Gen One- Chapter Twenty Nine

I couldn't believe how hot it was. Though it was almost the beginning of autumn, summer was hanging around with a vengeance. The temperatures had barely dipped at all, and the pounding sun was as intense as ever. If it hadn't been for the plethora of clouds blocking out those glaring rays and the constant breeze, I never would have stuck around at the festival for as long as I did. I had already had a long day, and making myself collapse from heat stroke wasn't a pleasant idea. Thankfully, that heat was bearable enough. There were plenty of cool treats around in addition to the clouds and the wind to combat it. I made my way over to the snow cone machine as soon as it was open. Normally I went with a rainbow mix, but I decided to do something different. I went with plain blue raspberry instead.

Truthfully, I didn't like snow cones all that much. The flavoring instantly sank all the way to the bottom of the cone, so you basically just consumed plain ice until you got near the end of the supply. I found that by that point my mouth was so cold that I could hardly taste the flavor anyway. Still, the snow cone that day was free. As long as it cooled me down, I wasn't going to complain. My complaining was saved for what happened next. There was currently a lull of people at the festival, so I simply walked around munching on my ice and soaking up the atmosphere. I was better off not getting too excited given that it had been one of those days again. I was more than used to them by now, but I did always feel slightly off after the whole process was done. However, there were several things that happened which completely threw my sense of peace out the window. The first thing was relatively harmless, although it gave me a horrible shock.

I leapt forward and jumped a mile high when an ungodly roaring, screeching shout erupted from right behind me. The noise was quickly replaced with heavy laughter. The voice had me thinking Amaranth was there, but I knew who the real culprit was before I even turned around.

     "Blaze!" I rebuked loudly, clutching a hand over my racing chest.

He stood there like a goof and wore an unabashed grin.

     "I couldn't help myself," he explained with an amused shrug, "I only wish I had been recording that. I didn't know you were able to fly, Meadow."

I rolled my eyes before turning my attention to the ground. I wasn't the only thing that had done some flying. Blaze scaring me had caused my snow cone to launch right out of my hand. The ice, already melted against the scalding concrete, lay in a pitiful blue puddle.

     "You made me drop my snow cone." I pouted at him.
     "Whoops. I'll buy you another one." Blaze responded, still cheerfully.
     "It's free snow cone day, you know."
     "And that's the only reason I offered." Blaze smirked.
     "You are hopeless." I said with a shake of my head.
     "What flavor do you want?" he ignored me, "Another blue raspberry?"
     "A double shot of lemon sounds good now."
     "Why not cherry or raspberry? Those are good flavors too."
     "Because they're red?" I questioned with a raised brow.
     "Indeed."
     "I want lemon, Blaze."
     "How about strawberry-lemon?"

I folded my arms, tapped my foot, and a gave him a good stare.

     "Fine, fine." he caved.

I waited in the shade until Blaze returned with my snow cone. I think he did sneak in a few drips of strawberry in there, but the taste was fine so I let him off the hook.

     "So, what are you doing milling about here for? I wouldn't think you came all this way for a snow cone." Blaze wondered.
     "It's immunoglobulin replacement therapy Saturday." I revealed.
     "Oh, you came for your treatment. I guess it's a good thing I didn't give you a total heart attack. Going back to the hospital after spending hours there is probably the last thing you want."
     "It certainly is, so think twice before you make me leap out of my skin next time." I teased.
     "You did get a whole new snow cone out of it though. Since I gave you my free one, I actually have to buy one if I want one. And getting one is the whole reason I came down here." he pouted.
     "They're only two dollars, Blaze. It's not that bad a price."

Blaze put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me seriously.

     "I don't think you know me as well as you think you do." he said.
     "I guess not," I couldn't help but to laugh, "Paying any amount for anything is painful for you."
     "Damn right!" Blaze agreed with conviction.
     "Well, once Amaranth gives me his work schedule for next week I'll figure out which evenings I could come over to cook for the both of you. I can bring Eden along too. It's been a while since we've gotten together for a meal." I offered.
     "Or you could not bring Eden and you can come when the brat is working. More food for me." Blaze grinned mischievously.

I teased Blaze by saying I would just make less food and thus he would get the same amount anyway. He kept jokingly pestering me, and so I took to continuing my walk while he followed me around going on and on about me cooking for him. I only resumed bantering with him once my second snow cone was safely devoured.

     "How about you just come over with Eden every night and cook for us? That would be the best." Blaze proposed wistfully.
     "I've told you I would come over and cook for you and Am, what you normally eat for your meals are pitiful, but I need the proper ingredients. If I don't have the things I need, there's no way I can make anything."
     "You could bring the ingredients yourself."
     "Haha, funny. Yeah, no. You're saying that I should use my gas to drive to your place, use my money to buy the ingredients, and use my time making you a three course meal? That doesn't sound very fair or equal." I retorted with a grin and another raised brow.
     "Think of it as a charity case."
     "Charity case?"
     "Yeah. What about poor Am? You yourself just said our normal meals suck. How can you stand to let your friend exist on what is such a sad excuse for food?"
     "It's not like he's exactly starving, is he?"
     "Yeah, but-"
     "I won't cook for you, Blaze, unless you buy the ingredients. End of story." I put my foot down, holding back more laughter when his pout returned in full force.
     "Fine. I'll concede this battle this day. Mark my words that this is not the last you'll hear of this though. You'll find that I'm incredibly proficient at being annoying until I get what I want." he boldly declared.
     "Oh, I know. You're a right pain." I giggled.

Blaze looked as if I had praised him rather than lovingly insulted him.

     "Want to play horseshoes?" he then asked to suddenly change the topic.
     "Um, sure, I guess. To be honest, I'm rather terrible. I've never figured out how to throw the darn thing properly." I admitted.
     "I'll teach you then." Blaze offered eagerly.

He took my hand and practically skipped me over to the horseshoe courts. The mood switch he went through was rapid, but definitely not unexpected. That was just how he was. He annoyed you until you were just about ready to throttle him, and then he became the kind of person you just wanted to be around forever. Blaze made me laugh while he taught me more about horseshoes while doing it without teasing me anymore. Not once when I continued to miss toss after toss did he laugh at me or do anything to make me feel embarrassed. Even when the horseshoe slipped out of my hand and went backwards, he merely retrieved it for me, helped me to correct my form again, and didn't say a word about the mishap. That he could be that way was what I liked most about Blaze. He wasn't just Amaranth's uncle. He was everyone's uncle. Despite his infuriating moments, you never doubted for a moment that you could count on him when it mattered. He was both a source of fun that your parents wouldn't let you get away with, and a safe haven to seek shelter in when necessary.

And Blaze was my shelter during the next several minutes which were the moments that crumbled my peace and seemingly signaled the shattering of my world.

I hadn't seen her coming. I hadn't known she was there. Our game having finished, Blaze was getting water from the water fountain since he continued to refuse to pay for a snow cone. I kept on puttering about. I took a step forward, moved slightly to avoid the woman who came around the corner, and walked right past her. I hadn't taken a direct look at her face, but I didn't need to. With a brush that close, there was no mistaking her for someone else this time around.

Buttercup Swirl, Ms. Yellow, was feet away from me.

It was a miraculous blessing that I hadn't seen her coming. If I had, the twisted expression of true terror that spread across my face the second the truth sank in would have caused her to study me more closely. It didn't seem to be that she had paid me a speck of attention otherwise. I heard the click of her high heels wandering away as I struggled to get my heart beating at a steady pace and my lungs, the frustratingly perpetual nuisances they were, to take in air again. Passing out would catch her attention as well.

The sound of those heels of hers stopping did send enough cascading waves of paralyzing horror up and down my spine to keeping on pushing me closer to unconsciousness. I shouldn't have looked her way, but I did. Some relief swept over me when I found her checking her phone instead of staring straight at me, but not much. Petrified thought after petrified thought bludgeoned themselves against the inside of my head to make themselves known. As far as I knew, she was only checking the time. Maybe she was simply reading a text or looking at directions.

But what if she had figured out who I was as quickly as I had recognized her? What if that calm expression of hers was a ruse to lure me into a false sense of security? What if she was texting someone to let me know that she had found me? That I was hiding by being green? For me, my fate appeared to linger on whatever Ms. Yellow was truly doing on that phone. She quickly slipped it into her pocket and resumed walking, but the damage was done.

Stumbling along as if I was intoxicated, I covered my mouth with my hand. A deep, obtrusive nausea unlike anything I had ever experienced threatened to overwhelm me. It was a good thing my body was too deep in shock to even throw up, for I never would have been able to make it to a garbage can. Even my instincts screaming at me to run away could hardly get me to move. I was lost to my terror. It was a wonder it took Blaze the several seconds it took him to notice the change.

     "I wish you had seen these two tweenie girls playing skeeball in the arcade," he started as he walked over chuckling, "The one thought you were supposed to try and get the smallest score possible. She was bragging to everyone about how good she was as she kept sinking it in the 5 point hole again and again."

Blaze laughed harder and shook his head.

     "You should have seen her face when the game finished and she realized how totally wrong she was! How does a twelve-year-old not know how to play skeeball?"
     "Dunno." I croaked out feebly.

That was when Blaze looked at me better. His expression dropped.

     "You alright there, kid?" he asked.
     "My therapy causes me to feel a bit sick every now and again the afternoon after I get it. It just comes and goes." I lied.

Blaze said something in response, but I didn't catch what he said. I was too intent on cautiously glancing about. My short breathing was causing dim flashes of light in the corners of my eyes. All seemed to have a yellow tint, which only exacerbated the situation. It was if Ms. Yellow was everywhere. I forced myself to sneak a peek in her general direction. She was a bit further away, but she was directly facing Blaze and I. If she hadn't been fiddling with her phone again, she had the perfect opportunity to look up and spot us. Well, me.

     "Meadow?" Blaze prodded as he waved his hand in front of my face.
     "Want to take some pictures?" I questioned quickly.

I instantly pushed aside that I had been completely ignoring him. What I had to focus on instead was finding a place to hide, and the photo booth was the closest source of protection.

     "Uh, sure?" Blaze agreed with great confusion.

I was already pushing aside the flap. Blaze curiously followed in without another word. He remained silent too after I put in the appropriate change and told him to pick whatever layout for the pictures he wanted. That was another thing I liked about Blaze. He didn't ask many unnecessary questions- even in situations like this where I was acting bizarre.  He knew something was going on, knew I didn't want to say anything, but just went along with it. I used the time that Blaze took to make his selections to text Eden and let him know what was going on. The message I sent was full of typos I didn't normally make because my hands were shaking, but he clearly got the message just fine because he responded instantly. As anticipated, he urged me to come home right immediately. I peeked out after Blaze and I took our pictures. Ms. Yellow was much further away.

Unfortunately, that greater distance between us didn't help. In fact, it had me breaking down quicker. Holding back my tears and my fear was monumentally harder because now it was safer to lose control since it wouldn't alert Ms. Yellow.

     "I think you should take a rest at home. I'll signal a taxi." Blaze offered after we stepped outside the booth and I turned several shades paler.

I couldn't nod. It took all my effort to let Blaze lead me to the sidewalk. A minute was all it took for us to get a cab, but I had practically become a statue. Seconds later, I was a blubbering mess.

     "Does it hurt?" Blaze asked quietly and gently.

I managed a nod then. He wrapped his arm around me, let me lean against him, and whispered words of comfort. The safety of the taxi, getting away from the park, and Blaze being so supportive turned my sobs into sniffles by the time he got me home.

Blaze didn't come inside himself though. He brought me to the door, apologized because he had to leave to do something else, and made sure I was able to open the door and step inside before he made his way back to the taxi. It was a good thing he didn't stick around. Eden nearly knocked me over when he dashed over and held my shoulders.

     "Ethereal...are you sure?" he asked slowly and reluctantly.
     "I'm sure." I responded earnestly.

Eden looked me more intently in the eye.

     "You have to be positive about this. It can't be like at Am's party where you only saw Mrs. Bright. There has to absolutely no doubt-"
     "Eden, I'm sure!"  I said furiously, letting my stress boil over into frustration, "I was two feet away from her! I may have mistaken someone else's face in the past, but I wouldn't mistake her face!"

Eden simply stared at me for a moment. I think the reality was setting in for him. The silence was broken by the buzzing of his phone.

     "It's U," he went ahead and said as he looked at the text, "I've told him what's going on. We're getting things set in motion."

He really stared at that text hard before sighing and giving me an apologetic look.

     "I've already got most of my stuff ready. I've set out a suitcase for you to get what you want to grab. You don't have to worry about toiletries or stuff like that. The clothes you like best, mementos, the important things you want to keep the most- that's what you need to take. Obviously, get them as quickly as you can. Don't worry about being neat. I'll take care of her things." Eden explained and then motioned towards Button, who was merrily sitting nearby.

I continued crying the entire time I was upstairs trying to frantically pick and choose from all my important things what was most precious. I didn't realize how much I loved half the stuff in my room until I was forced to abandon it as soon I could only just get the suitcase closed. In the end, I choose to dump out most of the clothes and go with what truly reminded me of my life as Meadow. Pictures with friends, gifts they had bought me, prizes won at lame school fairs. I wanted to scream when Eden told me I couldn't dawdle any longer. His things and Button's things were ready. We had to leave.

The lights were turned off. Eden tucked our suitcases into the trunk. Button leapt joyfully into the back seat as she thought we were going for a ride. I wished as we pulled out of the driveway that it was just a ride. However, the house that had become my home grew smaller and disappeared behind trees and turns. Other familiar sights did the same. My eyes were as wide as they were on that miraculous day I became Meadow. Unfortunately, this time instead of staring with awe at all the new wonders before me I drunk in the view of them as it might be the last time I ever saw them. The horrifying reality of what could be happening turned my chest hollow.

Eden could have been driving me out of Berrybrook for good.

My state fluctuated between being "okay" and being a complete mess. Eden suggested I take some sleeping medication to help make the journey bearable. I went ahead and followed his advice once we entered unfamiliar territory I didn't care about. I dozed off quickly, and I slept deeply. It took Eden giving me quite the shake to wake me up. What I saw when I woke up convinced me I was dreaming. There was nothing to alert me as to where we were or how far we had traveled. There was hardly even a dirt road that led to the concealed parking spot Eden had the car in. I glanced around for the tiny hut he and I had stayed in last time, but it wasn't around. Neither was any other building. It was thick trees as far as the eye could see.

Or so I thought. Eden gave me my suitcase, and soon I was following him down a narrow, grassy, wild shrub lined path. He seemed insane when he instructed me to follow him through a thick mess of bushes and small trees that were only just navigable. I small scratches all over, and yanking my suitcase along as a right pain. I opened my mouth to complain. That was when a clearing broke out to reveal a most incredible sight. In a clearing of the trees and other fauna that formed a protective border was a house. Not a pitiful hut. A house- just like any other you would pass on the street.

     "This is where we're staying?" I questioned in amazement.
     "No. I just led you through that annoying bush wall for the fun of it," Eden joked before answering seriously, "You didn't think we were going to spend any indeterminate amount of time in hiding in a place like that little brown house we stayed at before, did you?"
     "I mean, I didn't know what to expect."
     "Well, here. Let's go inside, and we can talk better." Eden suggested with a small smile.

My mood actually brightened considerably for a few brief moments. I honestly hadn't given much thought to where Eden and I would be staying if we did have to hide. I always assumed it would be severely isolated like what this house was, but I had never dared to hope it would be so accommodating. I felt more like I was on vacation in some cabin in the woods than potentially abandoning the life I had known. The kitchen even had better equipment than what Eden and I had at home. I simply stared at everything in amazement before looking over at my brother with wide eyes. He chuckled at me.

     "Me and my friends knew we needed a better hideout in the area besides that run-down old shack. Thus, we've steadily had this one built over the years. It's been an absolute nightmare constructing it in secret, but the payoff already seems worth it. This place is meant for any of us to use if we ever need it, but most of it was planned around the two of us as we are the only ones who have ever really been in the position to need a sanctuary to flee to on short notice." Eden explained.
     "It is amazing. It must have cost a fortune." I said in awe.
     "It did! I mean, the whole place is running off its own generators for a start."
     "How did you pay for it all?"
     "We all contribute what we can to a 'community fund' of sorts. The ones who are more involved in the group than me decide where the money's used. I've heard rumors that we have secret donors too though. Who knows how correct that information is, however." Eden shrugged.

I glanced around a bit more before Eden took my hand and tugged me forward.

     "Here. Let me show you this. I think you'll get a kick out of it." he prompted, wearing a goofy smile.

I couldn't stop my mouth from dropping when I was brought into the living room area and I saw what was attached to the wall.

     "Eden," I began softly as I slowly walked over to it as if I was in a trance, "This isn't a television. This is a theater screen."
     "It is really close to it, isn't it?" he laughed loudly, "And, best of all, there's no 24-hour adult channel on the listing."
     "That's a shame. Imagine how much detail you could get watching it on something like this." I joked.

When I turned around, Eden was folding his arms and giving me a sarcastic "look."

     "C'mon. Don't tell me you wouldn't like to see what it would be like just once." I teased.
     "Actually, I couldn't care less." Eden responded defiantly.
     "I think it would be an interesting experience. Might make me like it this time around too," I started impishly before exaggerating my tone since I knew I would get a good reaction out of my next words, "And I'm not just talking about what I saw in that old hut."
     "W-what?!" Eden sputtered.
     "I got curious, okay, Eden?" I laughed like an idiot, "But, if it makes you feel better, it was a one-time thing. Once the shock value wore off, all I did was laugh because of how idiotic it looked. I seriously doubt any of what I saw is what it's really like. And the noises they were making! God, I had to turn off the volume! It was like- just shut up already! Do people really think that stuff sounds sexy?"

Eden shook his head and ran his hands through his hair, but he was back to smiling and chuckling again too.

     "I just wanted to finish my book, go on a walk, and get some ice cream. Instead, we've run away to save our hides, and now here I am listening to you talk about porn. This really wasn't how I wanted to spend my day."
     "Why don't you keep on giving me a tour of the place?" I suggested merrily.
     "A fine idea." Eden agreed.

Seeing my new room was what killed that brief buzz of happy emotions. It, like most of the house so far, had the essentials, but was bare in decoration. For whatever reason, the room being so spacious yet so empty affected me much more than I ever would have thought. I suppose it was because it was considered a personal space that I compared it much more harshly to my real room- to the place where I really wanted to be. There would be no sleepovers here. Sunset and Sunflower would never stay up all night with me talking about the stupidest things that seem the most important. Allium would never hide under the bed to keep Eden from kicking him out for overstaying his welcome, and still be caught anyway. Amaranth would never sit under the window with me and point out what stars we could see. Frost would never sneak in and fill the whole space with white balloons for my birthday. My eyes burned with the threat of tears again when I realized what was most precious to me were the things I couldn't ever fit in my suitcase.

Eden didn't notice my somber state.

     "They actually didn't bother putting a bathroom all on its own in the house. There's two private ones instead. One for me. One for you. Just to avoid any repeats of the bath incident, y'know?" he spoke cheerfully while reminiscing.

Eden joked about his bathroom being bigger before he gave me some time to myself. If only he knew that wasn't what I wanted at the moment. I tried to start unpacking my things, but I couldn't stand the silence. The light wind, a few birds flitting past the window, Button shuffling about as she sniffed everything- that was it. Moving felt better than doing nothing, so I finished the tour of the house on my own. There wasn't much else to see besides what Eden showed me. I did, however, find a nice heated pool and a hot tub out in the backyard. I earned Eden's companionship again when I invited him to try out the hot tub with me. It really was the perfect idea as we both seriously needed to de-stress. Only several hours had passed since I had that close class, but it felt more like a week.

     "Alright, so, what's the plan? Is this really it? Has our time of hiding in plain sight come to an end?" I went ahead and asked after giving us a little break from thinking about the situation.

Eden opened his closed eyes and frowned ever so slightly.

     "We're going to be playing it by ear for the next few days going into the next few weeks. My friend's are already on Swirl's trail. They're going to try finding out why she is in Berrybrook and what her motives are. If they can figure that out, then we can figure out if it'll be safe for us to return. Doing what we can to get us back home is the main objective here, although I know a few have suggested we try to swipe Swirl up completely to get information out of her too."

I sat up with a start.

     "They should definitely do that! That would give us what we need to stop this, wouldn't it?" I spoke intently.

Much to my disappointment, Eden shook his head.

     "Not really. It's much the same as trying to use you for evidence," he began, "Whatever information we could potentially get out of Swirl, honestly, it wouldn't be anything that we wouldn't already know or it would be wholly irrelevant to our goals. Snatching her up would do absolutely nothing to prove anything. Like I told you before, there's only a few people on the second level who know how deep The Company goes, and you could probably count on two hands the number of people who have access to the information we actually need. Swirl definitely isn't one of those. She's deeper than most, but not deep enough. I warned against swiping her anyway. If she suddenly went missing in Berrybrook, the city would come under Company scrutiny. I don't have to tell you that that would kill any chance we do have of going back."

I sunk back against my seat in further disappointment.

     "We do have a good chance at going back though." Eden revealed to lift my spirits.

I only just dared to look up at him hopefully.

     "If The Company had really figured out that we were in Berrybrook, they wouldn't have wasted their time sending Swirl over. They would have snatched you up right away, and I would either be tied up in the back of some van or have a bullet through my head. We wouldn't have been able to escape with so much time as we did. I'm more under the impression that this was nothing more than a horribly unlucky coincidence. From what I've been told already, it looks like Swirl has just been puttering about because some flight of hers was delayed. She's not showing any signs that she recognized you, that Berrybrook will now be combed for our presence, or that The Company will be moving in to set up another franchise.."
     "If that's true, what's your estimation on how long until we can return?" I questioned.
     "Hmm, we'll be here for a little while. We're going to have to wait to see what the repercussions of this are. Perhaps she did recognize you and is merely feigning innocence because she knows she's being watched. Watching to see if there's a surge of Company influence in the coming days is the crucial tipping point for which way this will all play out." Eden explained.

I only nodded at that and tried to relax again. I felt better knowing I could hope at least a little, but I could also imagine something going terribly wrong. Honestly, I almost wish Eden hadn't told me what he told me until I had settled into the situation better. My mind got all warped. I got an idea into my head that sent the tears flowing again. The brief argument happened shortly after Eden and I got out of the hot tub. I noticed something major was missing once I changed back into my normal clothes.

     "Where's my cellphone?" I asked angrily as I marched into Eden's room.
     "It's not here," he admitted, "When you were sleeping in the car, I stopped briefly to meet a few of my friends. I gave it to them then."
     "Why did you do that!?" I stomped my foot bitterly.
     "Safekeeping. I gave them mine too, I'll have you know. We can't be too cautious until we have a better grasp on things. If we've come under suspicion, our easily hacked or traced cell phones are better off nowhere near us. Besides, I had a feeling you would use yours when you're not supposed to be using it. Tell me that's not why you want it now- that you're not wanting to contact one of your friends."
     "Of course I am! You pointed out that we have a good shot at going back! I have to contact them to so they don't freak out when they realize I've dropped off the face of the planet! They have to know I'm coming back!"
     "We have a good shot, yes, but nothing is guaranteed- just like I told you fifteen minutes ago. Contacting your friends is too risky, for you and for them."
     "I have to talk to Allium at least! He's terrified of me disappearing! This is going to be a nightmare for him!" I cried.
     "He'll just have to handle it. It's better that he panic for a time than be in danger from The Company because you drew their attention to him."
     "Eden!"
     "No, Ethereal," Eden's tone suddenly turned sharp, "And I don't want to hear any more about this. It's a risk we can't take, and don't forget that I'm in the same boat as you. Don't you think I'm concerned about how my friends are going to react to this?"

I didn't answer. I let out another frustrated cry and stomped out of the room.

I locked myself in my room for hours. I tossed myself on my bed and cried my poor little heart out. Getting Allium's worried face out of my thoughts was impossible. Those bloodshot eyes of his. Their red tint that shown he had cried. How he was when we were reunited in Wonder Light was how I pictured him. There wouldn't be many signs to signify that my life was in danger this time around, but I'm sure the idea would go through his head when Eden and I were suddenly nowhere to be found. In fact, Allium was most likely already curious. We had plans for me to go over to his house to watch a movie while his mom went out to visit her friends. I'm sure he had texted me several times. Obviously, I hadn't responded. What would he think? What would he do? How would he react if I did get to go back? Would he be angry? Overjoyed? My imaginings were unceasing.

It did help that I hadn't been able to point out to Eden that there was another reason I wanted my cellphone. It had so many pictures and videos of me and my friends on there. I had been counting on them to comfort me through this uncertain isolation. Now I was left with next to nothing. Eden could have at least let me get the files off there first.

I had to force myself off the bed. Sobbing on it endlessly naturally was making me feel worse and worse. However, standing made me woozy, so I plopped my rear end onto the keyboard seat and began plunking away. Eden's words about the house being designed for him and me were definitely true. I had always wanted to know how to play the piano better, but Eden had refused to get one since he didn't want to bother with the noise. But now there just happened to be the exact brand and model as the one I had put on my Christmas list a few years ago? It was too coincidental to be anything other than intentional.

I did know how to play a little bit. Sunflower had a wonderful grand piano in her house that she had given me several lessons on. Gently tapping out the few basic songs I knew started to lift my mood. Button deciding to "sing" along got me laughing again too. Her loud, rolling howls as I played "Row Your Boat" were capable of doing nothing else.

Although, when I got down on the floor to give her a bug hug the last of my tears for that day escaped down my cheeks. Button quickly lapped them up, and I refused to let go of her.

     "I'm so glad I was able to bring you along. I wouldn't be able to get through this without you."

Button nearly pushed me over as she must have assumed my tight hold was me starting a play wrestling session. I had to stop her since she didn't know her own strength sometimes.

     "I'm so sorry we had you spayed. You deserve to have a bunch of adorably goof puppies just like you to love and wrestle with," I giggled, "Maybe I can convince Eden to get you a playmate though."

I got my face free of tears and dog slobber before adventuring back out into the house. Eden was locked up in his room. I could hear him talking quietly, so he must have had a proxy phone or something. I contemplated using it when he wasn't paying attention, but my rational mind was returning to me. Eden was right, after all. It was better for my friends to worry than to be put in danger. My stomach growled loudly as I went by Eden's door. It was then that I realized I hadn't had anything to eat but ice since breakfast that morning. Thankfully, the kitchen was stocked full of ingredients. I was soon lost in the familiar lull of cooking.

The smell of the grilled cheese lured Eden out of his room. I could see the hesitancy in his eye, so I gave him a quick smile to show him that I had calmed down. He went about getting plates, pouring us drinks, and getting Button something for dinner too. We ate in silence for a few minutes before Eden sent some more information my way.

     "She's already out of Berrybrook," he revealed, "Turns out, the situation was exactly like what I mentioned it was earlier. We got one of our guys chatting up with her at the airport. Her flight was delayed, and she was just wandering about to kill time."

I didn't answer. I just waited Eden out until he told me what he was going to tell me anyway.

     "It's pretty much guaranteed that we can go back, but we are still going to stick with hiding out for a week or two to be safe." he confirmed.

I nodded, taking another bite of my sandwich. I was hoping the length would be shorter than that, but I was trying not to be too selfish or demanding. Eden placed a comforting hand on my arm.

     "I know it's going to be tough staying away, but everything should be back to normal before we know it," he encouraged, "And Allium will understand."

I merely nodded again, because I couldn't believe him. Somehow, all I could feel was uneasy about how Allium would react.

Eden hadn't seen how desperate he had been after all.