Emmy let her hand linger on the doorknob before it slid off, her fingers tracing the brass sphere. The door clicked shut, leaving Emmy to stare out into the porch and the rest of the town.
Her eyes drifted to Luke. The enthusiastic boy was watering dandelions, completely unaware of the fact that because he let the water flow in such large amounts, he was causing damage to the seed heads instead of helping them grow. Emmy stood, silently watching Luke spin around happily as two dogs circled his legs.
She started to wonder if it really was best that she left without Luke knowing she wouldn't ever come back.
Luke felt a shadow loom over him. Turning around, his eyes immediately recognized the signature yellow trench coat. Emmy would certainly blend in with a sea of dandelions, he surmised.
A hand stuck out to block the water flow of the watering can. Ignoring Emmy like a child unhappy with their sibling, Luke moved away from the woman to water another patch of flowers. Emmy pursued, this time cupping her hands to catch the water.
"Luke," Emmy called, "Catch."
Before the boy could respond, Emmy swung the handful of water towards his face. Luke cried out, jerking his head and jumping away from Emmy. Seething, Luke held up the pail and pointed it towards Emmy like a gun.
"I've got a can full of water and I'm not afraid to use it!" Luke threatened. Emmy held up her hands in mock defeat, comically backing away.
"Sorry, sorry, bud. It's all simple fun, just between the first and second assistant." Emmy replied. A little package of guilt seemed to arrive with the delivery of her last few words.
Luke pouted, his face scrunching up angrily. He turned away, crossing his arms. Just as Emmy was about to put a hand on his shoulder, Luke spun back around, splashing the woman with a substantial amount of water. Emmy gasped loudly in return, pointing an accusing finger at Luke.
"Oh, you don't know what you're getting yourself into!"
Drenched and dripping, the assistant and apprentice sat next to each other in a blooming garden of dandelions, the latter laying his head on the former's arm. The sun shed a tangerine light on the assistant's yellow trench coat, turning it into a beautiful shade of orange.
"Luke?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you forgive me?"
"For what?"
"For… you know, what happened in the Azran sanctuary…"
"Oh."
It wasn't a concrete answer. It wasn't a yes or no. Emmy knew she had brought up something Luke would've preferred to forget, and he might've if it wasn't for her reminding him of it.
Luke averted his eyes to the concrete. "I… suppose."
"I'm sorry," Emmy lamely said. She felt Luke shuffle and his weight leave her shoulder. The boy stood up, dusting off his drenched pants.
"It's okay, really." Luke spun around to meet Emmy's eyes. He had a smile on his face, and his hands were spread out. "I forgive you."
A moment of silence passed through the two. Then, as if satisfied with Luke's answer, Emmy smiled and nodded, pushing herself off the ground and onto her feet. She ran a hand through her wet hair, smoothing the curls. Without saying anything else, the ex-assistant walked to her motorbike, knowing fully well that Luke was following her.
For the last time, Emmy spun around and crouched down to hug Luke. Neither of them minded the fact that they were still both drenched. The ex-assistant closed her eyes, feeling Luke rest his chin on her shoulder. Not one word was uttered, but they understood each other. I'll miss you.
In the light of a beautiful sunset, Emmy seemed a goddess to Luke. The woman in the yellow trench coat sped away on her motorbike, unseen tears dripping down her cheeks. She drove towards the horizon, distancing herself away from the garden of dandelions until she became a dot and disappeared into the sun.