Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 43: Redemption

For once, everything was quiet. Claire and Jeremy were busy, and by some miracle, Tiffany wasn't crying. It was in these rare moments that Onyx and Amelia took some time for themselves, even if it was just to enjoy the silence. Cuddling on the couch was a great choice for this, and they were both half-asleep when the doorbell rang. 

"I'll get it," Amelia murmured sleepily and reluctantly pulled away from Onyx's grip. 

As she approached the door, she heard a strangely familiar voice.

"Do you think she still lives here?" The male voice spoke.

"I don't know," another replied, "but it's worth a shot?"

She realized why they were familiar the second the glass panes of the front doors came into view, and she opened the door hesitantly. "Dominic? Vance?"

"Amelia Wesley," Vance began, a crooked, nervous smile spreading across his face. "You haven't changed a bit."

"You have a lot of nerve coming here," she sighed. "Well? What do you want?"

"You'll be surprised," he replied. "I came here to apologize."

"And so did I," Dominic added with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, Amelia."

Amelia was dumbfounded. "You want to... apologize?" 

Vance nodded. "May we come in?"

She hesitated only for a moment before nodding. "Yes, of course. Just... give me one moment..." Amelia turned from the door hurriedly and went back to the living room.

Onyx stood and approached her, noticing the nervous look on her face. "Who was it?"

"I guess you could say... some old adversaries of ours?" 

Onyx raised an eyebrow. "Adversaries?"

Before she had the chance to explain, the sound of footsteps caught his attention and he turned to face their source in surprise.

"You've got to be kidding me," Onyx mumbled.

"Onyx?" Vance's eyes widened. "What are you..."

"Oh, I forgot to mention that, didn't I?" Amelia grinned. "It's Amelia Nightshade now."

"You two got married?" Dominic asked. 

"Doesn't surprise me," Vance sighed. "You two were inseparable from the start."

Onyx frowned. "Yes, we're married, but I think the more important question is... what are you doing here?"

"It's been a long time since high school, and a lot has happened since then," Vance began, "and... we're very different people from who we used to be."

Dominic could hear Vance's voice trembling, so he took his hand and held it tightly, averting his gaze to the floor in shame. "We treated you both terribly. We wanted to tell you that we're truly sorry... and... make things right."

Onyx and Amelia exchanged glances.

"Why don't you take a seat?" Onyx suggested, sitting on the couch. "I get the feeling this won't be a short conversation."

Amelia sat beside him and Vance and Dominic took the two chairs before continuing.

"My childhood was a mess," Vance began. "I had a lot of problems going on at home, and I was really messed up... I took out my stress and frustrations on other people. I realize now how much of a bully I was," he continued, "so when Dominic and I moved into our own place together... he suggested I go to therapy, and I've done much better. I'm a better person... and I owe you both an apology for all the things I said and did to you."

Onyx was still silent, but Amelia smiled. "Really? I'm happy for both of you, and it's great that you're supporting each other and getting the help you need. That makes me happy to hear. And... I forgive you."

"Really?" Vance smiled.

"Really," Amelia replied.

The room was quiet for a moment before Dominic spoke up. "I'm sorry too. I didn't have any friends, and my parents didn't give me attention, so I got it from Vance. And I guess... I was willing to do whatever he wanted to get it."

Vance noticed that Onyx wasn't speaking and frowned, looking over at him. "Onyx, I..."

Onyx finally broke his silence with a smile.

"Vance, Dominic," Onyx began, "all of your bullying really hurt me. But if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be the person I am now. And who knows? I might not have become friends with Amelia. I don't want to imagine my life without her. I understand now; why things happened the way they did... and I'm more than willing to forgive you for it. So what do you say we put the past behind us and rather than being enemies... be friends?"

"Friends?" Vance lit up. "You'd really want to be friends with us? After all we've done?"

Onyx stood from the couch and walked up to him. "It doesn't matter what you've done," he said, "only what you do now."

What Vance did was something once unthinkable.

As he wrapped his arms around him in a hug, Onyx tensed, but only for a moment. 

"Thank you," Vance said quietly, his eyes filling with tears. He had never expected his second chance, his redemption. But now he could see it, no, feel it so clearly. There was something better for his life after all.

The group talked for a while more about all that had happened since they last saw each other. Things like life, love and newfound happiness, and it seemed that in some ways that had more in common than they thought. 

And when it was time for Vance and Dominic to go home, as they walked out the door, they knew they would never forget what Onyx told them that day: it doesn't matter what you've done, only what you do now.