Margo said softly, “They put me in a cage.Fed me through the door.No one came for me, no one looked for me.Not even you.I find it difficult for me to be indispensable if no one noticed I was being tortured.”
“Tortured?”
“I have an intense fear of small spaces.When I was in survival mode, I was confined; when I was on the station, I was confined; when I was stolen, I was confined; and when I was at the arena, I was confined.You promised me bright skies and open air.They put me in a box.You lied.”
There was silence.She finally said, “Vekka Hale, please break off pursuit.Whatever you are looking for, it isn’t here.”
Geri’s voice was soft.“Vekka Haleis breaking off pursuit.”
Margo exhaled.
Delia spoke, “That was the guy?”
“That was the guy.”
“You really have bad claustrophobia?”
“Yes.It’s been a rough few years.”
“You can’t give him a second chance?”
“He didn’t look for me, baby.I was in that cell for days.Two begging, and then I was carving myself up frantically to become the warrior that was afforded safety and dignity.”
“Oh, Mom.”
“Yeah.So, what are you doing out and about?”
“Skylar lets me run around, and I felt that you needed me.”
“I did, I do, but I am worried that if I get too used to you, you will leave, and my heart will break all over again.”
She sighed, and Delia took her hand.Her daughter said, “I am going to stay with you then.I will just be here, and know that when I am gone, I will still be here.”
Margo hung on.They flew through the night, and the following ship dropped behind.Margo kept the ship on task while everyone slept, and her daughter’s ghost held her hand.
It wasn’t the worst night she had had recently, and the tears stopped after a few hours.
After all of the moments on Earth that she had missed, seeing her daughter’s face one last time was her biggest regret, and now, Delia was holding onto her as if they were on a ride at the county fair.
Margo didn’t want to wake up.This moment was everything, and tomorrow, she would be reunited with Geri.If she could keep her mind in the present, she could develop a plan to deal with the future.Right now, it didn’t feel too bad.
