Chapter 6: Turning Tides
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Kairi jumped when she heard his voice. Her eyes widened. ~Sora? It can't be...~ She slowly turned her head in his direction to see him staring up at her curiously.
Sora sat up weakly. "What just happened?" He asked quietly, placing his hand above his heart. "Are you okay Kairi?" "Kairi was just sitting there, stunned. Sora looked at her confused. "...Kairi?" Kairi started to cry. She leapt into Sora's arms, catching him by surprise. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her in response. "You don't know how great it is to hear your voice Sora." Kairi sighed. "And yours," he replied. After a while they pulled apart.
Sora looked thoughtful. "I can feel my heart again...it's so weird. I wonder what happened." "Yeah..." Kairi thought about it for a minute in silence. Words flashed into her mind. Suddenly her eyes flickered with understanding. ~Of course! My dream.~ Kairi looked at Sora and smiled. "Love heals all..." she said softly.
A few hours later.....
Sora had gone home to be with his family and tell them the news. Mary and Kairi were sitting across from each other in an awkward silence in their living room.
Kairi looked around. Dark green curtains were shutting off the beautiful sunlight. The room had an old musty smell to it. ~This room has always been so dreary and dark. How can she live in here 24/7?~
Mary finally looked up at her and sighed, "Kairi, I'm so sorry about what happened. I never realized how depressed you were." "It's fine," Kairi said in a non-chalant manner, not looking down at the ancient carpet. ~She thinks she can just say sorry to me? Like all of these years can be forgiven with one apology?~
"No it's not fine." Mary said strongly. Kairi looked up surprised. ~She has never been this straight forward.~ "I was never a good parent to you Kairi...I guess I was too afraid of losing you too. I couldn't live with losing another one that I loved." Kairi nodded. ~Yeah right. She doesn't love me.~ "Thank you. But it's not like you're my mother or anything, you don't have to worry."
Mary hesitated, "actually..." ~Huh? Actually what?!~ "Kairi, I have been meaning to tell you this for some time now..." She sighed, "You are my grand daughter." Kairi gasped in surprise. "You're...my...grandmother? But no...that's not possible. I was found washed up on the island."
Mary nodded. "Yes I know. You and your parents were on a private plane, coming here to visit me. There was an accident..." She paused. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" "Of course," Kairi said enthusiastically. "They are my parents!" Mary frowned and continued, "There was a horrible storm and the plane crashed right before landing. Your parents and the pilot did not survive, but you were found washed up on the beach, miraculously alive." Kairi was still confused. "But why didn't you tell me? Half the reason I tried to commit suicide was because I thought I had no family!" she said, raising her voice.
Mary looked at her guiltily. "I thought that the death of your parents would hurt you too much. I thought you would be better off hoping that they were alive."
"I thought that they abandoned me...that they didn't love me!" Kairi shouted. She began tearing, which soon turned to sobbing. ~My parents died...and Mary actually loves me....It's so hard to believe~ Mary got up and sat down next to Kairi and wrapped her arm around her for comfort. "I always thought that I was alone and that everyone hated me," Kairi whimpered. "Things have changed so much in just one little day." Kairi looked at Mary and hugged her. "I just can't believe you are my grandmother," she mumbled. ~It's so weird how things can take a turn in life so quickly...~
Mary looked down and actually saw her grand daughter for the first time. "Things are going to be different now," she whispered. Kairi looked up and smiled. "Yeah, I think so."
Later that day, Kairi talked Mary into taking a walk with her. The clear blue sky looked welcoming, and summer sun heated the back of their necks. When they stepped out of the door Mary shielded her eyes. "Jeeze it's so bright!" Kairi giggled. "Hmm I wonder why... maybe because you never let any sun into the house!" She said sarcastically. "Okay, okay. It's time for adjustments I guess," Mary responded, laughing. ~I have never seen her so happy before...come to think of it, I have never been this happy before.~
Her thoughts were interrupted by Sora running up to them. "Hey Kairi!" He shouted. She laughed and ran up to him. He picked her up and spun her around. "I missed you." Sora said meaningfully. Kairi giggled, "You have only been gone for a couple hours!" Sora laughed, "Yea, I know..."
Mary caught up with them and greeted Sora. While chatting, they began walking again. Kairi felt like the happiest and luckiest person in the world, with the two people she loved, and who loved her back, at her side.
Kairi jumped when she heard his voice. Her eyes widened. ~Sora? It can't be...~ She slowly turned her head in his direction to see him staring up at her curiously.
Sora sat up weakly. "What just happened?" He asked quietly, placing his hand above his heart. "Are you okay Kairi?" "Kairi was just sitting there, stunned. Sora looked at her confused. "...Kairi?" Kairi started to cry. She leapt into Sora's arms, catching him by surprise. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her in response. "You don't know how great it is to hear your voice Sora." Kairi sighed. "And yours," he replied. After a while they pulled apart.
Sora looked thoughtful. "I can feel my heart again...it's so weird. I wonder what happened." "Yeah..." Kairi thought about it for a minute in silence. Words flashed into her mind. Suddenly her eyes flickered with understanding. ~Of course! My dream.~ Kairi looked at Sora and smiled. "Love heals all..." she said softly.
A few hours later.....
Sora had gone home to be with his family and tell them the news. Mary and Kairi were sitting across from each other in an awkward silence in their living room.
Kairi looked around. Dark green curtains were shutting off the beautiful sunlight. The room had an old musty smell to it. ~This room has always been so dreary and dark. How can she live in here 24/7?~
Mary finally looked up at her and sighed, "Kairi, I'm so sorry about what happened. I never realized how depressed you were." "It's fine," Kairi said in a non-chalant manner, not looking down at the ancient carpet. ~She thinks she can just say sorry to me? Like all of these years can be forgiven with one apology?~
"No it's not fine." Mary said strongly. Kairi looked up surprised. ~She has never been this straight forward.~ "I was never a good parent to you Kairi...I guess I was too afraid of losing you too. I couldn't live with losing another one that I loved." Kairi nodded. ~Yeah right. She doesn't love me.~ "Thank you. But it's not like you're my mother or anything, you don't have to worry."
Mary hesitated, "actually..." ~Huh? Actually what?!~ "Kairi, I have been meaning to tell you this for some time now..." She sighed, "You are my grand daughter." Kairi gasped in surprise. "You're...my...grandmother? But no...that's not possible. I was found washed up on the island."
Mary nodded. "Yes I know. You and your parents were on a private plane, coming here to visit me. There was an accident..." She paused. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" "Of course," Kairi said enthusiastically. "They are my parents!" Mary frowned and continued, "There was a horrible storm and the plane crashed right before landing. Your parents and the pilot did not survive, but you were found washed up on the beach, miraculously alive." Kairi was still confused. "But why didn't you tell me? Half the reason I tried to commit suicide was because I thought I had no family!" she said, raising her voice.
Mary looked at her guiltily. "I thought that the death of your parents would hurt you too much. I thought you would be better off hoping that they were alive."
"I thought that they abandoned me...that they didn't love me!" Kairi shouted. She began tearing, which soon turned to sobbing. ~My parents died...and Mary actually loves me....It's so hard to believe~ Mary got up and sat down next to Kairi and wrapped her arm around her for comfort. "I always thought that I was alone and that everyone hated me," Kairi whimpered. "Things have changed so much in just one little day." Kairi looked at Mary and hugged her. "I just can't believe you are my grandmother," she mumbled. ~It's so weird how things can take a turn in life so quickly...~
Mary looked down and actually saw her grand daughter for the first time. "Things are going to be different now," she whispered. Kairi looked up and smiled. "Yeah, I think so."
Later that day, Kairi talked Mary into taking a walk with her. The clear blue sky looked welcoming, and summer sun heated the back of their necks. When they stepped out of the door Mary shielded her eyes. "Jeeze it's so bright!" Kairi giggled. "Hmm I wonder why... maybe because you never let any sun into the house!" She said sarcastically. "Okay, okay. It's time for adjustments I guess," Mary responded, laughing. ~I have never seen her so happy before...come to think of it, I have never been this happy before.~
Her thoughts were interrupted by Sora running up to them. "Hey Kairi!" He shouted. She laughed and ran up to him. He picked her up and spun her around. "I missed you." Sora said meaningfully. Kairi giggled, "You have only been gone for a couple hours!" Sora laughed, "Yea, I know..."
Mary caught up with them and greeted Sora. While chatting, they began walking again. Kairi felt like the happiest and luckiest person in the world, with the two people she loved, and who loved her back, at her side.