A Peculiar very Peculiar (Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children)

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...

After my little speech, the atmosphere improved noticeably and everyone seemed to be eating their food quite eagerly. Is it always like this or has the fact that I stay has made everyone happy? I hope it is the last.

Anyway, after a very nice dinner where we talked about trivial things, it was time to go.

"Can't you stay? There are plenty of rooms. We can find one for you and make you stay there to sleep" – Claire said somewhat sadly.

The twins and even Fiona nodded. Apparently the three of them shared the same opinion as Claire.

"Don't be like that, Claire. Even though Jacob has said he's going to stay, he has to spend the last few weeks with his father to say goodbye to him" - Bronwyn said.

I'd like to stay and not leave, too, but Bronwyn is right. I'm going to be with my father these last few weeks and then I'll say goodbye to him properly. Spending these last few weeks with him is the least I can do for him.

"Ok..." – Claire said unconvinced.

"Claire, tomorrow I'll come again. So don't worry, okay?" – I said with a smile.

"Do you promise me?" - she said somewhat hopefully.

The twins and Fiona also seemed excited about the idea.

"I promise you" – I nodded.

"Did you see? Jacob will be coming again tomorrow, so there's no need for anyone to be sad" - Millard said.

"Bah! Who was sad?" – Enoch said.

"Well, it excites me. Even though he spends most of his time with the girls..." – Horace said.

"Did you say anything, Horace?" – Emma asked with a smile.

But she didn't seem happy at all.

"This... I have said that I am very glad that Jacob is coming tomorrow and that his mere presence already makes everyone here happy" – Horace corrected.

It's best not to make angry a woman as temperamental as Emma and everyone there seemed to know it.

"That's right. His mere presence already makes me happy. I don't know about the others, but it happens that to me" – Hugh nodded.

It was a hard feeling to explain, but to have someone new there... It made them feel good, very comfortable. As I said, it's a very difficult feeling to explain. Let's say you feel as if someone in your family whom you loved very much and whom you hadn't seen in a long time is coming home. It's a feeling similar to that.

"I'm sure everyone is excited about Mister Portman's presence, but for now, I think Mister Portman should come back. Otherwise his father will miss him" – said Miss Peregrine looking at her pocket watch.

I don't have a wristwatch and my phone seems to have died (even though it hasn't), so I had no idea what time it was now. But if Miss Peregrine said it was time to go... It has to be quite late.

"Well guys, until tomorrow. I'm leaving" – I said saying goodbye to everyone.

"Wait, I'll accompany you to the exit" – Emma said suddenly.

And before the rest of the girls could protest, Emma grabbed my hand and led me into the loop at lightning speed.

On the other side...

"Thank you for taking me, Emma, but I already know the way perfectly" – I said with a smile.

But Emma did not seem to listen to my words at all, for she seemed absorbed in her thoughts.

"Is something wrong with you?" – I asked curiously.

"Is that true?" . she asked.

"What?" – I asked without understanding.

"I mean, if what you said at dinner is true. Are you going to stay with us? Because if they were just empty words to excite others... I think it's very cruel. Everyone is very excited and everyone wants you to stay. Please, if it's a lie say it now and save us more suffering, save us all the suffering..." – Emma said.

I see. I know perfectly well what is happening here. She is afraid that I will leave as my grandfather did, that I will abandon them never to return and that will sadden everyone, especially after the emotion that everyone felt and that, surely, they continue to feel.

"Emma, you must take one thing into account" – I said seriously.

"What?" - she asked.

"I am not my grandfather and I never will be. My name is Jacob Portman and not Abe Portman. We may be alike in certain ways, but I am not him. I know that what I am going to tell you is cruel and it hurts me to do it too, but it is necessary that I tell you. Abe Portman is dead" – I said.

Emma already knew. But when she heard it again, her heart contracted and an indescribable sadness invaded her whole being.

"I know... it's just what..." – she tried to say.

"He is no longer here and I am not him. I'm Jacob Portman, Abe Portman's grandson, but I'm not him. Unlike him, I will follow my own path, not his. Maybe my grandfather had other priorities and that's why he abandon you both" – I said.

These words are cruel, but necessary.

"That's it...!" – Emma tried to protest.

But deep down she knew Jacob's words were true. Abe left Olive and her, no, he left everyone and never came back!

"I'm sorry for these harsh words, Emma, but it's reality and you have to listen to it, understand it and understand that as much as you still love him, he didn't share your same feelings. He may have had them for a while, he may have really felt romantic love for you, but at some point he stopped loving you and instead of facing his feelings, instead of telling you the truth, he left and married another woman" – I said.

"But he would send us pictures from his travels where he would whisper words of love to us! I refuse to believe that all this is false!" – Emma exclaimed.

"Emma, you simply refuse to see reality. Your love is too blind and you refuse to believe that what I say is true. But inside you know it, you know that I am right" – I said.

Emma's heart contracted and she was going to protest, but for some reason, the words she was going to say did not come out of her mouth. As if those words had a life of their own and refused to be spoken because they themselves knew how false that lie was.

"I'll tell you again, Emma Bloom. I'm not Abe Portman. My name is Jacob Portman and I'm no substitute for anyone. I want you to keep in mind that. For me, family comes first and everything else comes later. If I had to choose between the safety of my family or that of thousands of people, I would choose the safety of my family above anything else without hesitation and that was something that my grandfather never did, neither with you, nor with my father" – I said.

I'm not sure because my memories back then are sealed, but based on Emma and Olive's current feelings for my grandfather, I'm sure they didn't forget him easily even when they were dating Jacob. That's why I want to make it clear that I'm no substitute for anyone. Perhaps if Jacob had made it clear from the beginning... everything would have changed. Although I repeat that I do not know exactly if that is what happened.

"I see... yes... You may be right... If you'll excuse me... I'll go to rest" – Emma said.

She looked somewhat depressed, sad, and even looked about to cry, but due to her strong personality she surely held back tears.

"Ok, rest well" – I nodded.

These words have been very cruel and even me, as a businessman and not like Jacob Portman, have hurt me. But as I have already said, it is necessary for her to know that I am not Abe, but Jacob.

"See you tomorrow..." – Emma said somewhat sadly.

I felt bad letting her go like this, so I decided to add something else to my harsh words.

"Emma, wait a minute" – I said suddenly.

"What do you want?" - she said reluctantly.

"You are a good woman. You and Olive are great women. If you had been my women I would never have abandoned you. Keep this in mind because unlike my grandfather, you would have been my priority and I would have put your security above everything that exists. Something my grandfather wasn't able to do" - I said.

Hearing those words, Emma couldn't take it anymore and began to shed tears. Seeing her like this, I did the only thing a man should do in this situation. I went up to her and hugged her.

Feeling my hug, she also hugged me tightly as she cried as hard as she could.

After a while she calmed down.

"Thank you and forgive me for getting wet you" – she said wiping the remains of tears from her crystalline eyes.

"Are you better?" – I asked.

"Yes, much better" – he nodded.

"Sorry for my harsh words, but I think they were necessary... So that in the future there will be no misunderstandings" – I said.

Emma blushed and nodded.

"Yes, they were harsh words, very harsh. But you are right, they were necessary. Abe was a great man and loved Olive and me very much, but he made the mistake of abandoning us and marrying another woman. Tell me something. Was Abe a good father, a good husband?" – she said.

"He was a great grandfather, exemplary and loving" – I said.

Although I didn't answer her question directly, Emma already knew the answer.

"I see. Thank you, Jacob, thanks to your words, my mind is clearer and my feelings have changed. Thank you very much" – Emma said.

And for the first time since I'd met her, Emma smiled. A glowing smile that almost blinded me despite it being night, it was just... beautiful. And that's when I knew, I knew that I had to make this woman mine and give her the happiness she deserves. The happiness that my grandfather could never give her.

[+15]

What?

"And Jacob, before I say goodbye, I have to tell you one thing" – Emma said.

"What's wrong?" – I asked.

But before I could react, I felt a gentle touch on my cheek. It was Emma's delicate lips, which touched my cheek leaving me in awe.

"This is for clarify my ideas and my feelings" – she said.

Then, she sighed and looked at me again.

"And before I go, I want to tell you that you better have this conversation with Olive. She also needs to clarify her feelings like me" - Emma said.

And before I could say anything else, she ran into the loop and disappeared, leaving me with a silly face and my left hand on my cheek.