Uncle Donovan stares at the house like it's a dream he's afraid to touch because it might disappear. I know he has carried so much guilt from that night, convinced that being the oldest meant he should have kept his younger siblings safe. Now that the moment is finally here, I can see that guilt holding him in place. He worries Samuel and Betty will still be angry with him, but he forgets he was just a kid too.
Despite Uncle Donovan's hesitation, I am excited to finally meet them, but I don't want to rush him through this. I have more family now; it feels like a blessing to me. I reach over the back of the seat and grab his hand.
"It's okay, Uncle Donovan. Let's do this together. I'm here. I've got you," I say.
He nods, his breath shaking. Agent Williams steps out first and walks toward the porch. The front door swings open, and Aunt Betty appears. She's older than Uncle Donovan remembers, her hair pulled back and her eyes tired but kind. Her hands tremble against the doorframe as her gaze snaps to him. For a moment, neither of them can breathe.
Zeke taps him on the shoulder. "Go to her," he says encouragingly.
"Donovan...?" Her voice breaks as the name turns into a sob.
"Betty...?" he says, choking on her name.
She rushes down the steps, and Uncle Donovan meets her halfway. They collide in a hug that looks strong enough to hold together every broken piece of their childhood. Then he winces, sucking in a sharp breath when her arms press against his injured one. She pulls back instantly, eyes wide.
"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" she asks, concern etching into her features.
Uncle Donovan gives her a crooked grin, trying to lighten the moment. "Just a little bullet graze. Nothing major. It adds character. The ladies will love it."
"A bullet graze does not add character," Aunt Betty says, her voice trembling.
"Eh, it makes me look tough," he says, shrugging.
Aunt Betty lets out a watery laugh and hugs him again, but gentler this time. I feel the veil pulse inside me; warm, bright, and almost joyful. Andy wipes his eyes discreetly as Zeke wraps an arm around my shoulders. Agent Williams steps back, giving them space.
Aunt Betty pulls away just enough to cup Uncle Donovan's face. "You're alive," she whispers. "You're really alive."
"So are you," he says, his voice cracking.
She laughs through her tears. "I've missed you so much," she tells him.
"I've missed you too," he says back.
The moment stretches around us, fragile and whole at the same time. Then the porch light flickers as a car pulls into the driveway. A tall man who resembles Uncle Donovan steps out. It's Uncle Samuel. He freezes when he sees his siblings.
Uncle Donovan smiles and waves at him before saying, "Sam? Is that you?"
"Donnie?" Uncle Samuel asks, his voice breaking from emotion.
Uncle Donovan lets out a sound that is a half-sob, half-laugh. Aunt Betty turns with tears on her cheeks as Uncle Samuel runs to their older brother. They crash into each other, hugging so tightly it feels like they're trying to make up for each year they lost. She joins them, wrapping her arms around both.
We stand quietly as the Catalano siblings cling to each other, crying, shaking, and laughing, reunited for the first time since that tragic night.
For a few seconds, it feels like nothing else exists but the three of them. Then Aunt Betty pulls back, wiping her face and looking around. "Where's Amber?" she asks softly. "Where's our sister?"
Uncle Samuel's expression shifts from hopeful to afraid all at once. "Is she here? Is she okay?"
Uncle Donovan's face falls as he shakes his head slowly. "I'm sorry, guys. She's gone," he says quietly. "Amber passed… years ago."
Aunt Betty's breath catches, and Uncle Samuel's shoulders slump. The joy of their reunion folds into heartbreak.
"Oh, Amber," Aunt Betty quietly sobs.
Uncle Donovan swallows hard and then gestures toward me, as if he is offering them the only piece of Amber he still can. "But this is Roxanne. Amber's daughter. The baby she was carrying the night we all got separated."
They turn towards me and freeze. Aunt Betty's hand flies to her mouth. Uncle Samuel's eyes widen in shock.
"She looks just like Amber," Aunt Betty whispers. "Exactly like her."
"Amber's eyes," Uncle Samuel says, stunned. "Her smile too. Her face."
Their stunned silence makes my chest tighten, but I step forward gently. "Hi," I say softly. "I'm Roxanne."
Aunt Betty reaches me first and folds me into her arms without hesitation, crying into my shoulder. Uncle Samuel joins us, wrapping both of us in a tight embrace. When we pull back, she brushes at her cheeks.
She notices my dad standing behind me and says, "And Andy, I remember you were always around. Amber adored you."
Uncle Samuel smiles at him. "Hey man, good to see you again. You were practically family."
Andy's eyes soften. "I loved her; I still do." Aunt Betty nods, squeezing his hand.
I step back and gesture to Zeke. "And this is Zeke," I say. "My boyfriend." Zeke gives a small, respectful wave. Aunt Betty smiles warmly at him as Uncle Samuel shakes his hand firmly.
Agent Williams gestures toward the front door, gently pulling us out of the cold and all the emotion still hanging on the porch. I still don't know whether to call him Agent Williams or Uncle, but he gives us a gentle smile. "Let's go inside," he says softly. "You all have a lot to talk about."
My aunt and uncles gather close, guiding us toward the light spilling from the doorway. Aunt Betty leads us into the softly lit living room. The house feels comforting and smells like flowers and cinnamon. Uncle Samuel gently closes the door behind us, still brushing moisture from his face. He keeps stealing glances at Uncle Donovan, like he can't believe he is real. Agent Williams moves quietly through to the kitchen, giving us all space.
Aunt Betty gestures for us all to sit. Uncle Donovan sits on the couch, holding his arm where the bullet grazed him. He is still visibly shaken. I sit beside him, wishing I could give him some of my strength. Zeke takes the chair next to me, and Andy sits near Uncle Samuel, who smiles at him warmly.
Aunt Betty sits across from Uncle Donovan, her hands clasped tightly together. She seems unsure of what to do next, like there are too many years to explain all at once. "Nathaniel told us about Roxanne's vision, although I didn't know she was Amber's daughter until tonight. I was shocked that she was so spot on," she says, pausing before looking at me. "Roxanne, sweetheart… your vision was right. Everything you saw happened."
The weight of her words settles over the room, too heavy for anyone to answer right away. Uncle Donovan interrupts her. "Sorry for interrupting, but who is Nathaniel?" he asks, smiling. He obviously knows it is Agent Williams, but he can't resist the chance to cause a little mischief.
"It's my husband," Aunt Betty says, smiling. "His first name is Nathaniel."
Uncle Donovan laughs from his belly and says, "Agent Williams will now forever be known as Nate the Great." Aunt Betty shakes her head at him, laughing softly and rolling her eyes. Agent Williams just smiles from the kitchen. It is uncanny to see the by-the-book agent become so laid-back around his wife. It will take me a while to process this one.
The laughter fades, leaving space for the harder truth waiting underneath it. Uncle Samuel continues where Aunt Betty left off. "We didn't know anyone else remembered that night. We didn't even remember it ourselves… not at first anyway."
"What do you mean?" Uncle Donovan asks, leaning forward.
Aunt Betty folds her hands in her lap. "When we woke up in the hospital," she says, "we didn't remember anything except each other. Not our names, not Mom, Dad, Amber, or even you, Donnie."
Uncle Samuel continues, his voice low. "We were kids, scared and confused. Hell, we were only twelve and thirteen years old. The doctors said we had severe concussions that caused our memory loss. They weren't even sure we would regain any of the memories. Child services couldn't figure out who we were either. They just knew the documents in our backpacks were false."
Aunt Betty smiles faintly. "And then Harold and Cathy Faltman, the older couple who hit us, asked to be our foster parents. They felt a strong connection to us," she says.
Uncle Samuel nods, like saying their names brings the whole life they built rushing back. "They were good people. Not only did they raise and love us, but they gave us a home." His voice is thick with emotion.
Aunt Betty's eyes soften as she tells us, "They became our parents."
Uncle Donovan swallows hard, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I'm glad you had someone," he whispers.
Aunt Betty reaches out and squeezes his hand. "We did, and we needed them so much."
Quiet settles over us as his words sink in, but the story does not get easier from there. Uncle Samuel leans back, rubbing his palms together. "We didn't get our memories back until we were teenagers. It was scary at first; I felt like I was losing my mind. They came back in pieces, through dreams, panic attacks, and flashbacks."
"And when we remembered everything," Aunt Betty adds, "we were terrified. Ted was still out there somewhere; we didn't know who he was working with. We didn't know who to trust. Then we heard about Dunhill and didn't know how dangerous he could be."
Uncle Samuel looks toward the hallway where Agent Williams disappeared, and some of the fear in his face softens. "That's when I met him. I introduced him to my little sister."
Aunt Betty smiles softly. "We met in middle school. I was quiet and shy. He was popular and played on the football team. For me, it was love at first sight."
Uncle Samuel laughs, saying, "He was my best friend."
Aunt Betty blushes slightly. "We dated all through high school and fell deeply in love. When our memories returned, he was the first person we told."
Uncle Samuel nods in agreement. "He didn't think we were crazy; he believed us."
Aunt Betty's voice softens. "He promised not only to help us but to protect us."
Uncle Samuel gestures toward the kitchen. "That's the reason Nate joined the FBI. It was because of us. He wanted resources that the local government couldn't provide. He wanted to help us solve what happened that night."
Aunt Betty wipes her eyes. "He kept his promise. He always does. He found you, Donnie, and Roxanne. He kept us safe until Dunhill was taken care of. He's a really great man."
Uncle Donovan leans back, overwhelmed. "Y-y-y-you had all this going on, and I never knew. I should have looked harder for you, but I was scared too. If Roxanne hadn't bought the house, we never would have found each other." Tears run freely down my face as Uncle Donovan speaks. "She is the blessing Amber sent to bring our family together."
Andy clears his throat. "You did the right thing," he says. "You survived and stayed safe, and Roxanne is a blessing. I'm so glad I get to be a part of her life."
Uncle Samuel nods. "And now we're all together. A family again."
Zeke squeezes my knee gently. Agent Williams returns from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea, and I wonder if I should start calling him Uncle Nate. No, that still feels too weird. Agent Williams works for now. He must have known we were talking about him earlier because he sets the tray gently on the coffee table, then kisses Aunt Betty on the forehead before sitting on the arm of her chair.
Uncle Donovan grins at him. "Thanks, Nate the Great." Agent Williams shakes his head, amused.
"He's never going to stop calling you that now," Aunt Betty says, rolling her eyes affectionately. The room settles into a comfortable silence, and for a little while, we let ourselves sit inside it before the conversation turns back to everything still waiting outside this house.
After a few moments, Agent Williams explains that the FBI is in the process of taking down Dunhill's network and just how expansive it is. Even the corrupt agents within the bureau are not safe, but none of us looks surprised. We know firsthand how far his evil stretches because we lived it.
Aunt Betty and Uncle Samuel are stunned, trying to absorb the scale of what Dunhill has done. Aunt Betty's fingers tighten around her mug as Uncle Samuel leans forward, his eyes wide. Agent Williams has kept them in the dark for their safety.
Uncle Donovan lets them have a moment to come to terms with everything. Then he clears his throat, drawing us gently from their shock into the truth we still owe them. "Okay," he says, "now it's our turn."