A/N: Thanks to villianbabe and Scarr C for your lovely reviews. And an
extra thanks to Scarr C for pointing out that the orphanage was called 'Our
Lady of Perpetual Virginity.' I'm going to keep it named St. Catherine's
here though since I love the name Catherine ;)
XV
An Almost Normal Life
Dylan
Anthony stepped up to the front door of the Orphanage and knocked on it a few times.
The door opened and a nun stood behind it. "The Mother Superior is expecting you. Follow me please," she said.
I glanced at Anthony, surprised that they were waiting for us.
He shrugged back at me and motioned for me to go inside first.
I followed the nun through the entryway, looking around as I went. When I had come here last time with Alex and Natalie, I didn't really look around too much.
It seemed comfortable and spacious, but there was a sense of sadness here. I put that down to the fact that these kids were orphans after all.
The nun had stopped in front of a large door and she knocked on it lightly.
"Come in please," a voice from inside called.
The nun opened the door and gestured for us to go inside.
I walked inside first and nodded to the Mother Superior, who was sitting at her desk.
Anthony then walked in, and the Mother Superior's eyes seemed to soften when she saw him. "Good afternoon Anthony, Ms.?" she trailed off looking at me.
"Dylan Sanders," I said. I knew that she recognized me from when I had last come here, disguised as a nun.
"Ms. Sanders," the Mother Superior said. "Please sit down." When we had done so, she opened a desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. "I received this note early today, one of the sisters found it on the front porch." She handed the letter to me.
I looked down at the paper and read it quickly before handing it to Anthony so he could read it. This letter had said: "To the Mother Superior of the St. Catherine's Orphanage on Santa Cruz Island, Expect a visit from a red-haired woman and a mute whom you call Anthony. They are to remain there on the island until six o'clock, when another note shall be delivered to the Orphanage for them.
If they do leave the island before six, the children under your care shall be seriously, perhaps fatally harmed. J"
"Naturally I called the police on the mainland as soon as I read that," the Mother Superior said. "They thought that the note was most likely a prank by some child."
"I'm sorry to place the children in danger," Anthony signed, giving the letter back to the Mother Superior.
"What did he say?" she asked me.
"He said that he's sorry that the children are in danger because of him," I explained. "And I'm sorry to put the children in danger too."
"It's neither of your faults," the Mother Superior said. "The devil is obviously strong with this person." She shook her head and sighed. "Since you are to stay here until six, might I recommend a visit to the beach behind the house? And if you are hungry, I can have one of the sisters put together lunch for you to take down there with you."
I looked over at Anthony, and he nodded at me. "That would be nice," I said.
"Very well, I'll go and ask Sister Heather to get your lunch ready," the Mother Superior said, standing up. She paused for a moment and said, "I'm wondering Anthony, who taught you sign language?"
Anthony inclined his head towards me as we stood up from our chairs.
The Mother Superior's gaze settled on me and then she saw Anthony's necklace that I was wearing. Understanding filled her eyes and she smiled softly at me before walking out of the office.
A few minutes later, we were in the back of the house and Sister Heather was handing Anthony a basket that was covered by a napkin. "There is some soda to drink in there," she told us. "And Mother Superior let me know what sandwiches you like to eat, Anthony."
"Thanks a lot," I said. With that, we turned and walked down the hill towards the beach.
The way down was a little treacherous and rocky, and Anthony walked ahead of me.
I walked behind Anthony, looking out at the view, when he suddenly stopped and I almost ran into him. "What's wrong?" I asked.
He turned to me and gave me the basket. "There's a small drop-off here," he signed. "We'll have to jump down." He turned back around, walked up to the edge and then jumped down.
I hurried over to the edge and looked down. Anthony was looking up and was holding his hand out for the basket. I handed it down to him and I jumped down to the grassy area beneath me.
Anthony took my hand and he led me to a small tree that was growing on the edge of the grass, near the sand.
I looked around me as we sat down in the shade of the tree. "This is nice," I said. "I can see why you came here."
"When I was here, I could forget who I was," Anthony signed. He then unpacked the basket and we ate our lunch in silence.
When we had finished eating, I glanced down at my watch and sighed. "It's only one," I said. I then stood up and said to Anthony, "I'm going down there and look for seashells.
He smiled faintly and then stood, "I'll join you," he signed.
We walked down to the sand and started sifting through it, looking for shells. After doing that for a while, we walked back to the shade of the tree.
As I sat down on the grass, I felt my self starting to get drowsy from being full and the sun, which was shown down on the beach. I then leaned against Anthony's arm, resting my head on his shoulder.
He moved his arm so that it was wrapped around me.
I smiled and closed my eyes, saying, "This is nice. You know, there are times when I want to have a normal life, you know, without cases or fighting. But then I think about how bored I would probably get if my life was normal."
Anthony put his free hand over one of mine and had my fingers sign his answer. "I don't think a normal life would really agree with you," he signed. "You're a fighter and probably always will be."
I laughed at that and then I signed under his hand, "And so are you."
Anthony placed a soft kiss on my forehead.
I sighed in pleasure and wrapped my arms around his chest. In a matter of moments, the sound of the ocean, the sun and then the sound of Anthony's heart beating lulled me to sleep.
XV
An Almost Normal Life
Dylan
Anthony stepped up to the front door of the Orphanage and knocked on it a few times.
The door opened and a nun stood behind it. "The Mother Superior is expecting you. Follow me please," she said.
I glanced at Anthony, surprised that they were waiting for us.
He shrugged back at me and motioned for me to go inside first.
I followed the nun through the entryway, looking around as I went. When I had come here last time with Alex and Natalie, I didn't really look around too much.
It seemed comfortable and spacious, but there was a sense of sadness here. I put that down to the fact that these kids were orphans after all.
The nun had stopped in front of a large door and she knocked on it lightly.
"Come in please," a voice from inside called.
The nun opened the door and gestured for us to go inside.
I walked inside first and nodded to the Mother Superior, who was sitting at her desk.
Anthony then walked in, and the Mother Superior's eyes seemed to soften when she saw him. "Good afternoon Anthony, Ms.?" she trailed off looking at me.
"Dylan Sanders," I said. I knew that she recognized me from when I had last come here, disguised as a nun.
"Ms. Sanders," the Mother Superior said. "Please sit down." When we had done so, she opened a desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. "I received this note early today, one of the sisters found it on the front porch." She handed the letter to me.
I looked down at the paper and read it quickly before handing it to Anthony so he could read it. This letter had said: "To the Mother Superior of the St. Catherine's Orphanage on Santa Cruz Island, Expect a visit from a red-haired woman and a mute whom you call Anthony. They are to remain there on the island until six o'clock, when another note shall be delivered to the Orphanage for them.
If they do leave the island before six, the children under your care shall be seriously, perhaps fatally harmed. J"
"Naturally I called the police on the mainland as soon as I read that," the Mother Superior said. "They thought that the note was most likely a prank by some child."
"I'm sorry to place the children in danger," Anthony signed, giving the letter back to the Mother Superior.
"What did he say?" she asked me.
"He said that he's sorry that the children are in danger because of him," I explained. "And I'm sorry to put the children in danger too."
"It's neither of your faults," the Mother Superior said. "The devil is obviously strong with this person." She shook her head and sighed. "Since you are to stay here until six, might I recommend a visit to the beach behind the house? And if you are hungry, I can have one of the sisters put together lunch for you to take down there with you."
I looked over at Anthony, and he nodded at me. "That would be nice," I said.
"Very well, I'll go and ask Sister Heather to get your lunch ready," the Mother Superior said, standing up. She paused for a moment and said, "I'm wondering Anthony, who taught you sign language?"
Anthony inclined his head towards me as we stood up from our chairs.
The Mother Superior's gaze settled on me and then she saw Anthony's necklace that I was wearing. Understanding filled her eyes and she smiled softly at me before walking out of the office.
A few minutes later, we were in the back of the house and Sister Heather was handing Anthony a basket that was covered by a napkin. "There is some soda to drink in there," she told us. "And Mother Superior let me know what sandwiches you like to eat, Anthony."
"Thanks a lot," I said. With that, we turned and walked down the hill towards the beach.
The way down was a little treacherous and rocky, and Anthony walked ahead of me.
I walked behind Anthony, looking out at the view, when he suddenly stopped and I almost ran into him. "What's wrong?" I asked.
He turned to me and gave me the basket. "There's a small drop-off here," he signed. "We'll have to jump down." He turned back around, walked up to the edge and then jumped down.
I hurried over to the edge and looked down. Anthony was looking up and was holding his hand out for the basket. I handed it down to him and I jumped down to the grassy area beneath me.
Anthony took my hand and he led me to a small tree that was growing on the edge of the grass, near the sand.
I looked around me as we sat down in the shade of the tree. "This is nice," I said. "I can see why you came here."
"When I was here, I could forget who I was," Anthony signed. He then unpacked the basket and we ate our lunch in silence.
When we had finished eating, I glanced down at my watch and sighed. "It's only one," I said. I then stood up and said to Anthony, "I'm going down there and look for seashells.
He smiled faintly and then stood, "I'll join you," he signed.
We walked down to the sand and started sifting through it, looking for shells. After doing that for a while, we walked back to the shade of the tree.
As I sat down on the grass, I felt my self starting to get drowsy from being full and the sun, which was shown down on the beach. I then leaned against Anthony's arm, resting my head on his shoulder.
He moved his arm so that it was wrapped around me.
I smiled and closed my eyes, saying, "This is nice. You know, there are times when I want to have a normal life, you know, without cases or fighting. But then I think about how bored I would probably get if my life was normal."
Anthony put his free hand over one of mine and had my fingers sign his answer. "I don't think a normal life would really agree with you," he signed. "You're a fighter and probably always will be."
I laughed at that and then I signed under his hand, "And so are you."
Anthony placed a soft kiss on my forehead.
I sighed in pleasure and wrapped my arms around his chest. In a matter of moments, the sound of the ocean, the sun and then the sound of Anthony's heart beating lulled me to sleep.