“I’m trying to be strong and brave. This is just not me.”
My fingers wiped the tears that were streaming down her face then slid underneath her jaw, lifting her head to look at me.
“This is you now. You have no other choice, goddess. You are ready, and you can be anything you need to be. Including a guardian to your little sister. The fact that you even went there to go see her and brought her here shows how brave and strong you are. You could have ignored the calls, and she would have been put in foster care. It’s cold, but you could have. Instead you brought her home. You’ve done the hard part. One heartbeat at a time, that’s it.”
Her head nodded, and I hoped the words were penetrating her ever-complicated thoughts.
“Did anything happen while I was away?” she asked, clearly wanting to change the subject. I told her about working with Draco to fix the water but only making it worse. The video that she’d gotten of the building had been broadcasted, and now the pressure was on Terratrex. They’d destroyed the building so no signs could point back to them, but the video showed the other side—the truth. No one was in prison, but at least they were under fire for poisoning the water.
“Anyone got any ideas on how to fix it before it hits the currents?”
I shook my head no, wishing I had a different answer to give her. Not only was she dealing with this big change in her life, but she also had a duty to the Society.
“I started getting an upper respiratory infection before I left. Esme checked me out and told me it was most likely caused by the algae, because when it dies near the shore, it breaks apart into the sea mist and air. As soon as I was away from it, the coughing stopped, and I started getting better.”
Now that she was back, she would probably get sick again. There were already four elderly patients that were in the hospital with pneumonia, all of whom had started out with this odd respiratory infection.
Things were not looking good at all, and we’d yet to find a solution.
“What do you want, Gwendolyn?” I whispered, wanting to hear her goals, her dreams.
“I want everything to be all right.”
“I know that, but what are your dreams? Your desires for your life?” Hopefully some of them were things I could actually control and do for her.
“I want to have my cozy robots available all over the world to those who need them. I want to get a tattoo before I die. I want to get married someday, and I don’t know how I feel about kids. I’m freaking out about having a pre-teen. The thought of a baby makes me wanna pass out.” I couldn’t help me chuckle at her statement. Pre-teens were harder than babies, in my book. Babies slept, ate, shit, and slept some more. Pre-teens had a working mouth, and an attitude to go with it.
“What else?” I wanted to know everything, and the more she talked, the more her body relaxed.
“I’ve always wanted to fly, maybe I should create myself some wings, help at least one person survive a life-threatening condition, and be part of a family. Which I’m starting to feel like I am, with the Hero Society. And you. You make me feel like I’m home, like I’ve found that place where I fit in and am loved for just being me.”
If there wasn’t a young kid in the room next door, I would show Gwendolyn exactly how perfect she was as herself, and how much she fit with me.
“I like your wants.” I settled into the couch and held my woman in the safety net of my arms while we both drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Gwendolyn
I was in charge of another person’s life.
Someone who didn’t know I even existed until just a few days ago.
When the social worker asked me if I wanted to become her guardian, I just didn’t even need to think about it. She was alone, like I was, but we could have each other.
Our parents didn’t have a will, or anything set up in case they died together. But the records showed they had two children, and one was over eighteen.
There was already so much on my plate, and now I had a sister who was living with me.
I’d woken up in Arthur’s arms and decided to make a list of things I wanted to do for the day. Some structure in my life made me feel like I was in control, even though I knew that was mostly an illusion. He kissed my head and offered to get up and help me make breakfast, but I told him to go back to sleep. He truly seemed exhausted. After everything he said was happening, the more I felt the need to stabilize my life.
It was quiet in my room, so Emily was probably still sleeping, but I cracked the door open to check on her.
She was up and reading one of my books about nephrology. Maybe she wanted to get some in-depth knowledge on kidneys.
Her head popped up to see me, and she set the book down, cool as a cucumber. Emily had been holding things together very well for a ten-year-old. I expected tears and outburst of emotions from someone who had just lost her parents and was now living with a stranger.
“Um. Do you need anything? I just wanted to check on you.” I was so out of my element, but I was trying.
She shook her head.
“Okay. I was gonna work on clearing out my office, so you could have a room. I know my room is pretty basic. No colors. But we can decorate your room however you’d like. We can look through pictures on the computer today too, if you want.”
I was nervous and rambling, something I should probably work on, but I couldn’t help it right now.
“I’d like that.”
The room fell silent, and I was about to walk away when she spoke up, stopping me.
“Can we talk?”
My whole body sagged as she uttered those words. I wanted to talk. I wanted so much to talk with her, but I didn’t know how to start it or what I should or shouldn’t say. The situation was driving me insane. I nodded and closed the door behind me.
I sat on my bed next to her and tried to look calm on the outside, like the adult in the room.
“What do you wanna talk about?”
She shrugged, but that didn’t seem like an appropriate response for someone who verbalized she wanted to talk to me. I guess I would need to start, then, and hopefully not mess it up.
“I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been meaning to try to contact you for a while now, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I mean, I’m sorry about Mom and Dad, and that you had to leave Florida and your school. I bet you had a lot of friends, and now you’re here. But like I said, I’m glad you’re here.”
Everything just rushed out. The more I thought about it, the guiltier I felt about moving her here. She probably had a good life in Florida, and I took her away from it. While I didn’t want to move there, I would if that’s what she needed.
“I didn’t like Florida anyways. It’s always hot, and being so pale, I would get sunburned all the time.”
So mature for a little girl. I felt her pain, though. I was only there for a few days, and I thought I was going to melt. SPF 50 had been my best friend during my stay.
“Maybe we can invite some of your friends from there to visit. I’ll pay for it.”
Money was not an issue for me, fortunately. I had so much from work, and I had no life, so most of it went right in the bank and sat there. Her fingers started playing with the strands of her white hair nervously. It was like what I was doing with the screw in my pocket currently. Both of us were fidgeters. I found that observation comforting, seeing something from me in her besides looks.