With the Dawn: Elysia Hughes Elysia's POV

"Riza?? Riza, are you in there?!"

Mummy's scared. I can see it in her face and in her voice. I'm scared too. I want to see Aunty Riza!!

"Riza??"

Mummy's pulled out the key she has for Aunty Riza's house. Her hand is jiggling and I have to take the key and do it for her. I know how. It was the same after Daddy went away.

She stumbles into the room. Clumsy Mummy. I hold my hand out to help her but she doesn't see it. She jus' keeps walking in.

Clumsy Mummy. She almost knocked that over…

"Elysia-chan, will you help me look for your Aunt Riza?" she asks eventually.

"She might be sleeping?" I said helpfully and she nodded.

"I'll check her bedroom."

Mummy left, still looking kinda confused and not concentrating and I went to look around. I was scared but I didn't want Mummy to worry.

I looked in every room I could think but no Aunty Riza. I passed Mummy once and she was shaking like she was really, really scared… But Aunty Riza is safe here, right? Nobody can hurt her in her own house.

"Elysia-chan, please check the bathroom… I'm going to call Riza's grandparents, and then Maria. Maybe they've seen her."

I rush off to check the only room we haven't looked in yet and breath out a sigh of relief. There she is. That's why she can't hear us. She's fallen asleep in the bathtub.

Smiling.

And her bubblebath is all pink! Though I guess the bubbles are gone. I put my hand in and the water is cold- she's been in here too long and her skin has gotten all pruned up too. The flowers are pretty, though…

There's a note on the counter so I take it to Mummy without reading it. I can't read Aunty Riza's writing anyway.

Mummy reads the letter with a straight face at first but at the end she is crying. She asks me if I've read it and I crawl into her lap on the couch, saying that I didn't. She just hugs me sadly.

Sadly…

…But Aunty Riza was smiling, right?

"Mummy, she's okay. Don't cry," I say softly, reaching up and stroking her hair like she does to me when I have a nightmare. "She's in the bathtub, sleeping. Just fine, I promise!!"

She doesn't answer because she's crying too hard.

"Mummy!" I beg. "Mummy, don't cry!! I'll wake her up for you if you want. Just don't cry!!"

Mummy grabs my arm as I go to leave and it hurts. Her hand is so tight on my arm!!

"Mummy!!" I cry.

Yeah, I'm crying too now. Something's wrong. I really want to go and get Aunty Riza for Mummy. She can make us tea and biscuits like always. Aunty Riza has lots of tea in her cupboard. Maybe if I could reach…

"Elysia-chan, don't go in there again," she says and I climb back into her lap and look up at her.

"Mummy?" I ask.

Mummy lets go of my arm and shakes her head. "I'm going to make another call okay, Elysia-chan. Stay in here- I'll be in your Aunty Riza's room."

She left then and I sat on the couch by myself but it was lonely and I was scared. Mummy knew that Aunty Riza was okay but she was still so sad… I couldn't read the letter so I decided to go back to see her and ask.

"Aunty Riza?" I said, knocking on the door, but she was still sleeping so I just went in… even though Mummy told me not to. "Aunty Riza?" I said again. I could hear the sacredness in my voice. Why wasn't anybody telling me anything? "Aunt-"

"Oh, Elysia-chan!!"

Aunty Maria, Uncle Denny and Mummy were at the door. I was scared that Mummy would be mad but she just looked upset. I don't know which was worse…

"I'll take Elysia-chan away so you can set things into order," she said softly. "The General and his wife will be here soon.

"Mummy, are you mad at Aunty Riza for sleeping through Uncle Roy's funeral?" I asked worriedly. "She was sad. She didn't mean to-!"

"I know, darling," Mummy said, bending down to look at me properly for the first time.

"Mummy?" I said.

"I'm not mad at Aunty Riza, I promise." Mummy turned my hand over in hers and tickled the palm absently. "She was just… too in love with him."

I didn't know what she meant but I was glad that Mummy wasn't mad. Aunty Riza would be all right and Mummy would be all right and everything would be okay.

Everything would be okay…

It couldn't rain forever.