Again, sorry about the delay, but we lost power in the hurricane and such, lol. But we're fine now. I hope you're not too mad. :) Anyway, I hope ya'll are still around; can't wait to hear from you! Have a good day.

Chapter 10

Vala felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced at Daniel, barely. "Are you okay?" he asked. She had to remember that he knew how she felt, no matter how much she didn't want it to be true.

"I'm fine," she insisted again. She turned away to swipe at her eyes, but she knew she wasn't fooling anyone. Pain ribboned through her bruised midsection and made her lay flat again. Daniel's hand had never left, and she swallowed. "Really, Daniel….it was a long time ago."

She really looked at him when she was sure she had herself composed, and his eyes were moist. But he didn't have to say anything else about how she was, or about what she'd told him. They had known each other long enough that it wasn't necessary.

"Uhm…I think you're awake enough for now…if you want to take a break," he told her gently. "Or I can talk for a while."

Vala hadn't liked this at all at first; she'd only agreed because she figured he deserved some truth after all of the lies over the very few years since they'd met--and she hadn't really wanted to die. But now…well, maybe it was helping, though she would only admit to a little bit. But of course not out loud.

"No…it's all right. I'll keep going," she said after a long moment.

"Are you sure?"

"Will you stop questioning me?"

Daniel winced. "Sorry."

"Don't be; you're just being you," she assured him. He looked at her for a moment, and seemed to conclude that maybe that was a compliment. Good, because it was. She knew that he knew that she wasn't the type who was able to really tell him how much she appreciated what he did, and how he was. Sometimes she wondered if he knew she knew, but by then it was already getting too confusing to think about much more.

There was a comfortable silence for a moment or so--something that wouldn't have happened even a year ago.

"So how long did it take for Jacek to come back?" Daniel asked eventually.

"Oh…not long, actually. But the whole time, part of me wondered if he would."

I was all but despondent for a couple of days. I didn't know what to do with myself. While there, helping to care for Mother, I'd also been helping with the chores around the temple, insisting I had to earn my keep since I wasn't sick too. I stopped doing them. Of course Mother had insisted that I still go to school with Evan, since she was being cared for. I'd gone, but I hadn't been able to focus anymore. After she was gone I had no reason to go. I had no reason to do anything.

Vala sat curled in a window seat, looking down at the village. The temple was high enough that she could even just barely see her cottage from here. She didn't know when she had last moved from this spot, or when she had eaten. She didn't know the last time Evan or one of the Sisters had attempted to coax her to do one or the other. She wasn't even sure she'd said anything to anyone since Mother had gone.

She was getting tired of sitting here doing nothing, but she didn't know what else she was supposed to do. She knew Mother had told her to keep living her life…but she didn't feel like it yet.

Someone sat down next to her. When strong, warm arms wrapped around her shoulders from the side she knew it was Evan. Her eyes closed and she let her head drop on his shoulder.

"How are you doing?" he asked gently.

Vala shrugged. "I don't know," she mumbled.

"You shouldn't just sit here."

"I know…"

"Then why don't you come with me and get something to eat?"

She was silent for a long minute. "What's it like being sixteen?" she asked. "If I were older would it not hurt so much?"

Evan sighed. "I don't think that would change anything. She's gone, and you're going to miss her. I barely even remember my mother, but I still miss her. I'm sorry, I know that doesn't help."

"It's okay," she said quietly. "Thank you anyway. But…what's going to happen to me? Who is going to take care of me?"

"You still have a father," he reminded her. "He'll be back soon." Of course, he couldn't know that, but it helped to hear it anyway.

"But even when he comes back, he can't stay to take care of me. He has his…his work, whatever exactly it is," she said, making a face. "He isn't here much. You know that. So where will I live then?"

He smiled in an attempt to cheer her up a little. "Well, you will always be welcome here. That comes straight from my father, too. And me. Don't worry so much. You will always have a place in this village. I'll see to it myself."

Vala managed a small half-smile. "Thank you."

Even hugged her tightly for a moment. "Now come on. It's almost time for supper." She let him tug her off the bench by the hand, and pull her down the corridor.

"All right…what are we having?"

I did still worry, though. Part of me even wondered if Jacek even wanted me at all. To this day I don't really know. I've never been able to figure him out. He came back a few days later--like I said, not really that long. I was just starting to feel a little better then. I hadn't gone back to school yet, and Evan had stayed at the temple with me. We'd begun doing the chores together again. I found that it helped.

I wasn't expecting anything new that day. Evan was running an errand, and I was washing the front windows from inside, in an alcove near the front doors of the temple. I could see the door, but it was hard to see me.

The bell rang, and one of the Sisters came to answer it, smiling as always when welcoming visitors. The smile disappeared immediately when the well-dressed man at the door asked where his daughter Vala was. Now, I know nuns aren't supposed to think badly of people and all of that, but I'm sure that woman wasn't thinking good thoughts about Jacek at that moment.

Vala peeked out just a little--enough to really look at her father. Jacek was just inside the door, and it was first time she thought she'd actually seen him upset. Did he already know?

"She is here," the Sister confirmed.

"Daddy!" Vala ran from the alcove, around the Sister and wrapped her arms around Jacek's waist.

"There you are," he sighed, and the Sister closed the door behind them and left them as he bent down to hug her. "I bumped into that Evan boy in the village, and I heard what happened and that you were here…I'm so sorry, Vala…"

She buried her face in his chest. "Why weren't you here, Dad?" she demanded weakly. "Why?"

"I-I was trying make money, sweetheart, so I could bring it here for your mother, so she could get better. I didn't think--" He broke off there. He had no more excuses.