The dam breaks again, and another sob escapes.
Lachlan soothingly shushes me as he strokes a hand down my back, much like Torin did for Gran. We stay locked together for a long time while my sobs finally subside, my tears drying up.
“It’s just a bad day; tomorrow will be better,” he whispers into the top of my head.
I’m still lost in the darkness of my despair. “And if it’s not?”
He pauses and pulls back to look me in the eye. His face is the picture of strength, and his eyes are brimming with an emotion I don’t recognize.
“Then say it again.”
Those four words sparks a delicate, tiny flame of hope in my chest. I inhale slowly, fully, finally feeling like I can breathe again. Squeezing me tightly once more, he kisses the top of my head before letting go, interlocking our fingers, and pulling me back to the house. The intimacy warms my bones and chases away the lingering chill of the rain. It doesn’t feel foreign, but almost as if we’ve done this a thousand times before.
We’re halfway back to the house before I remember the raven that essentially saved Gran, and I turn to search for it. The tug on Lachlan’s hand has him stopping with me.
He turns to me and asks, “Forget something?”
“There was a raven …” I trail off, realizing how incredibly stupid it would sound to tell him a bird helped me find Gran. He raises his eyebrow, waiting for me to finish.
“Never mind. Thank you again for being here.”
I reach for his hand, and he smiles, taking my hand and leading me back to the house. The rain eases into a light drizzle as we make our way inside. I slip my boots off by the door and tread carefully, my wet clothes and hair leaving droplets in my wake.
Inside, we find Torin sitting at the bottom of the stairs, a comforting arm draped over Lizzie. My terror returns, rising from the gloom, but Torin blurts out, “She’s just upstairs. She went to shower and change.”
I sigh deeply.
Lizzie murmurs, “She’s lucid, not completely, but enough that I thought she could handle showering on her own without getting hurt. I’m so sorry, Lena, I didn’t even hear her wake up this morning.” Her hazel eyes are lined with silver, her slight frame trembling with the effort of holding back tears. Lizzie has never missed one of Gran’s wake-ups since coming to live with us.
I try my hardest to keep my own emotions in check, but I am not quite ready to reassure her.
Trudging upstairs, I find Gran’s door is ajar, and she is nestled under her cerulean sheets and floral quilts. Her room is the mirror image of mine, but where mine is shades of purple, hers is shades of blue. She lies on her side, facing me, and holds out a hand when I enter. Her clean pink nightgown slides up her thin arm at the motion. I’m relieved that she managed to shower and put on a clean set of clothes. I sink onto the floor in front of her bed, grasping her outstretched hand between both of mine.
“I’m sorry I gave you a fright this morning …” she trails off. I realize it’s because she doesn’t remember my name.
“That’s alright, Gran, how’re you feeling?” I ask, hoping my use of “Gran” will put her at ease.
“Exhausted. I’m afraid my fire has gone out, and I need sleep.”
“I’m so sorry. I’ll cancel your therapies today,” I whisper, leaning forward to brush a light kiss on her forehead. A final phrase slips through her lips. “You need to go home, Lena.”
Before I can question her, she’s already breathing deeply.
Lizzie is standing in the hallway, right outside the door. Shehugs herself with sweat-clad arms while her head hangs limply; she’s really beating herself up. I pat her shoulder as I brush by. She bites her lip and slips into Gran’s room.
My footfalls are nearly silent as I pad down the hall towards the stairs. The faint sounds of Torin’s and Lachlan’s voices carry up to the second floor. They’re in a tense conversation by the tone of their voices, and only bits of their words reach my ears. I quietly move closer to see if I can hear any more.
The only words I can make out are “dangerous son,” from Torin, and “job,” from Lachlan.
A loud creak sounds from under my foot. Stupid old wooden floors. I hold my breath. But it’s obvious they heard me when their conversation ceases. Not wanting to seem like I was totally just eavesdropping, I call down to them, taking the steps quickly.
“Well, she’s out and doesn’t want to do any therapies today, so Lachlan, you don’t have to stay. I think I can manage while she’s out.”
Torin simply nods his head and walks out the front door.
But Lachlan turns to me and says, “Nae, we can hang out. Just the two of us while she rests.”
His smile causes my pulse to race for a different, happy reason, and my feet stumble on the stairs. I want to rush to him, but I catch myself and slow down on the last few steps. I come to a halt right before I reach the bottom. “Well, we can’t do much; I don’t want to leave the house so I can listen for her.”
