\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sleep had come restlessly, elusive for hours despite her exhaustion, and now she awoke cold, shuddering and sweating, twisted in her covers.\u00a0 Rain pounded against the windowpane, thunder rolled above, rattling the house to its foundations with its deep growl.\u00a0 Arilyn squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to be awake but knowing unbroken, dreamless sleep would continue to escape her grasp.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Davil hadn’t come home last night after the reception, which was likely for the best, she reflected, as much as she missed him being home.\u00a0 It would have been the kind of night that she would have crept into her brother’s room and curled up in his reading chair near the window with her blanket and waited for sleep to come while listening to him breathing, feeling the ripples of his dreams through the Force.\u00a0 It was comforting, somehow, in some way. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Wind whipped loose hair against her face as she stood in San Insia, staring at the memorial, rebuilt from one that had been destroyed when they were children.<\/em> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She squeezed her eyes closed for a few long moments and exhaled quietly. ~ Erin<\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Her own dreams of the night before had been less peaceful and more nightmarish-she wasn’t quite sure whether they had been mere nightmares or Force-granted visions of the same sort that had plagued her mother for most of her life.\u00a0 I hope they’re just nightmares.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She slowly untangled the sheets that bound her, a cough rattling her ribcage as she settled again on her side, hugging an old stuffed toy against her chest.\u00a0 Lightning lanced through the sky outside her window, rain pounded against it, sparkling in the dim, catching what little light there was.\u00a0 The clouds were heavy, and even as she tentatively cast her senses into the sky, she could tell these storms wouldn’t pass anytime soon.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So much for having the breakfast outside.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Arilyn eased out of bed, flipping sweat-damp red hair out of her face.\u00a0 I need a shower before I’m even remotely fit to be seen by anyone not my family.<\/em>\u00a0 The fact that the people that would be coming over were in truth a sort of extended family was one she ignored.\u00a0 Bare feet whispered on the wooden floor as she made her way down into the hallway.\u00a0 Her mother was laughing downstairs, she could hear it, and light from below illuminated the stairs, though only slightly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Mom?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “In the kitchen!”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She padded through the living room to find both of her parents in the kitchen, her mother perched on a stool at the island and her father with his head in the refrigeration unit.\u00a0 Tilting her head to one side at the sight, her gaze flicked toward her mother, who was nursing a mug of caf with a faint smile on her face.\u00a0 “You sending him out for groceries before this thing?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “I might be.\u00a0 Tag was supposed to come give me a hand, but something came up.\u00a0 Kingston should be here in twenty minutes if the storm doesn’t delay her.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Is she going to try to bring an X-wing through this storm?”\u00a0 Mike’s voice was muffled by its depth into the fridge and the sound of him moving things around inside.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Indy rolled her eyes.\u00a0 “You have to ask?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He pulled himself out and closed the fridge.\u00a0 “Right, I forgot.\u00a0 We need eggs and more milk.\u00a0 And bacon.\u00a0 Lots of bacon.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Pick up a loaf of bread, too.”\u00a0 She grinned at him as he poured himself a cup of caf.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Do you want some, Ari?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “No thanks, Dad.”\u00a0 Arilyn watched him a moment as he filled his mug and joined her mother at the island before putting on a kettle of water to make a cup of tea.\u00a0 “…so I guess you two kissed and made up, huh?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “All week long.\u00a0 A week?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Ten days,” Indy corrected.\u00a0 She regarded her daughter with a serious gaze, one Arilyn had to fight hard not to wince under.\u00a0 Arilyn turned around, getting a bag of tea out of the canister on the counter.\u00a0 “Your brother doesn’t seem very happy about all of it, either.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Arilyn shut the canister loudly, the ceramic clanging against itself, turning quickly toward her parents.\u00a0 “You don’t blame him for it, do you, Mom?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Of course I don’t blame him for it.\u00a0 He doesn’t even blame him for it.\u00a0 That’s why I brought it up.”\u00a0 Indy glanced at Mike, then back at her daughter.\u00a0 “Do you think he’s ever going to be able to forgive him?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “I don’t know, Mom.”\u00a0 It wasn’t a hard answer to give.\u00a0 The kettle began to hiss; she took it off the burner and slowly poured the water into her mug.\u00a0 “You were his hero, Dad.\u00a0 You were his hero<\/em> and someone else laid bare every flaw you had to him, larger than life.”\u00a0 She sighed a little, leaning back against the countertop.\u00a0 “He loves you and hates you all at once, like you and Thomas, but worse.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mike stiffened.\u00a0 “I hated him.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Wife and daughter let the comment pass.\u00a0 Arilyn shook her head again.\u00a0 “It’s not going to be an easy road to forgiveness, Dad.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He licked his lips, glancing at his wife.\u00a0 “No road ever is.\u00a0 Especially not the important ones.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His daughter stared at him for a few long moments, cradling her mug of tea with both hands.<\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “He was their hero.”<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “He was your hero, too.”<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “It’s real?\u00a0 This time?”<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “You felt it.\u00a0 You know it’s real.\u00a0 So’s what you have in your hands.”<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Why me?”<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Her arms closed around him.\u00a0 “You know why, Dav.\u00a0 Deep down, you know why.”<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Ari?\u00a0 Are you all right?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She nodded quickly.\u00a0 “I’m fine, Mom.\u00a0 Just…something from a dream, that’s all.\u00a0 Want me to roll Mikey out of bed?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Let him sleep a little while longer,” Mike said quietly.\u00a0 “He got in late-you were already asleep, but I heard him come in.\u00a0 Sabacc with some boys from fleet.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It was silent in the kitchen for a few long moments, the sound of thunder rolling and rain filling the void.\u00a0 The house comm went off; Indy went to answer it, leaving her husband and daughter alone in the kitchen.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Dad?\u00a0 Do you want company going for groceries?”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He smiled faintly.\u00a0 “I’d love company, kiddo.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “I’ll go get dressed, then.”
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Indy came back into the kitchen as Arilyn headed for the stairs.\u00a0 She could hear them talking in the kitchen but couldn’t make out the words.\u00a0 Whatever was said, she realized, didn’t really matter.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Then again, a lot of things didn’t really matter anymore-only the most important things.\u00a0 She glanced over her shoulder, back toward the sound of her parent’s voices, her mother’s laughter, soon joined by her father’s.\u00a0 Something tightened in her throat as the realization struck her that she may never hear that sound again.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 With stinging eyes, she headed toward her room to get dressed and go shopping with her daddy one last time.<\/p>\nShare this:<\/h3>