Re-Hello,

Here is part II, I hope that it will please you. I am afraid there will be a third, but it will be more like an epilogue ^^

Have a nice reading!

Part II

Faith was sitting in the veranda, her little girl in her arms. Jem wasn't home, yet. Another little girl had accidentally burnt herself with hot water, while trying to make some tea, and they had call him to be sure. He would be home any minute, now. The young woman looked up at the sea, which was quiet this evening. Usually, she would have take the opportunity of this peacefulness to take a walk, but she couldn't go alone, and the little girl was still a bit young to go out, even if the evening was really beautiful. She was thinking about it when she heard some noise, coming from the kitchen.

Jem had asked Una to stay with them, as Faith had a difficult delivery. Faith knew it wouldn't be a good idea, knowing that her sister would do anything for everyone without thinking of herself first. But Jem had insisted, and told her that with the stitches, she wouldn't be able to do some things alone, as she painfully discovered it when she first tried to get up in order to prove him wrong. So Una had accepted, and Faith mumble in resignation.

"Una, what are you up to?" She asked, making her way to the kitchen after having put her daughter to bed.

"Oh, nothing, don't worry, I was just finishing to clear everything up" Una answered, welcoming her with a smile.

"Of course she is. She would gave her life if that could help to build peace" Faith thought, biting her lips, sign that she was concerned about one of her siblings. "You are not here to do everything in the house, Una, I won't allow it. Besides, there is something I want to talk with you" She added, aloud this time.

They came back under the porch, where they sat. Una was waiting her sister to talk, but Faith simply didn't know how to begin. She wanted so desperately to help her sister. The last few days, she had accumulated some "proofs" that something was wrong with Una, however hard her sister had tried to hide it. But you can't hide your pain indefinitely, and certainly not when Faith was around. They were sisters. They had share everything sisters could share, good and bad memories, hard and joyful times. Faith knew that something was wrong, but she also knew that Una wouldn't let her get close to her. She wasn't proud, but she still would make a point in never letting her pain be seen, nor heard. But this couldn't continue. It was time that someone see and hear what Una was living.

"You wanted to tell me something?" Una asked, curious about what was in her sister's mind.

"Yes, but I don't want to ... I don't want to hurt your feelings, and I don't really know how to tell you this" Faith answered, as helplessly franc as she could be.

"Hurt my ... But Faith, you won't, whatever is in your mind now," Una smiled, more and more confused by her sister's attitude. Jem had told her that Faith could be "a little out of herself", but this was rather surprising. Faith usually never asked herself twice before speaking her mind, so why would she now, especially with her?

While Una was trying tu understand what was going on in Faith's mind, the young woman was trying to reason with herself, to find the best way to talk to her sister. She thanked her good star when Una remarked, surely in an attempt to change the subject : "Carl should have been there, look, is that a great blue heron?". Without smiling at her sister's grin, who had concentrated on repeating correctly the bird's name that Carl had once shown her, Faith used this as an introduction.

"Don't you envy him?" She asked, scanning her sister's reaction.

"What?" Una cried, now beginning to worry about her sister's health and mind.

"I mean, don't you wish you could go wherever you like, see the world ...?" Faith was mentally beating up herself for her terrible attempt.

"I don't know, I never thought about it. Are you?" Una asked, beginning to think that maybe motherhood was harder to her sister than she ever thougt.

"No, not me, I'm a mother, and a respectable one, thank you very much" Faith replied, feigning indignation before bursting of laughter. "Una, I was asking about you, don't you want to travel a bit?"

"If you are trying to ask me to leave, Faith, you can do it without being afraid of my reaction, you know" Una said, astonished.

"Dear Lord, I am terrible at this," Faith mentally thought. "No, sweatheart, I don't want you to leave, but I feel that it is not right to have you here when you could live a better life on your own, without having to bear me and my mess," she added, smiling in an encouraging way.

"It's not a problem, I want to help," Una was smiling again, her face a bit brighter, as she a bit reassured.

"Helping won't always fill the gaps, Una."

As soon as she said that, Faith regretted it, and waited anxiously for her sister's reaction. Una froze, at first. Then, looking down, she said : "I don't know what you're talking about, what ..."

"I think you do, Una" Faith cut her, getting closer to her and pressing her sister's hand in hers. "I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to ..."

"Since how long do you know?"

This time, it was Una's turn to cut her sister. She had raised her head, and her eyes were fixed on her sister's. Faith was a bit surprised to hear her changing her tone so fast. But she was glad that her sister finally trusted her to tell her about it.

"Since you came back home with his last letter," Faith couldn't help but remember that night. Her sister had barely eat something, and right after they went upstairs, Una had disappear under her blankets. Lying down, Faith had heard her sister's cry, but Una, feeling that she was heard, had tried to stifle her pain. On the morning, nothing could have tell what she had endured. And it had lasted months.

"I see."

"Una, I'm sorry if I brought back bad memories, I'm just so worried about you," whispered Faith, still pressing her sister's hand.

Una nodded silently. She was looking at an invisible point, and Faith was sure that whatever it was, Una couldn't even see it. tears were beginning to fill her sister's eyes. Faith waited patiently. She kew that it was the only way to reach Una, in those moments. They waited silently, while the sky was turning darker as the sun was disappearing. Only the sound of the clock, coming from the kitchen, was audible. Then, suddenly, Una looked up to her sister, before whispering : "I'll be fine, I promise. It's like you when Jem was missing."

Faith bite her lips just in time. "But Jem came back, and you know Walter won't" never crossed the border of the thoughts. Instead, she said, more kindly "But it was different, the was was going on. You don't have to live in the shadow of the ghosts, Una."

"I promised."

A tear fell on Faith's hand as Una was confessing this, and soon, Una was crying on her sister's shoulder. All this pain she had never tell, all the darkness she had been living through for all these years, it was all coming back to her, hitting her violently, like one of those storms which are so strong that even the more reassured begin to feel in danger. Faith hugged her sister tightly, glad that Una was finally sharing her burden. When she saw that she was a bit calmer, ten minutes after, she asked, gently : "What kind of promise, honey?"

Una got up, trying to erase the tears that were still running on her face. She turned to her sister : "I know you''l think it is silly, and I know that nobody will understand, but ... I can't ... I can't love anyone else ... I can't, Faith, and I won't ... Never", she added, whispering, afraid of the emotions that were overwhelming her.

"Oh, Una ...," Faith's voice cracked. "Una, sweety, I am not telling you to go and find someone else, that's not what I meant. But you can't carry on like this. You are not living, Una. You are slowly drowning in you own pain, and I am so sorry I never saw that earlier, because I should have protected you, helped you" The young woman felt some tears beginning to fill her own eyes, but did not pay attention to them. "Walter is dead, and you can't bring him back, and I can only imagine what it must feel, but Una, you can't bury yourself alive!"

"I am so scared, Faith" Una whispered, not able to control her voice anymore. "I'm afraid that if I let go of him, I'll lose myself. It doesn't even make sens, and I am so sorry I can't be as you want ..."

Faith sighed, hearing her sister's last words. She knew how deeply engaged Una was for other. How deeply she cared. How deeply she would drown if it could save one inhabitant of Glen St. Mary. But these words made her see something more serious. For all these years, Una had endured her pain without even showing it. For all these years, she had shut herself up, only living through others by helping them in every way. Everyone in the Glen knew her, and wouldn't hesitate to call her if they needed help. But in the meantime, nobody, not even Faith herself, had asked if they could do something in return. She had been struggling alone, in dark places, bravely continuing her life as if nothing had changed. But it had. Everything had. And nobody had see that Una herself was beginning to be like a ghost.

"It's normal to be afraid, Una. And you are entitled to feel as you feel. Even if you never kissed, or do this sort of things, you loved him, and love can't be washed away like that. And you don't have to give up on him, if you don't want to, but you don't owe him the mourn nor the despair you are enduring now, I am sure that he would never had inflicted you this. Maybe it is time that you released his hand, so he'll rest peacefully, and you'll be able to live, maybe not the same way that before, but everything will fall into place, some time. We both know it won't be easy, but I'll be there, I promise" She said, firmly pressing her sister against her.

For the Guest: Tahnk you for your kind review! I hope that this part will please you too :)

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Until the next update, I wish you all the best!