.

"What? Don’t you ’oh my god, Mom’ me. Tell me something important. Was he gentle? Because if he wasn’t, I swear, I’ll get my car keys right this minute and drive back to Seattle to give that boy a piece of my mind. Nobody hurts my daughter."

Iris groaned, pressing her hands to her face, a wave of mortification washing over her. She knew, with absolute certainty, that her mother meant every word.

"I just..." She swallowed, trying to compose herself, forcing a small, wobbly smile. "I’m really tired, Mom. The journey was long, and I honestly didn’t sleep much last night." She gestured vaguely towards her eyes, hoping her weary appearance would sell the excuse.

Sophia studied her carefully, her eyes sharp and knowing, her initial playful demeanor evaporating completely. "Really, Iris? Or... did something happen?" Her voice was soft now, laced with genuine worry.

Iris’s fingers tightened around the strap of her handbag, her knuckles turning white. She couldn’t do it... not yet.

She couldn’t stand in her mother’s living room and articulate the words aloud. I caught Jason in bed with Vanessa. Even thinking them made her chest tighten, though the sharp, agonizing sting she expected wasn’t there. It just felt... heavy. She simply didn’t want to talk about it yet.

"Can we talk later?" Iris asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as she dragged a hand through her hair, a gesture of profound weariness. She looked at her mother, a silent plea in her eyes.

Sophia’s eyebrows drew together, a flicker of something close to anger passing across her face before she reined it in.

"About the anniversary dinner, you mean? Or... about what happened afterwards?" She pressed gently, her gaze unwavering.

Iris nodded slowly, her throat tight. "About everything. Just... not right now, Mom. I really need to rest first. We have all week, don’t we?"

Her mother looked at her for a long moment, her expression a complex mixture of concern, frustration, and maternal intuition. Then, with a soft sigh, she finally relented. "All right, sweetheart. You go and rest first. We’ll talk after, when you’re ready."

"Thank you," Iris breathed, her relief palpable.

Sophia reached out, her hand gently cupping Iris’s cheek, her touch warm and reassuring. "Whatever happened, Iris, you don’t have to carry it alone. I’m here for you, always."

Iris’s eyes stung, a sudden rush of emotion overwhelming her. "I know, Mom." She leaned forward and hugged her mother once more, a silent acknowledgment of the comfort offered. Then she picked up her bag and went upstairs. Once inside her old bedroom, she closed the door with a soft click.

The familiar room seemed to embrace her in a way her apartment at the university never could. Her old photographs still decorated the walls, and several books she had left behind during the semester remained stacked on her desk.

She saw one framed photograph she took with Vanessa, right after high school. Seeing the picture brought back the sting of her betrayal once again, fresh and sharp. Iris picked up the picture, her jaw tightening, and with a swift, decisive motion, she trashed it in the waste bin.