"It's been long now, since they're together. But mom left for the weekend
and took Kate away with her. She would call it a mistake, but I don't think
it makes a difference. I went to the office with dad, saw Danny, and
Samantha. They don't need to tell me anything, I know they were together. I
know that's why dad didn't answer the phone at home. She wanted to talk. Me
being there made her uncomfortable. I wanted to tell not to worry, but I
couldn't. I just didn't find the words."
Both of them came to realize what could go through the head of a girl her age and reflected upon it. That didn't keep them from going on reading though.
"Mom took Kate and I to the doctor this morning. As usual I went first and then Kate. When I got out I went for a walk around the hospital. It wasn't long though. Next to the area of pediatrics there's the nursery and...she was there. She didn't see me but I knew. I knew she was pregnant. Things are going to change, maybe even as I wanted them to."
And another page was turned over.
"I thought about it before doing it. Finally I went to talk to her. I told her I knew she was going to keep the baby, my sister. But I didn't know what to say when she nodded. When she nodded when I told her she was leaving. Only I could do was ask if she would come back. I made up my mind already, sooner or later I'm GOING to meet my sister. So I'm planning to visit. Wherever she's going, I'll find the way to go myself."
"I told dad I didn't want to see him sad, because she was leaving. He didn't know how to react, what to say. Reasonable. That was yesterday. Today I convinced mom to let me and Kate not go to school. As I predicted, dad came early. He took us for a great breakfast. She's gone. And dad is sad. And there's nothing I can do about it. And I can't tell him about the baby, it's again, a decision I don't get to take myself. She didn't tell him for a reason. There must be a reason, there always is."
"The stuff from the divorce is finished. Dad is already moving out. I'm trying to disguise my happiness. Kate is not doing too good. She doesn't understand why this has to happen, but it's simple. It was not meant to last long. I shouldn't be the one to tell her that, but I am. But I don't know what to tell her anymore. I can't tell her the truth. I can't tell her about dad and Sam, even less about the baby. She wouldn't understand a thing. It shouldn't be me the one to tell her any of that. I'm not going to be the one."
And Jack's heart kept breaking.
"I went to visit her in Washington. I met Caia, finally! She looks like me, like dad. All she has hers are the beautiful, big, brown eyes. She's bold, for now at least let's hope so. For the occasion I became 'Helena'. Her boss visited too, and what if he knew dad? He might have heard about me. It was fun, he bit it. Robert Kasser."
"It's been a while since last time I wrote. After three years she's coming back. Now dad is going to be okay. I feel it. How Kate is going to take it, I don't know. It depends on her mood. Maybe it would be easy if no-one told her anything at all and she just saw things by herself. She'd kill me if she finds out I've known all along. She'll be here tomorrow, for lunch. I have to give him her letter. Things will do fine. I'm really happy."
They sat, silently, simply staring at those words, at those thoughts. They were OK. No more secrets to hide from anybody. No more lies to make up. No need at all. On the other hand, almost. Investigations are never over. Keeping certain secrecy wasn't that bad after all.
* * *
Van Doren went into a medium-sized classroom followed by Samantha. It was a luminous white room. There was a man, tall, brown haired, dark eyes, dressed in a beige suit, standing behind a cheep wooden desk placed by a window. He talked loudly to the young people in front of him, to the new generation of agents. There must have been around 80 students, she made a close guess. When he noticed both women going in he looked at them and stopped talking.
Just before that, Paula had told her that he was temporary. That there had been several teachers but there had been complaints. The group was difficult. They made a lot of personal questions, unlikely to be able to avoid, and not many professionals liked that. They had found it hard to adjust and didn't last a month.
So when he stopped talking and everyone was in complete silence, one could almost hear Sam's heart beating strongly, nervously, impatiently. Her heartbeats had become strong the night before, after reading Hannah's world of ideas, but now...now it was much stronger than anybody could imagine. **
Both of them came to realize what could go through the head of a girl her age and reflected upon it. That didn't keep them from going on reading though.
"Mom took Kate and I to the doctor this morning. As usual I went first and then Kate. When I got out I went for a walk around the hospital. It wasn't long though. Next to the area of pediatrics there's the nursery and...she was there. She didn't see me but I knew. I knew she was pregnant. Things are going to change, maybe even as I wanted them to."
And another page was turned over.
"I thought about it before doing it. Finally I went to talk to her. I told her I knew she was going to keep the baby, my sister. But I didn't know what to say when she nodded. When she nodded when I told her she was leaving. Only I could do was ask if she would come back. I made up my mind already, sooner or later I'm GOING to meet my sister. So I'm planning to visit. Wherever she's going, I'll find the way to go myself."
"I told dad I didn't want to see him sad, because she was leaving. He didn't know how to react, what to say. Reasonable. That was yesterday. Today I convinced mom to let me and Kate not go to school. As I predicted, dad came early. He took us for a great breakfast. She's gone. And dad is sad. And there's nothing I can do about it. And I can't tell him about the baby, it's again, a decision I don't get to take myself. She didn't tell him for a reason. There must be a reason, there always is."
"The stuff from the divorce is finished. Dad is already moving out. I'm trying to disguise my happiness. Kate is not doing too good. She doesn't understand why this has to happen, but it's simple. It was not meant to last long. I shouldn't be the one to tell her that, but I am. But I don't know what to tell her anymore. I can't tell her the truth. I can't tell her about dad and Sam, even less about the baby. She wouldn't understand a thing. It shouldn't be me the one to tell her any of that. I'm not going to be the one."
And Jack's heart kept breaking.
"I went to visit her in Washington. I met Caia, finally! She looks like me, like dad. All she has hers are the beautiful, big, brown eyes. She's bold, for now at least let's hope so. For the occasion I became 'Helena'. Her boss visited too, and what if he knew dad? He might have heard about me. It was fun, he bit it. Robert Kasser."
"It's been a while since last time I wrote. After three years she's coming back. Now dad is going to be okay. I feel it. How Kate is going to take it, I don't know. It depends on her mood. Maybe it would be easy if no-one told her anything at all and she just saw things by herself. She'd kill me if she finds out I've known all along. She'll be here tomorrow, for lunch. I have to give him her letter. Things will do fine. I'm really happy."
They sat, silently, simply staring at those words, at those thoughts. They were OK. No more secrets to hide from anybody. No more lies to make up. No need at all. On the other hand, almost. Investigations are never over. Keeping certain secrecy wasn't that bad after all.
* * *
Van Doren went into a medium-sized classroom followed by Samantha. It was a luminous white room. There was a man, tall, brown haired, dark eyes, dressed in a beige suit, standing behind a cheep wooden desk placed by a window. He talked loudly to the young people in front of him, to the new generation of agents. There must have been around 80 students, she made a close guess. When he noticed both women going in he looked at them and stopped talking.
Just before that, Paula had told her that he was temporary. That there had been several teachers but there had been complaints. The group was difficult. They made a lot of personal questions, unlikely to be able to avoid, and not many professionals liked that. They had found it hard to adjust and didn't last a month.
So when he stopped talking and everyone was in complete silence, one could almost hear Sam's heart beating strongly, nervously, impatiently. Her heartbeats had become strong the night before, after reading Hannah's world of ideas, but now...now it was much stronger than anybody could imagine. **
