Chapter 79. Forgiveness and Leaving Behind

79. Forgiveness and Leaving Behind

Astrid's POV:
"I didn't do anything; it was them," Cindy remarked, pointing to my stomach as my family entered the room. "Oh," Cindy murmured, pulling her fingers back.
I scowled and stared at them. "What are they doing here?" I glared at Rafael.
"Astrid, we really regret anything we did. We can't even express how horrible we feel."  I signaled with my hand for them to stop and asked Rafael again.
"What are they doing here, Rafael, and why aren't you doing anything?' I said. "You shouldn't have allowed them to come in here in the first place," I told him.
"Come with me, Little Dove." He took my hand and led me into a room next to ours. He shut the door to give us the solitude we required.
"I know you are mad at me, but you don't know a few things that I do. To be honest, I was the one who determined they didn't deserve to live, but you have to listen to me out, and I'll leave it up to you. We'll do whatever you think is appropriate," Rafael said.
"I'm listening." I sat on the chair with my hands folded.
Rafael kneeled in front of me and began telling me about Vincent and how he was always enamored with me and wanted me for himself.
It makes me shudder just thinking about it. He went on to describe how he tried everything he could to keep my Lycan from showing. They were doing all they could to prevent my union with my mate, but Rafael came up at the auction and rescued me before anybody could act.
"Remember how you always told me that your parents and brothers were loving and supportive of you in the beginning, especially your brothers, who were constantly by your side until recently?  It was Vincent's fault. He was the one who cast spells on your family to control them. They were all afraid of Scarlet, which is why they took away all of your support when they realized you still had your brother's support, and to make you even more vulnerable, he placed a spell on your brothers as well." Rafael continued to narrate how he tormented me in my nightmares and tried to kill me before Scarlet showed up. Everything is now starting to make sense. I think I got my answers from the person I saw as I passed out.
"I'm not suggesting you should forgive them immediately, but I suppose we could look at things from a new angle. Consider how we would feel if we were in their shoes. I had a lot of thoughts about it and wanted to kill them straight away, but then I realized, What if someone had cast the same spell on us? What if we were the ones who fell victim to the charms and did the same to our loved ones?  Now that Vincent is gone, they are out of it, and they remember everything as if it had happened to them. Their acts were wrong, but were they wrong as well?"  Rafael asked me.
My eyes began to well up with tears. I couldn't help myself. I've lost so many things throughout the years. I'm not sure how my losses will be repaired. Rafael has a valid argument. Yes, what they did was wrong, but can I genuinely hold them responsible? Was it truly within their control? I can only imagine how things would have been different so many years ago. I've missed so many things that even if I or my parents tried to bring them back, it would be impossible. The issue is, who is to blame here? I may absolutely blame it on my family, who had no say in the matter, but can I truly forgive them?
"You must make a sensible decision here, my love, whether you want to forgive them and move on or if you want to hold things back, but know that whatever you decide, I will always be by your side."  He kissed both of my hands.
"I don't think I can forgive everything so easily, my love. I'll need some time to process this. I can forgive them for the time being, but I will never be able to return to normalcy with them. Every time I see them, it's as if nothing happened. All of my difficulties began to play out in front of my eyes. I might be able to forgive them eventually, but not right now." I wiped my tears as I shook my head. 
"You don't have to. For the time being, let us forgive them and move on. All I'm saying is that holding back will suffocate us even more. That's what you told me. Okay, we'll walk outside, and you'll forgive them, and we'll let them go. Don't be worried about Edward. I'll look after him."  Rafael took my hands and began dragging me around, and there stood my mother, father, and brothers, and I knew they were guilty and couldn't look me in the eyes.
All of my time with them began to play back in front of my eyes, and one part of me wanted to ask them why they did what they did, another part wanted to hug them, and the third part was repeating all of the misery they had inflicted on me. What if things were different? Would they have raised me with the love and affection I yearned for? My major concern is whether I will forgive them if they ask for it.
"Astrid!" Mom approached me and hugged me, but I didn't reciprocate her movements.
I'd conditioned my emotions to be cold towards anything linked to my family for years, never expecting this day to come. That's how I dulled my feelings.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea what I was doing. I have failed to be your mother when you did nothing but stand up to my expectations. " She sobbed.
"Astrid, you are right. What we did to you is inexcusable, but we hope that one day you will understand and forgive us. Until then, we will do everything we can to prove our culpability." Skylar spoke up from the side.
I closed my eyes, sighed deeply, and moved my mother away from me. "I forgive you," I said instantly.
Everyone was surprised for a while, and she soon began approaching me, but I motioned with my hand to stop them. They came to a standstill.
"I forgive you, but I don't want to be in the same place as you right now." All I want is some breathing room. "I don't want to carry any ill will toward anyone. That is why I am letting this go, but I need some time to think about it. Perhaps one day I will be able to forgive you all. Please leave now." I turned around and went inside the room where I was tested.
Rafael walked up behind me and hugged me, releasing all the tension I was carrying.
"Did I make the correct decision, Rafael?" I asked.
"Yes, little dove, and I am proud of you for handling things so well." He kissed the back of my neck.
He let me cry in his hug while he relaxed.
"Astrid!" I recognized the voice I'm still getting used to.
We both turned around, and there she was, Rafael's mother. She was looking a bit better now, as if she had cleansed her face. Cindy had probably made some arrangements for her outfits.
Rafael hugged her, and I stared at them. She glanced at me and indicated for me to join them, spreading her hand. I brushed my tears away and ran to her.
"This is Astrid, my mate, and..." Rafael began to speak, but she interrupted him by rubbing his back.
"I know my son better than you think." She responded.
We both backed up. "Do you?" I asked.
"Yes, I recall all of our conversations beside my tomb.  I remember most of it, and though it all seems like a dream and fuzzy memory, I'm delighted my son has someone like you as a companion. I couldn't have found a better match for him." I smiled as she stated this while staring at me. "And I can't wait to meet my grandchildren. I can't believe I'm experiencing all of this."  She responded with a smile.
"You shouldn't overthink things and worry yourself, Fiona  Take it one step at a time, and we're all here to support you with anything," Cindy said.
"We are, indeed," Rafael responded. "What about Mom's body in the cemetery, Cindy?" Rafael.
"You don't have to be concerned about any otherworldly remains. The moment they were visible to us, their physical bodies were ejected from the location, hurtling towards the portal," Cindy explained.
"So we're not going to find anything in those graves?" Rafael asked.
She gave a nod. "Not only Fiona's but all magical beings that perished before yesterday."
"Where do my babies fit into all of this?" I asked, alluding to the previous remark she made about them saving all of us.
"Oh, there came a time where the energy I was channeling from you wasn't enough, and I was feeling down as well, so I had to let go of your hand. I was about to surrender, believing that was our fate, when you came in. You thought that for everything you did, Astrid, I was the one casting the spell, but everything was done by the babies without my awareness. That is why they are unique, and why everyone wants to hurt them."  Cindy said it, and I nodded.
"I think we should go home and check on everyone; it was a tough time for all of us, and now that it's done, I think we should go and get some much-needed rest," Rafael said.
"Wait, wait, you don't want to know the gender?" Charles asked.
"Of course we do," Rafael and I agreed.
"So, what do each of you want?" Charles inquired.
"Hmm... Astrid wants a boy; she always refers to our kid as him, and I want a lovely girl like my little dove, but we won't be disappointed by anything," Rafael said.
"I guess both of your prayers have been answered," Charles said, smiling.
I gave him a sidelong glance. "No, you can't be serious," I said, not believing him.
"Yes, you are having a girl and a boy, your boy, Astrid, was the one hiding behind his sister," Charles stated.
"God, this is a lot of happiness to take in in just one day," Rafael whispered as he hugged me.
I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from sobbing any further. I had been a bawling mess all day, and Rafael was correct.
"Did you hear that little dove? We are having twins, and both of our prayers have been granted." He picked up me bridal style and began leaving the hospital because it was late and Charles was closing.
Someone had parked Rafael's co-wife (his BMW) outside the hospital, followed by several cars that others occupied.
Rafael sat me in the front seat and took the wheel himself.
As Rafael began driving to our realm, I grinned. His phone abruptly rang.
He replied, and by the end of the talk, he was beaming.
"Who got you to smile like that?" In a sing-song voice, I asked.
"It was shifter King who phoned to thank me for returning everyone safely to him, and his mate gave birth to a baby girl, so he requested that we find time to see them," Rafael grinned.
"Wow, that's great news. Can we stop by right now?" I asked.
"We'll go there tomorrow or so, Little Dove," Rafael said, shaking his head.
But I wasn't having it. I have a thing where I adore seeing new babies and holding them, and now that I'm going to become a mother, I can't miss out on seeing them.
"Rafael, please, I want to see a newborn baby, I am sure it would fill me with positivity," I requested.
"Please," I pleaded.
"Okay, we won't be there long," he agreed and groaned.
As Rafael guided the car to the other side, I squealed in my seat.
The shifter realm was more beautiful and contemporary than ours. I've heard that the shifter king enjoys lavishing himself.
We greeted him; he was waiting for us, and he and his mate were overjoyed to see us. I had an instant connection with them because they were so humble.
"May I see the baby?" I asked.
Their maid and nurse carried the small bundle of joy wrapped in a white blanket.
Rebecca (the Shifter Kings' mate) forwarded me their girl, whom I tenderly placed into my arms.
"I wish you very happy parenthood as well, it's a wonderful experience," Rebecca said with a grin.
The small doll in my arms was sleeping quietly, and I felt a need to feel tied to her through the pounding of my heart. I couldn't stop staring at the small life in my arms; I couldn't stop gazing at her, and I instantly realized what that meant.
Though I know that after my babies are born, they will have to wait for years to find their mates, I know she will be mated to one of my babies, and I will patiently wait for that day while raising my child to be a better person for the angel in my arms.
"Thank you for accepting our invitation; we are thrilled to have you with us," Rebecca said as we began to walk away.
"I am sure we will strengthen our bonds in the future," I hinted to Rebecca, and I am sure she was quick to pick up on my words as her smile widened.
We were sitting in our car. "Are you ready for a new ride with me, Little Dove?" Rafael asked.
This man has made me complete, filling in for all I want. For all the difficulties I experienced, all the twists and turns my life took, with each power that I was gifted with through time, with all the ups and downs that came my way, everything was worth it with my Rafael, "MY THIRD CHANCE MATE," at my side.
I smiled as I looked tenderly at his face. "With you, anywhere, my love." 
_ _ _ _ _ _ THE END_ _ _ _ _