When she was done eating, Millie did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and then washed some laundry. Margaret used to always do most of the chores, leaving Millie a lot of free time, but now it was all Millie’s responsibility. She hated that Margaret was gone but didn’t mind doing the work. It kept her mind occupied, and that was a good thing.
The laundry took a while, and by the time she was done, the sun was already sitting high in the sky. Satisfied with the chores she had done, Millie headed to the ranch so that she could work in her vegetable garden. It was a beautiful day. There were only a few fluffy clouds, and Millie could feel the sun warming her body. The wind was gentle, just strong enough to carry the scent of wildflowers, and birds were happily chirping in the trees.
Millie sat down and took it all in, allowing herself to simply exist in the moment. Despite everything that had happened on the ranch, she still felt most at home in her garden. It was peaceful, and it was the one place she didn’t feel like she had to be afraid. Nobody ever came there, so there was no chance of her being interrupted. Millie was pretty sure that most people living in Silver City had forgotten that she even existed.
Sometimes she longed for the life she used to live. The one where she would go into town and help her mother with shopping. The one where she had friends and people who cared. Millie had tried to go back to living a normal life after the attack, but it simply wasn’t possible. She couldn’t talk anymore, and she kept getting frightened and having episodes whenever she went into town. Eventually, she simply gave up and accepted that her life would never be the same again.
***
Jace was sitting at the front desk, looking through patient files.
“Are you ready to go?” Dr. Masterson asked, peeking out of his office.
“Almost,” Jace replied, closing the file and grabbing the next one. They were going to see Millie, and he was feeling rather nervous about the idea. At least Dr. Masterson was going along. He wanted to introduce Jace to Millie before he went there on his own.
Jace looked at two more files before he got up and slipped on his coat. “Ready!” he called.
They took the wagon since they were going together, but once Jace started going alone, he would simply go on horseback. They stopped at Millie and Blade’s house and tied up the horses before making their way to the front door. Dr. Masterson knocked, but there was no answer, so they headed inside. The house wasn’t big but felt empty. Everything was clean and tidy, making it look like nobody actually lived there.
“Millie!” Dr. Masterson called. “Are you home?”
The house was quiet.
“I don’t think she’s here,” Jace whispered, causing Dr. Masterson to look at him quizzically. Jace laughed at himself. “No idea why I was whispering.”
“She’s probably next door at the ranch,” Dr. Masterson said. “But let’s just check the house to be sure.”
Together, they quickly searched the house, and when they came up empty, they headed next door.
“Why would she be at the ranch?” Jace asked. “Doesn’t it trigger her warrior’s heart to be at the place where everything happened?”
Dr. Masterson shook his head. “She never goes close to the ranch house—she just tends to the vegetable garden. It is her favorite place.”
Jace supposed that made sense. Having a place where you felt safe was probably very important for someone like her.
They didn’t take the wagon. Instead, they walked to the ranch. Upon entering the premises, it immediately became clear that the place had been completely abandoned for years. The once beautiful house was falling apart, and every inch of the property was overgrown. The grass reached past their knees in some places, and bushes and shrubs were growing everywhere. Leaves from the past seven autumns decorated the ground in places where the grass didn’t grow, and the chicken coops stood empty.
A shiver ran down Jace’s spine, and he tightened his arms around himself. “Where’s the vegetable garden?”
“Further on, behind the house,” Dr. Masterson replied as he led the way.
There was a big barn in the distance and what was left of a corral next to it.
“Over there.” Dr. Masterson pointed to a line of trees. “The vegetable garden is right behind those.”
They walked to the trees and peeked through the foliage. There, sitting in the only neat place he’d seen since they entered the property, was the most beautiful girl Jace had ever seen. He hadn’t given much thought to how Millie would look, but he definitely didn’t expect her to resemble an angel.
Jace tore his eyes away from her and focused them on Dr. Masterson. “What now?” he asked, his voice barely audible.
“We go say hello,” Dr. Masterson replied, stepping through the foliage.
The leaves and branches crackled under their feet, causing Millie to jump up and look in their direction. There was a look of pure terror on her face, but as they approached, Jace could see her relax. She must have recognized Dr. Masterson.
“Millie, it’s lovely to see you,” Dr. Masterson greeted once they were close enough.
Jace waited for her reply, expecting her to say something before remembering the fact that she was mute. He felt like kicking himself.
“This is Jonathan Holden,” Dr. Masterson continued. “He’s my apprentice. Went to college and everything.”
