Found in Time Chapter Five

So I've finally decided to release the full first seven chapters of my NaNoWriMo novel, Found in Time. I've written more than these chapters and will eventually finish, but since I do intend to have this novel published someday I don't think it would be a good idea to release the thing in its entirety.

Also, please keep in mind when you're reading that I wrote these chapters very fast. There is guaranteed to be a lot of mistakes or areas in desperate need of revision. There are many parts I don't like. It's kind of difficult to go ahead and put these chapters out with them having so much wrong with them, but I still really want to do it. Please leave comments telling me what you like, or if there's anything confusing. Please also keep in mind that the first seven chapters are Part One of the story. Part Two will explain a good portion of background not comprehensively explained in Part One. This may be why it feels as if some things are not properly described. Still, speak up if something seems as if it's completely out there. You might be the one to catch something I've overlooked.

So, without further ado, here's the fifth chapter of Found in Time!

Ella rolled around uncomfortably in her bed. She coughed violently, and then gasped to catch her breath. It was impossible to open her eyes even though she was lying down, because her vision swirled horribly when she did. Ella pulled herself into a tight ball. Her whole body shook as if she had been dunked in ice water, but her head burned with fever. To top it all off, the pounding in her head was worse than when Alma caused her to fall on the ice. The only thing Ella had escaped from was nausea, for which she was grateful.

She felt the sun peek over the bottom on her window. The spring sunlight warmed her, but not enough to make her feel comfortable. Ella sighed quietly. She coughed again before the sigh finished. The air going in different directions made her throat convulse even worse. The lack of air caused her eyes to water. When she got control of her breathing, she gulped in big breaths as if she had been drowning. Jimmy needed to hurry up.

Right on cue, Edwin and Clara walked in with Jimmy on Edwin’s shoulder. Ella opened her eyes, but her parents were blurs. They both sat down next to her on the side of the bed, and Edwin placed his hand under Ella’s chin.

“I guess there’s no point in asking how you are faring.” Edwin joked weakly.

Ella rolled her eyes at her father’s silliness. Edwin chuckled.

“It’s good to see you’re holding onto your sense of humor.”

“Let’s make it so she can hold onto her consciousness instead. The poor child looks as if she’s about to pass out.” Clara nudged her husband in the side.

“Right, right.” Edwin agreed, although he still smiled.

Ella tried to hold back her coughing as her parents inspected her more. It was useless. They helped her sit up so the coughing and her breathing would be a bit easier. Clara adjusted her pillows to prop her body up better. While she was doing that, Edwin left to get medicine and some cold water. Jimmy sat quietly watching nearby as Clara stroked Ella’s hair. Ella closed her eyes again. She relaxed as best she could.

Edwin returned after a minute or so. Ella hated all medicine with a passion, but willingly took what Edwin spooned to her without complaint. Even if the taste was terrible, she would do anything to feel better. Unfortunately, as the medicine reached her empty stomach, a small stab of nausea appeared. Edwin offered her a couple crackers. Ella ate them despite the struggle it was to get them down. She knew the nausea would go away if there was something else in her stomach to mix with the medicine.

Clara dipped a cloth in the pan of cold water Edwin placed on the nightstand. With it, she gently wiped Ella’s brow, face, and neck. For a few sweet seconds, the throbbing in her head calmed. Clara wet the cloth again, wringed it well, and held it against Ella’s temples. Her mother repeated the process, this time holding the cloth under her neck. Edwin stood close, taking over the stroking on her hair.

Ella both hated and loved being sick. The hate came from the obvious reason that being ill brought all these terrible symptoms on her. On the other hand, she didn’t have to worry about being called selfish in asking for attention. It felt like a dream that both her parents were next to her, thinking only of her. Ella would put up being with ill for a little while if it meant they were there with her.

Edwin and Clara began to talk quietly at some point. The headache returned, and listening took too much concentration. Time had no meaning to Ella. She had already lost track of how long it had been since her parents arrived. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, Ella knew the medicine was kicking in. She hoped it would allow her to think more clearly so she could talk a little with her mother and father, but the opposite happened. Ella’s thoughts stopped completely as her exhausted body gave in to the comforting lull of sleep.

It felt like an eternity had passed when Ella woke up again. She opened her eyes to look out the window. Her vision was still unclear, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been before. Ella was surprised to discover that not much time had passed at all. In fact, it had only been about an hour. Edwin and Clara weren’t by her side anymore. Ella’s heart sank with disappointment, until she noticed them talking quietly in the corner. They were unaware she had woken, and continued their conversation.

“She needs someone to stay and look after her. You head to Gale with the others, and I’ll stay here.” Clara whispered.

“No, you need to go. You’ve been so stressed lately with taking care of Sadie, and then being worried about Alma, Hazel, and this troublesome forest. Go and take this chance to relax. I’ll stay with Ella.” Edwin countered.

“You and Peter are supposed to meet with the owner of that new business today though. If you stay here you’ll miss that.” Clara reminded him.

“It’s fine. George or Kenneth will go in my place. You haven’t been to Gale in months. I go almost every day.”

“That’s for work though.”

“The meeting today isn’t work?”

“No, it is. You wouldn’t be there all day though. You need to relax as much as I do.”

“She’ll be sleeping most of the time. I’ll be fine, Clara.”

“Edwin.”

“Clara.”

“Oh, the two of you both go!” Ella interrupted.

Her parents turned to her in surprise. They looked at each other sheepishly before moving back to Ella’s bedside.

“We can’t leave you here alone, Ella.” Edwin told her.

“But I won’t be alone. Jimmy will right here next to me the whole time. Besides, you said it yourself papa, I’ll be sleeping most of the day. No offense, but I don’t need someone to watch me sleep for hours on end. I’m feeling better already too. The both of you need a day to have fun more than you need to stay here bothering with me.” Ella explained.

“It’s not a bother,” Clara said instantly, “And it just wouldn’t feel right to leave you behind, even if Jimmy is here.”

“I want you two to go. I’ll be more upset if you stay here.” Ella didn’t give up.

“Ella.” Edwin said.

“Papa.” Ella copied the last part of his and Clara’s conversation.

Edwin attempted to keep a straight face, but he smiled and chuckled once more.

“We can’t win against that solid argument.” he said to Clara.

“Are you sure?” Clara asked Ella.

“Positive.” Ella nodded.

“Well, if you feel that strongly about it then we’ll go. The others are ready to head off. Do you need anything else before we leave?” Edwin asked.

“Some more crackers?” Ella requested.

“Sure thing. I’ll bring up a glass of water, and the medicine you’ll need to take in a couple more hours.” Edwin told her. Ella made a face at the mention of medicine.

“You have to take it if you want us to go.” Clara warned.

“Yes mama.” Ella complied.

Clara sat down next to her, and the two of them talked quietly while Edwin went to get what Ella needed. He returned after a couple minutes. Her parents hugged her tightly, and made her promise to send Jimmy to one of them if something happened or her condition worsened. Ella promised, and gave them a small wave goodbye as they left the room. She munched slowly on her crackers, took small sips of water, and knew after a few more minutes passed that the house was empty.

It was certainly a strange feeling. If Ella hadn’t been sick, she would be running around doing whatever she wanted right now. She could set up a playful trap in Leo and Alma’s rooms. That way the trick would be on them for once, even if it was all too obvious that the culprit was her. Ella also thought how fun it would be to steal some snacks from the kitchen. Such day-dreaming kept her mind off the bad state her body actually was in.

“Ella, can I ask you something?” Jimmy’s question interrupted her.

“What?”

“Are you really sure you didn’t want your parents to stay with you?”

“I do want them here.” Ella answered so quickly and honestly that Jimmy was caught off-guard.

“Then why did you tell them to leave?”

“Because I wanted them to go too.”

“You can’t want them to stay and want them to go at the same time.” Jimmy shook his head in disbelief.

“Why not?” Ella asked indignantly, “It would be nice to have them here, but I’d feel bad if they stayed to take care of me when I can take of myself just fine.”

“Alright, well, which choice do you want more then?”

Ella went silent as she thought about her answer. It was proven that she couldn’t lie to Jimmy, so Ella had no choice but to tell the truth.

“I wanted them to stay more.” she admitted.

“So I repeat, why did you tell them to leave?”

“I don’t really know, okay Jimmy?! It felt like the right thing to do. Why do you even want to know?” Ella asked in frustration.

“Ever since your argument with Peter a couple days ago, I‘ve thought about what he said. I can’t help but to feel that there is some truth to what he said, that sometimes you might actively put yourself in the role of the victim.”

Ella’s face grew dangerous, and Jimmy saw he had said too much.

“I can’t believe you!” Ella screamed at him.

Without warning, she grabbed him and tossed him as hard she could across the room. Jimmy easily stopped himself by creating a cushion of wind for him to land on. Had she been in a better condition, Ella would have controlled herself more. The reality was that Ella had been at a breaking point for days.

She and Peter hadn’t spoken since their fight, and Ella avoided him as much as possible. His hurtful words played over and over in her mind. She put on the best cheerful face she had, but Ella knew all the stress she was under was what made her sick. Now she had to deal with her body attacking itself, and Jimmy spurts out the last kind of thing she would ever want to hear.

Ella forcefully pulled the sheets over her. The pounding of her headache increased from the sudden event, and with everything else going on, she was hurting so bad that she wanted to cry and scream. She shook harder from the fever’s chill, and Ella desperately rubbed her arms.

“Oh gosh, Ella.” Jimmy’s voice came quietly from next to her, “That was terrible of me to say. I’m so sorry.”

“After all that you’ve seen, how can you say I make all the awful things happen to me on purpose?!” Ella’s voiced wavered.

“It was such a stupid thing to say. I don’t know why I did. Oh no, Ella, please don’t cry. Everything’s fine. I just wasn’t thinking.” Jimmy apologized profusely as Ella’s muffled sobs came through the sheets.

Ella tried to stop the tears, but her emotions were running wild. Jimmy pushed her past the point she could tolerate, and there was no coming back. He kept trying to apologize, but gave up when he saw Ella wasn’t paying attention to him. Her sobs got louder. She pressed her fingers hard against her temples to hopefully get some relief from the headache. There was little change.

She began to beat the mattress with her fists. It was the only thing that made her feel better. If Peter had been right about anything, it was that it was bad for her to hold everything in. The desire to reduce her bed to pieces was overwhelming.  However, she had to stop when a coughing fit racked her body. With her losing control, the illness was fighting for it. The sobs didn’t stop either, and it was harder to breathe than it had been earlier. Ella wondered if it was possible to cough herself into unconsciousness.

She didn’t get to find out. Her coughs finally began to go away, but they covered up something Jimmy said. Ella was surprised to hear footsteps rushing her way. She didn’t move as whomever was there pulled back the sheets. Ella kept her eyes closed. The person sat fully on the bed, and pulled her into his arms. Without looking, Ella instantly knew who was holding her. She couldn’t be mad any longer as she held back onto Peter tightly, and let him gently rock her back and forth. With her head against his chest, Ella slowly began to calm down as she listened to her brother’s heartbeat.

“How did you manage to convince father and mother to leave you here alone if this is the state you’re in? I realize they’re not the most observant sometimes, but you look like you’re about to die.” Peter said in amazement.

“That’s not it. Ella looked better until a minute ago. I said something incredibly stupid to upset her, and with how down she’s been the past couple days, it made everything worse.” Jimmy explained, and Peter sighed.

“Been feeling pretty down the past couple days, huh? I guess that it’s mostly my fault you’re crying like this then.” he said as he stared at the ground.

Regret was plastered on his face. He moved Ella away from him so he could help her clean her face and look in her eyes. Ella sniffled, and tried to think of something to say. Peter spoke first though.

“I’m sorry, Ella. I really am. We were both stressed, and we allowed ourselves to get angry and say things we didn’t mean. I was the worse out of the two of us. When I realized how right you were about how I terribly forgot you, I got so upset at myself. I guess when I get that guilty, I take it irrationally out on the person causing the guilt because it’s too hard to hear the truth.” he said.

His expression grew slightly angry. Ella assumed he directed the anger at himself. She wanted to apologize as well so he would feel better, but Peter wasn’t done yet.

“And then there’s all the awful things I said last to you. They were way out of line. I’ve never had to force myself to stand up for you, and I don’t mind getting into arguments if it means you get treated like you’re supposed to be. You have frustrated and annoyed me, but that’s because you’re my little sister and it’s your job.”

Ella smiled and giggled at that. It made Peter smile too.

“You’re too good at your job sometimes.” His expression grew serious again.

“But Ella, what I regret the most is saying you make yourself a victim. You would have to be actually insane to purposefully put yourself through all the terrible things that happen to you. Those things that happen aren’t fair, but what I said was most unfair. You’re a good kid, and somehow you manage to love the rest of us despite everything.”

“I do love you so much, Peter.” Ella told him, moving so she could hug him around the neck.

“I love you too, kiddo.” Peter answered, hugging her back. The warmth of his hug made Ella forget she was sick.

“I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to insult Brooke, or say the mean things I did.” Ella apologized.

“It’s fine.” Peter forgave her, and the chuckled, “If you can forgive me for bringing up Brooke for one second, I bet if she had heard how upset you were at me for talking about her too much, she would have apologized to you for having to listen to all of it.”

“You’re kidding.” Ella said unbelievingly.

“I swear I’m not. She’s a little strange like that.” Peter shrugged his shoulders.

“Strange works good with our family.” Ella said with a laugh.

“All too true.” Peter agreed.

“If the both of you don’t mind me interrupting this sweet scene, may I ask why you have returned Peter?” Jimmy jumped into the conversation.

“Oh right. I guess me suddenly being here is rather unexpected.” Peter acknowledged.

“Papa said you and him were supposed to go to some sort of meeting.” Ella said.

“I was going to go. I asked grandfather to attend it in my place. When father and mother came down saying you told them that you would be fine by yourself, I didn’t think anything of it as first. However, as soon as we left I couldn’t feel comfortable. I’ve wanted to make up with you ever since we argued, but I thought you were still so upset with me. I was honestly scared at the idea of you yelling at me. You never have before.” Peter revealed. Ella placed her hands in his, and he held it as he continued.

 “Then I remembered what you told me during the fight― how everyone had left you behind without looking back. You needed someone then, but no one was there for you. I realized there was little difference between that point and now. You really might want father and mother to be at Gale, but you don’t want to be alone just as much. I still wasn’t sure how you were going to react at my coming. I didn’t want to be guilty of forgetting you again though. I quickly bought us some candy to share, although now I realize it’s not the best thing for you to be eating at the moment, and I came back.”

“I’m really glad you did.” Ella told him, “And thank you for getting the candy. I would eat it if I didn’t know that Uncle Kenneth would yell at me for shoving unhealthy food in me while I’m sick.”

“How will our in-house doctor know if no one tells him?” Peter said mischievously.

He picked up the bag of candy he had placed on the nightstand. Ella grinned widely, but Jimmy coughed. He gave them a disapproving stare.

“Jimmy, don’t be so stuffy! Not letting Uncle Kenneth know can be your apology for your ridiculous words towards me.” Ella pouted.

“You lost any chance of an apology when you chucked me across the room.” Jimmy said seriously.

“You did what?” Peter laughed in surprise.

“Oh, he’s fine. He didn’t get hurt at all.” Ella brushed the matter off.

“I’m sorry to say Jimmy, but I would have rather liked to see that.” Peter admitted.

“We can reenact it for you, if you’d like.” Ella teased.

“Excuse me?!” Jimmy exclaimed.

Ella reached her hand out towards him. Jimmy jumped off the nightstand and under the bed. Peter quickly reached into the bag of candy, grabbed and unwrapped two pieces, and he and Ella popped them into their mouths.

“You two!” Jimmy said.

He hopped out from under the bed when he realized he had been tricked.

“You didn’t see anything, so nothing happened.” Peter told him simply.

Jimmy jumped onto the bed, and began arguing with Peter. Ella listened to the two bicker back and forth, and laughed. She managed to sneak another piece of candy while Jimmy was distracted. She kept hold of Peter’s hand the whole time.

Ella’s feet pounded against the grass as she ran. It felt good to be out of her shoes. It was the first time the weather had been warm enough and the ground dry enough to let her feet be free. At the moment, she and Leo were racing towards the lake. Both of them were fast runners, but Ella had the advantage of longer legs. Leo was putting up a fair fight though. Alma had tried participating as well, but had given up after the first couple seconds.

The two of them reached the lake in record time. It was a close call, but Ella kept her lead and claimed the victory. Leo would have complained more about it had he not been out of breath. Charlie, already at the lake, laughed when he saw them.

“You’re not trying to exhaust my teammate before the game has even started, are you?” Charlie joked with suspicion.

“That’s exactly what I’m doing.” Ella joked right along.

“Charlie! Come and help me get these posts up, or you’ll be the first one I go for when this thing starts!” Peter warned his brother.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Charlie rolled his eyes.

Ella watched as he stepped onto the lake. If she had to be specific about one thing she was most jealous of that her family could do, it would be their ability to walk on the water. Being able to transport might be more useful, but if she could walk on water then she would be able to play the game that was going to start soon. It was called Water Skate, and had been created by the first of her family to live at the forest.

Ella was officially on the Earth team. She had been placed on it at birth, as each child was chosen for the Sky or Earth team depending on which team needed another member to even things out. The same system was used for when outsiders like her father and Kenneth married into the family. They were on the Sky team and Earth team respectively. Even though Ella was on a team, she had never played a game. Unlike Mine Crossing and some of the other activities, there really wasn’t a way for her to participate. Ella had gotten used to watching on the sides though.

Her sitting out actually evened the teams out anyway. Clara and Sadie were both on the Sky team. Sadie obviously couldn’t play, and Clara needed to watch over her. Henry was on the Earth team with her, but Ella had only seen him play twice. With two players out on each side, neither team had to worry about the other having the advantage.

Ella took a seat on the ground next to her mother and sister. Sadie was sleeping peacefully in Clara’s arms despite the loud commotion the rest of her family was making. Clara gently stroked her hand across Sadie’s curly brown hair. Sadie was the only siblings to inherit their mother’s curls, so Clara was constantly playing with them. Ella leaned against her mother, and had her own hair stroked a couple times as had been done when she was sick.

The two of them watched Peter and Charlie get the lake field ready for the game. The two of them had their arms outstretched with their palms facing down. The water rolled and there was a slight shake in the earth as two cylindrical pillars of rock rose from the depths. They had been sculpted and placed in the lake when the first game was played. The pillars were twelve feet apart, and would be one of the team’s goals. Peter and Charlie moved to the other side of the lake. The skated on the water as if it was made of ice. It was where the name Water Skate came from.

Peter and Charlie raised the other goal. Now it was time for the game to start. The others who were playing were already kicking and tossing the game ball around in the center. When George saw everything was set up, he called for everyone to settle down. He took the ball, placed it in the center of the field, and each team went to their respective goal. The Sky team had Jane, Edwin, Hazel, Charlie, and Leo. They went for the south side. The Earth team had George, Kenneth, Hattie, Peter, and Alma at the north goal.

“Start us whenever you’re ready, Jimmy!” George called to the frog. Jimmy was once again refereeing the game as he floated in the air above the lake.

“No ridiculous countdowns this time!” Ella reminded him.

“Take all the fun out of it, why don’t you?” Jimmy complained. Ella laughed.

“Fine then. When I saw go, the two starting runners will head to the center for possession of the ball. The other members can enter the field when possession has been won. Everyone has to play fair, or I won’t hesitate to hand out penalties.” Jimmy started, “Here we go. Runners get ready! Three…..two…..one…..GO!”

Edwin and Kenneth dashed forward from the goals towards the ball. Anyone on either team could be a starting runner, but with the vicious way the brothers-in-law went after the ball, no one else was willing to do it. As usual, the two reached the ball at the same time. The first one to make contact with it was the one to claim possession.

Kenneth pulled his leg back to kick the ball. Edwin wasn’t going for it, but was using a different approach instead. He slide tackled Kenneth, flipping Ella’s uncle and plunging him into the lake. Edwin stood right back up, grabbed the ball, and bolted towards the Earth goal. However, he had to face the rest of the team that was now allowed to enter the field. The soaked Kenneth pulled himself back on top of the water. He was a little too far away for Ella to hear properly, but Ella could have sworn she heard a curse escape his lips.

Edwin was forced to retreat as the Earth team pushed him back. His members had reached him now and were spreading themselves out for a pass. Edwin dropped the ball on the water, and kicked it hoping to send it over Hattie’s head to Leo. Kenneth was ready for revenge though. As the ball arced, Kenneth jumped into the air and smacked it with his forearm. George came out of nowhere and caught it.

Edwin started to move in order to protect his goal, but Kenneth wasn’t satisfied with only intercepting the kick. As soon as Edwin’s back was turned, he leaped at him. The two men crashed into the water. Everyone laughed loudly, and Edwin and Kenneth pushed each other away when they resurfaced. They stood back on the lake. They were quite a sight to see with water cascading off of them.

“The Earth team has set a new record for the fastest penalty, the one set previously by Edwin last game.” Jimmy announced.

“He’s not allowed to have a better score than me in anything.” Kenneth shrugged while grinning widely.

“Absolutely ridiculous.” Hattie said shook her head.

“Oh yeah?” Kenneth said warningly, raising an eyebrow at her.

Before his wife could get out of reach, Kenneth pulled her into a tight hug. He shook his head to fling the water in his hair at her. Everyone laughed again, including Hattie, as she tried desperately to get away.

“If we could have order on the field, please! Let’s return to ball to the center and get the game going again!” Jimmy chastised.

Kenneth gave Hattie a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing her. She took the opportunity to smack him on the shoulder. She was now wet as well. The two teams went back to their goals.

“Due to their penalty, the Earth team runner will have to wait two seconds longer before heading out.” Jimmy instructed.

He gave the countdown again. Edwin raced for the ball, and when the two second penalty was over, Kenneth dashed forward with everything he had. Although he put up a good fight, Edwin got possession of the ball again. The others were on the field once more. The game had now started for real.

Spurred on by Edwin and Kenneth’s rivalry, the other members played with a ferocity Ella had never seen. As soon as Edwin started to kick the ball along, Peter copied his father’s slide tackle to steal possession. Edwin didn’t fall into the water like Kenneth had, but he tripped into Charlie. However, Jane claimed the ball for the Sky team again when Peter tried to smack the ball towards Hattie.

Passing was one of the most difficult aspects of the game. While moving towards the goal, the player could carry the ball or kick it along. However, in order to pass they were not allowed to throw it. The most popular alternative was kicking, but since an opposing player was allowed to catch the ball, it was a risky although necessary move.

Ella’s grandmother was surprisingly nimble as she weaved throughout the other players. Ella knew they were all hesitant to directly go after her because her age made her more likely to get hurt. Surprisingly, Jane was very competitive and took advantage of every second of hesitation from her opponents. She now skated unopposed towards the Earth goal. Ella let out a small cry as her grandmother tossed the ball towards the unguarded posts.

Everyone watched in absolute amazement when Alma came out of nowhere. She jumped sideways, and wrapped the ball against her chest just before landing in the water. She had stopped the ball just before it passed through the goal. Alma was back up in seconds. The Sky team was so shocked that Alma was able to kick the ball to George without disturbance. The tables were turned now as George, Kenneth, and Charlie continued to successfully pass the ball to each other while heading towards the other side of the lake.

Leo managed to steal the ball for a few seconds. Hattie and Peter surrounded him though. He didn’t stand a chance, and lost possession after a desperate attempt at a pass. George and Peter kept the ball moving south. Hattie, Kenneth, and Alma blocked the others so the two had a clear shot at the goal. They attempted to show off, and did so wonderfully. George hit the ball sideways with his forearm. Peter, still skating forward, used his momentum to jump and spin the air while kicking the ball straight through the goal.

Ella stood up and cheered along with the rest of the Earth team. This loud noise finally woke Sadie up. Thankfully, she didn’t begin to cry. Ella sat closer to the lake so she wouldn’t disturb her sister further. Jimmy announced the win of the Earth’s team point, and the ball was placed back in the center. Things were changed up this time as George and Jane were chosen to be the runners.

Although they couldn’t skate as fast as Edwin and Kenneth, the couple bolted towards the center much faster than Ella ever imagined her grandparents moving. The playing was now absolute chaos. Possession of the ball switched every couple seconds, and any edge one team got was quickly taken away by the other side. Three minutes of play passed, and everyone was still fighting in the middle.

“Get it already!” Ella called to her teammates, hoping they would get their act together.

She was absolutely dumfounded at what happened next. Her shout distracted a couple members of her family. They turned to look at her, and Edwin, Hattie, Hazel, and Leo all crashed into each other and fell down. They struggled to get up.

In the confusion, Charlie took hold of the ball without a fight. George, Peter, Kenneth, and Alma were blocked for too long by the downed group. By the time they got past them, Charlie was already at the goal. Teasing them, Charlie stopped and waited for them to get a little closer before lightly tapping the ball with the front of his foot. It rolled slowly, but went through the goal before anything could be done.

“The score is now tied as the Sky and Earth team each have one point!” Jimmy declared.

Ella’s team groaned, but got ready to start again. The sides switched now that two points has been won. The Sky team was ready to start instantly, but the others huddled around each other and were apparently setting up some sort of plan. Ella watched them curiously. She really wanted to know what they were talking about. Even though they had only given away one point, Ella knew how badly her team wanted to win. They had lost the last three games badly.

Eventually the huddle broke. Kenneth got into position to skate for the ball. Naturally, Edwin saw this and prepared as well. The tension was immense now that one side had a secret plan. Ella held her breath as Jimmy gave the starting signal. Edwin took off, but Ella quickly noticed that Kenneth hadn’t moved at all. Instead, it was Alma heading for the center.

Part of the Earth team’s plan was already in action. Edwin, shocked to see his five-year-old daughter challenging him, actually slowed as he didn’t know what to do. His side yelled at him to keep moving, but it seemed hard for him to start again. This gave Alma the lead she required. She held the ball tightly in her hands as she moved forward. Edwin still didn’t know what to do when she got close to him. Going after her was much different than facing Kenneth.

His hesitation allowed Alma to move right past him. However, she now faced four others determined to take what she held. She met them head on. It was easy for her to avoid the others because of her small size. Unfortunately, she got pushed back because Jane slipped past Peter. Ella wasn’t sure if what happened next was part of the plan or if Alma was that creative.

She feigned a pass to Hattie. Jane moved with intent to intercept it, and thus got caught by the trick. Alma skated around her. Now she was heading towards Edwin once more. He had gotten his resolve, and was ready for her this time. He was the last defense in stopping Alma from scoring. Edwin expected Alma to slow as they approached the other. Alma only sped up. She moved as if she was about to attempt skating past his right side. Edwin moved accordingly, but froze as the most unanticipated thing happened.

Alma had been feinting again. However, instead of moving to his other side, Alma dropped to the ground and slid right under Edwin’s legs. Before anyone would comprehend what happened, Alma had already tossed the ball to win the point. Ella jumped up cheering. Peter picked up Alma and swung her around. The Earth team looked pretty smug and the Sky team a bit fearful. Alma was playing like never before, and was pulling off some amazing moves. However, then she said something that made the Sky team smile.

“I’m tired. I want to take a break.” Alma complained.

“You know the rules, Alma. There are no breaks. You either keep playing, or you’re out for the game.” Kenneth reminded her.

“I don’t want to play anymore.” Alma quickly decided.

“Go sit and watch with Ella then.” Kenneth motioned towards her.

“Alright! Now we’ve got more players and the advantage.” Leo said happily.

“Maybe not.” Peter countered, clearing having an idea.

“Great-grandfather doesn’t like playing if you’re thinking of convincing him to join.” Leo said, assuming he knew what Peter was thinking.

“No, not great-grandfather. I’m thinking of something else.” Peter corrected.

Everyone watched him curiously as he followed Alma to the edge of the lake. Ella watched him as well. She was absolutely speechless when he came right up to her and held out his hand. Ella looked around her in confusion. She couldn’t understand what Peter was trying to imply.

“What are you doing?” she asked him in astonishment.

“Come join us.” Peter offered.

“You’re crazy.” Ella told him.

“Peter, what are you thinking? She can’t play!” Leo called to him. Peter ignored him and all the confused looks he was getting.

“I’ve thought of something. Just trust me, and let’s try it out.” he said hopefully.

“This is going to end badly.” Ella spoke doubtfully, shaking her head. She stood up.

“It will be simple. You’ll stand on top of my feet, and we’ll skate together.” Peter explained.

“You really are crazy!” Ella exclaimed.

“Trust me.” Peter repeated with his hand still outstretched.

Ella sighed and rolled her eyes, but took her brother’s hand. Everyone around them watched in complete silence as Ella hesitantly stepped over the water and onto Peter’s feet. She anticipated them both falling right away, but all that happened was that Peter’s feet sunk a little lower into the water. He wrapped his left arm under her arm and around her chest to keep her standing upright.

Ella looked up at him in surprise before staring down. She hadn’t dared to ever get her hopes up that she would one day be able to play with everyone else. It had been a fact Ella accepted without question. Now Peter was giving her a chance she never thought she would have. They moved a bit clumsy while they got used to working together. The hardest part for Ella was trying to keep up with Peter’s long legs, but he reduced his movements to make it easier for her. The others were still in an astonished silence when they reached them.

“Well, it looks like it is working. Welcome to the game, Ella.” Edwin said smiling.

“I think you two should be the runners for this round.” Charlie joked.

“Sounds good. The two of us will take you on.” Peter said.

“I was kidding.”

“I know, but I’m being serious.”

“There’s no way we would be able to get the ball, Peter.” Ella said.

“Maybe, maybe not. A minute ago you never thought you would be out here, but look where you are now. We don’t know what’s possible until we give it a try.” Peter said with a smile.

“Well, you’re kind of in charge of where we go. I guess I’ll just have to accept it.” Ella caved.

“Exactly.” Peter chuckled.

“You two are going to regret this.” Charlie warned competitively.

“Make sure you don’t, little brother.” Peter answered in the same manner.

“If both teams are ready, please move to your respective goal.” Jimmy said.

Ella’s heart beat fast as she and Peter moved to the south goal. They were already moving more in sync than they were before, and Ella wondered if getting the ball might actually be possible if they kept their concentration. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

They flared right back up as Jimmy started to countdown. Ella focused so hard on capturing the ball successfully that all sounds became muted. It was only Jimmy’s ‘Go!’ that rang clearly. She and Peter were off faster than ever. With Charlie approaching from the other side it was difficult to tell who was covering the distance quicker. Ella was a bit disappointed when Charlie did pick the ball up first, but she knew she couldn’t linger on it. The other players were in motion, and the intensity of the match increased a hundred-fold by the almost success of the unlikely duo.

As with the previous rounds, Charlie was blocked by the opposing players. He, Peter, and Ella circled around each other as Charlie scouted out the best position to make a pass. He ran out of time though. Charlie took the best option he had and kicked the ball upwards to land near Leo. It was too high for Peter to reach. However, Ella cried out in surprise as Peter suddenly held her under her arms and lifted her high up. She realized at the last second what he was doing. Ella raised her arms, and caught the ball.

Her landing was a little more painful than she would have liked, but she was ecstatic to have the ball in her hands. Ella clutched onto it as they turned around to head closer to the goal. They were cornered quickly. Ella tossed the ball up, and Peter butted it with his forehead. It went towards Hazel, who fumbled and dropped the ball. Kenneth rushed in to kick it away before she could pick it up.

After that, it was a furious battle up and down the field. Hattie got close to scoring, but Leo blocked the goal just in time. The Sky team turned the table, and almost managed to score as well. Jane accidentally threw the ball crooked and it bounced against the goal post and back onto the field. Kenneth took possession, and he and George moved it back the other way. The process went on for fifteen more minutes. Each time a team was about to score, they either missed the toss or the ball was blocked.

Ella had never felt so exhausted and exhilarated at the same time before. She and Peter were both breathing heavily, him much more than her. Ella assumed it was because he kept suddenly lifting her up for an intercept. They had stopped the Sky team from scoring twice. The second time had been a lucky accident. Edwin threw the ball to score. The two hadn’t noticed this, and when they got out of sync for a brief second they stumbled. Peter ended up blocking the ball with his head. Ella had been unable to hold back laughter as her brother let out a couple choice curse words. It was a side of him she didn’t see too often.

She hoped the cycle would break soon. The same thought must have been on Peter’s mind as he was moving them faster and more sharply. It was all Ella could do to keep up. Thankfully, their coordination was remarkable for the slightly awkward way they had to move. Jane missed another shot at the goal, and even those on Ella’s team groaned. The long round was beginning to frustrate everyone. However, the break finally came. The loose ball rolled right up to Peter and Ella. They snatched it, and made a desperate dash to the other side of the field to win the elusive point.

Seeing their determination, the others on their team put all effort into clearing a path for them. Leo slipped through the blockage, but jumped out of the way to avoid being slammed into as Peter and Ella rushed forward. The goal was wide open with no one to stop them. Peter shifted to give Ella room to throw. Ella tossed the ball powerfully, but with enough control so as not to ruin the perfect opportunity. The ball sailed beautifully through the goal.

Cheers erupted from their teammates. Ella smile widely as Peter started to turn them around. However, before Ella could take a breath, she was suddenly slammed into the lake. Panicking, she accidentally gulped in some water as her body instinctively tried to breathe. Ella fought against her rising terror and swarm hard to break the surface. She coughed out the water she inhaled and gulped in large gasps of air. Ella was horribly reminded of her illness. She cleared her sight just in time to see Edwin and Kenneth diving into the water next to her.

“Ella, hurry, come here.” Charlie said in a very worried voice. He was next to her grabbing her arm to pull her out of the water.

“What happened?” Ella asked in absolute confusion.

She thought someone had pushed her and Peter over. The terrified looks on everyone’s faces told her otherwise. Charlie didn’t answer right away as he struggled to lift Ella out of the water even a little bit.

“Peter passed out. Gosh, how did he manage to keep the two of you up, let alone skate around like that? I can’t even get you up this far!” Charlie exclaimed.

“I’m fine, just let me swim!” Ella pulled herself out of his grasp.

She looked behind her in horror. The water was still for a second before it began to stir. Edwin and Kenneth surfaced seconds later supporting an unconscious Peter.

“You two get to the shore now.” Edwin instructed.

He and Kenneth transported Peter onto ground. Charlie skated next to Ella as she swam as fast as she could towards shore. Unfortunately, it was quite a distance away. Already exhausted from the game and weighed down by her clothes, Ella’s body could barely move by the time she reached solid land. Charlie helped her stand up and walk to the ground surrounding Peter. When she saw her brother’s face she was scared to see how pale it was.

“Is he alright?” she asked worriedly.

“He’s fine. There’s not any lasting damage. Peter just used a little too much energy to keep you on top of the water. We’ll bring him back to the house to let him sleep, and he’ll be as good as new by tomorrow.” Kenneth explained, trying to sound as optimistic as possible.

“It’s only a little scare is all.” Charlie said, comfortingly placing his arm around her shoulder. Ella didn’t know what to say.

“We’ll bring Ella back to the house. The rest of you should go on ahead.” Hazel offered.

The adults nodded. Edwin held Peter’s arm, and everyone except Hazel, Charlie, and Ella were gone in a blink. Jimmy floated down onto her shoulder. The four of them walked back to the house in silence. Ella shook, but from her fight and not her cold body. She would have run if she had the strength. It seemed to take hours before they reached the door and walked inside the house.

“Go and get dry, then you can check on Peter.” Hazel instructed.

Ella nodded, and slowly made her way up the stairs. Peter’s door was open so she took a quick peek inside. He was already dry and situated comfortably in his bed. Henry was now among the adults, and they were talking so quietly Ella couldn’t hear what they were saying from even a couple feet away. Although she was curious, Ella was satisfied to see Peter was already looking better. She finished the walk to her room.

“Peter will be sleeping for a while. You should take a bath to warm up. I’ll dry your clothes for you.” Jimmy said.

Another nod was all Ella could manage. She gathered new clothes, and filled the tub full of water when she got into the bathroom. Jimmy appeared a second later. He sat on the edge of the tub and let out a steady stream of flame from his mouth. The water was heated to perfection within a minute. He vanished, and Ella knew he would be back in a minute or so to quickly collect her wet clothes after she got into the bathtub.

Ella took her sopping clothes off and left them in a heap on the floor. She let herself relax as the warm water engulfed her. It hadn’t been until this point that she realized just how cold the lake water had been. It was still cold from the ice that had covered it only a couple weeks earlier.

She didn’t even notice Jimmy when he quickly appeared and transported her clothes away to her room to dry them. Ella was glad to be alone. The fear in her chest was different from the fear she encountered with Light and Shadow, but it was strong nonetheless. Ella couldn’t imagine why Peter hadn’t said anything before he caused himself to pass out. Maybe he wanted her to be able to score a goal, but it would have been fine if she hadn’t. She had gotten a chance to play. That was enough to keep her satisfied for the rest of time.

Ella wished that Peter hadn’t pushed himself so far. Did he really think she would be happier scoring a point if it caused him to be in danger? If he had expressed his exhaustion and asked her to sit back on the shore, she wouldn’t have minded at all. Instead, thoughts of him dead at the bottom of the lake kept flashing through her mind. What if it had been only the two of them out there? Ella highly doubted she would have been able to pull him out of the water.

Her mind was being wearied by all the what-ifs. Ella submerged her entire body in the water and imagined the warm water washing those thoughts away. She pictured his calm, sleeping face to remind herself that Peter was fine and would be fine. He certainly would be getting and earful from her when he woke up though.

Ella stayed in the bath for some time. It was only when the water went tepid that she reasoned it would be best to get out. She let the water run, dressed in her dry clothes, and went back to her room. To her surprise, Jimmy was nowhere to be found. Ella checked everywhere, but had no luck. She figured one of the others had needed his help with something. They would run into each other soon enough.

Ella sat down at her vanity and dried her hair. It had been getting longer recently. She stopped moving to stare at herself, and wondered if the person looking back really was her. The end of her hair curled as it never had before, her face was thinner, she was sitting higher than ever, and there was the slightest curve at her hips. It was no surprise since she was getting older, but Ella never realized before how much her appearance had changed. She was by no means a woman, but Ella wondered if she really looked like a ten-year-old. She thought back to Dorothy, and couldn’t remember feeling like she was as mature as the reflection Ella was seeing.

Ella shook her head. It was probably just the surprise of recognizing that she was growing that made her think she looked older than she did. Ella finished pulling the top layer of her hair back with a ribbon. She couldn’t but to keep turning her head from side to side.

“What are you doing?” Jimmy asked unexpectedly from behind her. Ella turned to see him hopping into the room through the open door.

“Say Jimmy, if you didn’t know me, how old would you say I was?” Ella asked.

“Finally realized that you don’t look too much like a child anymore, have you?” Jimmy answered as if he had been waiting for her to say that.

“What do you mean?” Ella questioned curiously.

“Well, no one has said it directly, but your appearance is rather mature for your age. To answer your question, I would say you at least look like you’re twelve.” Jimmy responded.

“I look like I’m twelve? I think you’re being a little too generous.” Ella said doubtfully.

“I’ve never lied to you before, and I’m not starting now. Believe me, I noticed this as I watched Hazel grow up as well. You have attractive parents, so naturally you’re a beauty as well.” Jimmy encouraged. Ella laughed.

“Me a beauty? No offense Jimmy, but you’re a frog. I don’t think human appearances are your expertise.”

“Now how very rude. My body might be in the shape of a frog, but my mind is not limited to my physical form. Since my life was created by a human, my thoughts are inspired by how a human thinks and acts.” Jimmy explained.

“I suppose.” Ella agreed nonchalantly.

“In any case, if you still don’t believe me about how mature you look, you’ll only need to ask your parents or anyone and they’ll tell you the same.”

“I’ll ask, but they’ll have to say I’m pretty even if it wasn’t true.” Ella shrugged before changing the topic, “So where did you go to? Did you have to help out with something?”

“No, nothing like that…” Jimmy said. He suddenly withdrew and seemed nervous.

“What’s wrong?” Ella asked.

“I don’t think I should tell you.” Jimmy shook his head.

“You just said you wouldn’t lie to me.”

“Lying and not saying anything are two different things.”

“You sound like Peter. It doesn’t matter because I want to know what you know.”

“You only say that because you don’t know.”

“Jimmy, just tell me please.” Ella pleaded.

She wasn’t as ignorant as Jimmy assumed. Whatever he had to say was going to be about her. He had probably overheard someone saying something, and didn’t want her to be upset. Ella couldn’t imagine what she had done now to make the others talk about her, but she had a right to know if she did something wrong.

“Fine, but don’t forget you asked for it.” Jimmy started, then hesitated before willing himself to continue, “I went downstairs after I finished your clothes to see how Peter was doing. All of the adults were still in the room talking. They didn’t notice me, and they seemed so suspicious that I couldn’t stop myself from listening in on their conversation.”

“What were they saying?” Ella asked.

“They were talking about you. They were….blaming you actually. It started with the prune saying it was your fault Peter fainted, and unfortunately the others agreed with him. They all said you shouldn’t have let Peter convince you to join the game with him, and that you should have told him to leave you back at the shore when you saw he was getting tired.” Jimmy revealed painfully.

“It was really all of them? Grandfather and nana, papa and mama, and Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Hattie? Really, all of them think this is my fault? I know everything is my fault in great-grandfather’s eyes, but I can’t imagine the rest of them going along with such an idea.” Ella said in disbelief.

“It really was all of them. Even worse, they weren’t simply agreeing with the prune to appease him. They really do think what happened is your fault.” Jimmy added.

Ella stared down at the wood of her vanity. She fiddled her fingers and tried to make sense of the information. The truth felt more like a lie. All the others had been there at the lake. How could they have been part of the situation knowing everything that happened, and still think it was her doing? Jimmy watched her carefully, expecting her to grow sad. Ella was not sad though. She was angry, or for a more accurate phrase, she was furious. Her face narrowed angrily and she abruptly stood up.

“Come on, Jimmy. We’re going to this straight.”

Jimmy knew better than to try and stop her. He hopped onto her shoulder, nearly missing as Ella gave him no time as she headed out of the room. They checked Peter’s room, but the adults were gone. No one was on the second floor, so they were all downstairs. Ella found everyone except her siblings in the parlor. She walked right in. Edwin gave her a comforting smile, but it quickly faded when he saw her face. Ella was glad to see it go away, for she hated to see him smiling at her knowing what he felt.

“Is something the matter, child?” Jane asked.

“None of you have any right to blame me for what happened! It’s absolutely unfair!” Ella said fiercely and loudly.

She glared at all of the adults. They were stunned, and looked speechless at her and each other. Henry was the only one to remain unfazed.

“I will not allow your apparent eavesdropping to―”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I found out what you all think anyway!”

“If you interrupt me aga―”

“I’ll interrupt you all I want! You’ve never treated me fairly, and I’m not got to let you intimidate me into being quiet! Not this time!” Ella spat at him.

Henry’s eyes grew wide with a livid astonishment. Ella knew she was putting herself in a lot of trouble now, but she was going to stand up for herself once and for all.

“Ella! You have to treat your great-grandfather with respect!” Clara reprimanded her.

“He doesn’t deserve my respect or consideration since he shows me none! But that’s not what I came down here to talk about! I want to know how any of you can have the audacity to place the blame on me for what happened to Peter! You were all there! You all saw what happened! I didn’t ask for Peter to do what he did! He’s the one who offered his hand towards me, and none of you said anything against it then! If you had any reservations you should have stated them! I didn’t know how tired Peter was, and I would have told him to put me down had I known he was going pass out! You are all terrible to think that this is my fault!” Ella ignored her mother and yelled at all of the adults.

George, Jane, Kenneth, and Hattie all shifted uncomfortably. Henry had his arms folded, and was staring at her with a look that almost resembled interest. Ella kept her focus on her father and mother though. They glanced at each other hoping the other would know something to say. Ella waited for someone to speak, but the silence persisted.

“At least you’re all not going to try and lie to my face, I’ll give you that.” Ella said bitterly.

“Ella, this is ridiculous. You’re in no right mood to discuss this sort of thing. Go up to your room, and if you can find that you can be reasonable we’ll bring this topic up rationally.” Edwin finally spoke. He tried to hide his recoil when Ella looked at him with absolute disgust.

“I will not go, and this is not something I can be calm about! I’m tired of all the blame being pushed on me when I don’t deserve it! I’m even more tired of being too weak-willed and letting myself accept it! And you know what, papa?! There is nothing to discuss! You haven’t said anything, but you all know the truth is that you hold me responsible for what happened! You’re wrong, and all of you have to apologize!” Ella demanded.

Ella stopped yelling and waited. No one would even look at her, and they all kept their mouths firmly shut. Ella stared at each of them. When it was apparent she wasn’t going to get an apology, Ella’s chest pounded with more anger than she ever thought possible.

“Fine. I’ll go to my room.” her words were cold and sharp, “However, I’m only going because I can’t stand to be in this room with all of you.”

She turned on her heel and walked almost calmly towards and up the stairs. All the adults watched her go, and they each let out an uncomfortable exhale when they knew she was gone.

“How did she even find out?” Clara asked so quietly the others had to strain to hear, “She was in the bath for so long.”

“It must have been Jimmy. I thought I felt his presence at one point, but it was gone before I could check.” George said.

“What were we thinking? We all know it isn’t her fault, so why did it seem so right to say it was?” Edwin asked guiltily.

“Because you all were terrified.” Henry spoke slowly while standing up, “You two, Edwin and Clara, are still settling with the fact that your son could have drowned. In such cases, it is calming to be able to place blame even if it is unjust. If that girl had any sense she would see that you were momentarily venting. No harm would have been done if her insufferable piece of metal kept out of other people’s business. Instead, she now acts as if she’s some sort of casualty of cruelty. I’ve never seen a child so self-centered and slow.”

“She is upset and scared too.” Edwin pointed out.

“And there are more respectable ways of handling with those emotions than to come down here and burden us when we are already dealing with so much. She does not know the struggle of keeping the forest of balance, the challenge of caring for an infant, or having to think about more than just herself.” Henry argued.

“That’s not what she’s like.” Clara said.

“You say that only because as a mother you are blinded by the love for your daughter. You are oblivious to the truth of how very different she is from the rest of us.”

“Father, what are you trying to lead this conversation to?” George asked.

“As observant as ever.” Henry said to him approvingly, thankful his intentions had been caught.

“What? Where are you bringing this conversation to?” Edwin asked in confusion.

“Kenneth, do you remember that trip to Gale? The one in February the day after Sadie was born where we watched Ella play with those local rowdy children?” Henry questioned, ignoring Edwin.

“Yes.” Kenneth said, just as perplexed as his brother-in-law was.

“I told you I had thought of a good idea, but I chose not to reveal it then. However, now I feel it is an appropriate time to let you all in on the solution I have chosen.” Henry announced.

“Solution? For what?”

“For dealing with the reality that Ella is so very different than us, and can’t properly belong here. Now, you three…” Henry said, then motioned towards Jane, Edwin, and Kenneth, “The three of you made a great sacrifice when you joined this family. In order to protect the secret of this forest, you were required to sever the connections between you and all those you knew on the outside. You parents, siblings, friends, anyone you ever met, we made it so they forgot about you and had no proof of your existence. Outsiders simply cannot handle being connected to this place. Our ancestors saw this first hand, and that is why the sacrifice is required.”

He paused, looking around to see if anyone was going to say anything. No one did, although they all were starting to suspect the plan he was suggesting. Henry continued.

“Ella’s body might have been born here. She might be part of this family, but her mind is that of an outsider. It is who she truly is, or why else would she be the only one born after all these years with no powers? I have not spoken of my idea for these past months to see if it was possible for her to live peacefully here, but this outburst shows me it is impossible and that her frustration and anger will only increase. It is why I propose that we send her where she really belongs. We will take away her memories of her life in this place, and leave her with a family some distance away where she can exist without the burden she carries by being here.”

“That’s a horrible idea!”

“We will not send her away!”

Edwin and Clara’s voices overlapped as they protested. The other four were left speechless at such a suggestion. Edwin and Clara continued to argue, but Henry held up his hand and they quieted.

“These reactions of yours are quite what I expected. However, do not dismiss this idea so effortlessly. As her parents, it is your duty to do what is best for her even if it goes against the desires of all three of you. The rest of us are not blind. We see how much she struggles, and how much trouble it creates for everyone. Can she really be happy here? Although my idea might seem cruel, how can we say Ella will live a better life if she is selfishly kept here because the two of you won’t let go? It is easier for her to let go of her negative emotions now because she is a child. What will happen as she becomes older? Will she not grow to resent this place? Will she not feel guilt when she understands how much her existence holds the rest of us back? Kenneth, you have already seen how guilt and despair can destroy a person. What will you do if such a situation happens to Ella?”

The color abruptly drained out of Kenneth’s face, and he looked in horror at the floor. Hattie grabbed onto him comfortingly.

“There is no reason to bring that up now!” she said angrily, “And how dare you intrude that kind of thought into our minds!”

“My pardon. However, these are the kinds of possibilities we need to consider, because that situation is a strong possibility. Jane has confided in me that she had a dream once of such a thing occurring.” Henry revealed.

“What?” Kenneth said weakly, raising his eyes to look at Jane who wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“It is the truth.” she admitted quietly.

“We are all aware of the accurate probability of Jane’s dreams. It is as I pointed out― you cannot dismiss this idea so easily. Despite the fact that you care for this child and want to stay with her, how can you truly say that keeping her here will be what is best?” Henry asked Edwin and Clara.

The two were at a loss of words. All they could do was hold onto the other’s hands.

“I will not force you to make your decision right now. This is not something to be rushed. However, if my own opinion is not already clear then I will state it plainly. For Ella’s sake, we should let her go. For her happiness, we should let her forget…..”