"I'm sorry papa. I'm sorry." I said nothing more, clinging at his broad form.
He said nothing more, covering my slender frame.
We had both said our piece. Nothing more mattered.
The sun was nearly down when we left, stars dotting the eastern sky beyond the graveyard. I held my fathers' hand as if I were once again a small child viable to be lost in a crowded market. The streets were mostly empty.
I guided him through the streets and he followed my lead without a word. We passed into the residential district. It was quiet, most everyone back home and content. Far off we could hear the drunken din of revelers in the restaurant district. Down the street a man running late opened a door to a loud and boisterous "Welcome Home!" My sisters were nowhere to be seen.
I took him to my lodgings, taking care not to be seen by the landlord. Hatti, a figure who had never truly existed to begin with, was now no longer even a figment. I was me, not anyone else, but I had been pretending for so long that I wouldn't be recognized as I was now.
As we neared the third floor it got louder instead of quieter, voices talking quickly over each other.
"Noisy neighbors?" Father asked curtly at the top of the stairs.
"Only neighbor I had died." I said, puzzled.
"In that case," He said getting in front of me, "I'll open the door."
When the door opened all I could see was my fathers back, but I could hear just fine.
"Dad?" Junis said.
"Did you run into that girl too then?" Juliana asked.
"The lout's confirmed that the girl was Augustina." April snorted.
Father moved to the side, barely fitting into the room and leaving me no place to hid behind him. They fell silent as I was revealed and I gave a shy little wave, scanning the room.
Julianna and Marchina were sitting at the small table. May had been settled in the armchair by the fireplace. April was sitting on the small counter. Junis and Septemera seemed to be holding a surprisingly unconcerned Justin forcefully against the wall, assumedly from questioning him.
"Um," I said a little sheepishly. "Hi."
Junis relaxed just long enough for Justin to break from her hold, bounding straight at me, large grin spread across his face and eyes brightening. He scooped me up, spinning me around and planting a kiss directly on my lips. At once I melted into his embrace, momentarily forgetting my family surrounding us.
He reluctantly put me down, keeping his arm around my waste. "I'm so glad you have your face again." He said, tracing my jaw. "I would've died trying to keep the no kissing your other face rule."
Almost immediately he was pushed away anyway, my family converging on me. The part of worry that comes out angry had all been used up on Justin. Now all that was left were tears and hugs and exclamations. I could say nothing other than "I'm sorry." For nearly the whole night. Tearful, happy, "I'm sorry"'s.
"Anyway," May said when everyone had calmed down, "I guess we know he was telling the truth now."
"I still don't like him." Junis grumbled.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
Septemera laughed. "This sorcerer of yours barely survived claiming that you and he were in love when we found him out on the street earlier."
"Junis nearly struck him down right then," April said snickering, "but Marchina reminded her we still needed him for info."
"Well, however you all feel about him," I said laughing along, "I'm glad you didn't. I rather like him."
"We'll see about that." Father said, getting our attention. The entire time he had been standing silently by the door. "But for now it's late. We need to go home." He turned. "You as well, Augustina, Lout."
Justin and I glanced at each other. He smiled softly. He'd do whatever I decided. I looked around the small apartment. It seemed so full now, but once my family left it would be empty and bare. Just as it had been the entire time I had lived there.
I bowed my head, a small smile on my lips. I linked my arm with the supposed lout (Justin) and took a step forward. I could figure out the future later. Right now, I just wanted to go home.
We left as a group. First we dropped April off at her home where she was warmly welcomed by her husband who had been worrying by the door. Father managed to find a couple carriages in the restaurant district and we saw Marchina to her own estate. Then the rest of us returned to the Du Bois estate.
I returned to the room I had shared with Septemera. Nothing had been changed. I listened to Septemera's chatter as we got ready for bed and tumbled into my soft sheets. I was tired. Very tired. But it took me a small while to fall asleep.
Across from me Septemera settled down and her breathing became steady.
I was extremely comfortable. I had never been this, this, this right in all my life. I was Augustina Du Bois. And that was exactly who I was supposed to be. And at the moment, this was where I was meant to be.
But this wasn't where I was meant to stay.