Chapter 23: New Lives
"I don't want to go!" Gel shouted, throwing her hairbrush on her dresser. "It doesn't matter what you want, Gel," Trudy said gently. "What matters is that you wanted to stay here, and therefore you have to live by the city's rules." "It's not fair!" Gel pouted, picking up the hairbrush again and brushing her blonde curls vigorously. "Don't you want to better yourself, Gel?" May asked in an amused tone as she pushed several sketches of outfits into a portfolio. "I can better myself just fine without going to tutoring with Sammy and that little thief," Gel snorted. Trudy and May exchanged smiles. "Well, I need to go," May said, putting her portfolio into a backpack and shouldering it. "I don't want to keep Gray waiting."
"At least you're working with your boyfriend," Gel said with a smirk. "He's not my boyfriend," May said, turning red. Trudy smiled and patted May on the arm. "Sure he isn't." "Trudy!" May cried in protest. Trudy grinned and pushed her friend out of the door. "Go, before you're late." May, still red and now looking extremely irritated, stalked away. "I knew he was her boyfriend," Gel said smugly. "Shut up, Gel," Trudy told her. "It's time for you to go. Come on, I'll walk with you." "Where are you and Amber going today?" Gel asked as she took another look in the mirror. "That's none of your business," Trudy said, picking up Brady. "Go bye-bye?" Brady asked her mother. "Yes, sweetie, we're going bye-bye, and Gel is going to school," Trudy answered.
Gel rolled her eyes and followed Trudy out the door and down to the first level of the hotel. They met Lottie and Sammy in a large room that had been converted into a library. Seven young men and two young women were already seated at tables in the room, chatting animatedly. Gel's mouth curved into a huge smile as she surveyed the room. "Going fishing, Gel?" Trudy asked with a smile. "Eeew!" Gel cried. "I would never touch a fish!" Trudy opened her mouth to explain, but changed her mind and shook her head, rolling her eyes at the ceiling. "These must be my new ones," a voice said behind them.
Trudy, Gel, Lottie, and Sammy turned to see a man smiling at them. He was of medium height, with brown eyes and short brown dreadlocks. "I'm Tate, the tutor." "Nice to meet you," Trudy said, shaking his hand. "What'll you teach them today?" Tate smiled. "Today we'll learn about history and I'll find out where everyone's at in math." "Math?" Gel asked, horrified. "Math," Tate laughed. "Good luck," Trudy said, grinning at Gel's disgusted expression. "You'll need it," she whispered in an undertone to Tate. Trudy left the library and walked towards the parlor where she met Amber, who was holding Baby Bray tightly in her arms.
"You look terrible," Trudy said, looking at Amber's pale skin and the dark circles under her eyes. "I couldn't sleep," Amber explained in a hoarse tone. Trudy nodded in sympathy. "Everything will be all right," she told her. "Don't worry." "Ladies," a voice said from behind them. Ethan walked up and laid a hand on Amber's shoulder. "You are troubled, Amber. If you ever need to talk, don't hesitate to come to me." Amber shook away from his touch. "Just take us to Bray." Ethan nodded and walked out. He led them through the city to a small blue house overlooking the ocean. It was the very last house in the city, by the road leading out to the farms.
Ethan stopped in the gravel walkway that led up to the porch. "He is inside," he said. "I will come back for you this evening." Amber and Trudy watched Ethan as he walked back into the city, his purple robes billowing behind him. "Are you ready?" Trudy asked Amber. "As ready as I'll ever be," Amber replied. The two of them walked up to the door. Amber reached up and knocked tentatively. Bray opened the door slowly. "Bray!" Trudy cried, throwing herself at him. Bray smiled with genuine happiness. "Trudy, how have you been?" he asked, pulling her and Brady into his arms. "I'm fine," Trudy said, wiping away tears. "Brady, do you remember Uncle Bray?" Brady smiled up at Bray shyly as he lifted her up into a hug.
Bray opened the door wider to allow them all inside. His eyes met Ambers for a fleeting second before he looked down in her arms to see Baby Bray's face peeping out of his sling. "Is that . . ." Bray began, his voice breaking with emotion. Amber nodded and took her son out of the sling. "This is Bray," she whispered, handing him over to his father. Bray's face turned gray as he held his son for the first time. "Bray . . ." he said quietly, touching the little boy's face gently with his forefinger. "Isn't he the image of his father?" Trudy asked, trying to break the ice. Bray looked up at her, an expression of wonderment on his face. "The very image," Amber agreed softly. Bray smiled as the baby grasped his finger. "He's beautiful," he said.
The three of them turned around as an infant's cry sounded from the other room. Amber and Trudy looked at Bray with questioning expressions. Bray's face grew grim. "Why don't we come in the living room and sit down?" he asked, handing Baby Bray back to his mother. Amber and Trudy exchanged glances as they followed Bray into the living room. "Go ahead and sit," Bray said as he walked into a back room. Trudy and Amber did what he asked. A few minutes later, Bray came back, holding a tiny bundle in his arms. "This is Skye," he said, moving the blanket aside to reveal a two month old baby. "You . . . you have a daughter?" Amber asked, extremely confused. Bray took a deep, shuddering breath and sank into an armchair. "I am her guardian," he said slowly. "But I am not her father, even though I've treated her as if she was my own." His eyes closed for a few moments. When he opened them again, there were tears in his eyes. "Lex is her father. This is Taisan's baby."