"This is for friends and family only," a young man explained as he came over to her.
"I am… I know Dawson from L.A," she explained as he stood there watching her. "You are?"
"Jack," a friend of the family. "You don't sound like you are from L.A.," he continued to interrogate. "Where are you really from?"
"Manderly, England, I meet Dawson this summer while I was visiting my brother." She saw the two people leaving Dawson alone, excusing herself she headed over to him.
She passed the couple as she headed to him. "Are you going to talk to him?" Joey asked her as she was passing them.
"Yes, I am."
"Well good luck, he isn't in a very talkative mood," she replied a bit bitterly as Pacey ushered her away.
"Hello, Dawson," she said to his back. When he didn't turn around she continued. I came as soon as I got your message. I was late because I had to stop somewhere to shower and sleep." She stepped closer to him, "look, I am not going to force you to talk to me. I wanted you to know I am here if you want me." She waited a few more seconds. "I am at the B and B if you need…I'll leave you alone." With that she slowly turned around.
"How do you take care of the guilt?" he asked as she began to walk away.
She turned around to see him still facing the water. "Robert told me that you have to face it down so you can deal with it." She looked at his back a few more seconds trying to figure out what was going on in his head.
She took a half step closer to him, when he turned around. She knew right away that he hadn't slept in days. Somewhere in the back of her mind a feeling of guilt arose for stopping for that shower. Dawson oblivious to the thoughts in her head gathered her into his arms.
He held her like that for a long time, breathing in the vanilla scent of her hair. "I knew you would come," he managed to get out before unleashing his grief.
They both sank down to the wood as he cried, unable to stay on his feet. Faylinn did not say anything only pulled him farther into her arms and let him cry, tears falling down her face as well. A while later Dawson forced himself to stop crying, "I have to check on my mom. Come with me," he offered holding out his hand. He helped her to her feet leading her into the house.
"Mom," he called into the house as he heard Lilly crying from her room.
"I'll go get Lilly you find you mom," Faylinn told him as she began to follow the cries.
Dawson checked the rooms till he found his mom. She was asleep in the bed clutching a picture of the family, tissues scattered around her. Dawson cleared up the tissues and lightly covered his mom. He looked around the room and saw it littered with remnants of his father scattered on the floor. Taking second look at his mother he saw her wearing his father's shirt.
Walking down the hall he went into Lilly's room.
He was greeted by the sight of Faylinn holding her in her arms softly singing
to her. He stood outside the door listening to her, trying to recognize
the soothing words she sang. He must have made some sound that startled
her.
"Dawson, is that you?" she asked stopping the song.
He stepped into the room and motioned her to put Lilly back in the crib. Stepping out of the room he waited. "What were you singing?" he asked as she stepped out of the room.
"Just a song I made up. Did you like it?"
"I never heard you sing before it was beautiful."
"Show me where the kitchen is, I'll make you dinner." She waited for him to move before following after him.
"So what should the menu be, we have a bit of everything?" Faylinn asked peering into the fully stocked fridge.
"I don't care, whatever looks good," he replied looking at his father's camera sitting on the table. "I see him you know. Clear as day sitting in my room or standing on the dock. I can hear him to talking to me as if he was still here. Am I crazy?"
"No, you are not crazy. I can still hear my father sometimes, telling me to follow my heart. The ones we love are always with us, Dawson." As she talked she continued to make dinner. "Here," placing a plate in from of him she sat down at the table.
They both ate in silence, Dawson enjoying the comfort Faylinn offered with her presence.
"Dawson, who is this?" Gail interrupted as they washed the dished.
"Mom, this is Faylinn, I meet her over the summer in LA, she just got here a few hours ago."
"I made you a plate if you are hungry," Faylinn told her as she sat down.
"Thank you Faylinn, what were you doing in LA going to school?"
"No I wasn't going to school, my brother works out
there and I was visiting him, before school started."
Gail took the plate from the oven and sat down at the table. "Do you
like school?"
"I haven't started yet, I was in England. There was a family emergency and I had to go back there. I just got back here two days ago."
"I forgot all about that, how is Winston?" Dawson asked.
"He's fine, the cast will be off soon, and he can't wait to get back on a horse. He is probably driving Uncle Maz crazy by now."
Gail had followed the conversation with only a hint of interest. "So when are you heading back to LA?"
Faylinn looked confused for a moment before answering the question, "maybe over Christmas break I go to school in Boston."
Gail dropped the plate into the sink and turned to study Faylinn again. "Boston, did you say?"
"Yep, Boston."
Gail looked as if she wanted to say something else,
but Lilly's crying interrupted her. She left the room glancing briefly
at Dawson.