She grunted again. “Why do you do that?”
“I told you, I want to know you, Elena, but you have walls.”
“And there is a reason for that, I told you. Opening up to people only leaves me with heartache when I have to move again.”
“Heartache is part of life.”
“That it is, but too much heartache is not good.”
“So, his moving around has taken a toll on you? You spoke to him about it?”
“Yeah, many times, and he keeps telling me he has no choice.”
“Why did your mother leave?” Was it Tanya?
“I would love to know that, too. Maybe she was tired of moving around.”
“Then why didn’t she take you with her?”
“That is another question I would love an answer to.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known.”
“You think it’s because of what your father does?”
She nodded. “It could be. He didn’t want to tell me. So, she might have figured it out.”
“And yet she didn’t take you with her? That makes little sense.”
“Maybe she didn’t want me.”
“That is just ridiculous.” I tried to make her feel less unwanted, and she chuckled.
It was a challenge to figure her out. I get why Jako was doing this, but I didn’t understand why he was so paranoid that they didn’t even celebrate other holidays.
“So, do you have any friends here? If you move around, you must be a newbie too?”
She nodded. “No, I learned the hard way that I’m not privileged enough to have friends.”
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It’s your choice.”
“It hurts when I have to leave, and I told you my father is paranoid. Telling him about you will not happen.”
“Why not?”
“Because he would dig up everything he can about you and make you feel uncomfortable.”
I laughed. “Let him. He might be surprised by what he finds.”
Elena’s lips curved at the corners. She looked so much like her father. She had his smile and eyes, but there were parts of Queen Catherine in her too. Her chin, for one, and her cheekbones.
They would’ve been great parents.
“You are not afraid of anything, are you?” she asked.
“Nope?”
