The clock ticked, echoing in Atlantis' head as she sat on a chair in the clinic and listened to Dr. Mike and Sully talking about what they found out.
From what Dr. Mike told her, it seemed that they didn't learn much about her parents. Perhaps it was because of the lack of the time, or maybe they weren't sure how much she wanted to know. The world had blurred before her eyes again as new tears ran down her cheeks and slowly dropped on the article she still held in her hands.
The paper was old, turned into yellow from the time that had passed since the day she was taken away from her parents. She swallowed hard, holding tightly on this piece of her past wondering if it would also be there in the future…were her parents still alive? How would they react if she'd just show up on their doorstep? Had they stopped hoping? Did they move on? Questions bombarded her mind, and she hid her face in her hands.
"Where do I go from here?" the three of them heard her whisper. Atlantis shook her head, mumbling through tears, "I don't know where to go from here…"
Michaela shared a worried look with Matthew and Sully.
"Where do you want to go from here, Atlantis?" Mike softly asked, reaching out and softly caressing Atlantis' hair.
As the young woman lifted her head, Mike's heart broke at seeing the pain flickering in Atlantis' eyes.
Atlantis watched as Dr. Mike took her palms into her hands, and she swallowed hard, trying to stop the sobs that kept escaping her.
"I don't know, Dr. Mike." Her whispers were barely audible. "I don't know…"
"Would you like to meet your parents? To find them?"Mike asked, but a gentle touch from Sully's hand on her shoulder told her not to push. Atalntis was very close to breaking down.
Sully was right; in the next moment Atlantis hid her face once again in her hands and cried without a sound.
The whole time, Matthew was sitting beside Atlantis, holding her in his embrace and listened to everything that was said…contemplating every single word.
He was sure that one day Atlantis would be ready to face her past and meet her parents…But the shock, the betrayal, the pain and the anger she felt now was something that shouldn't be ignored. Atlantis needed to heal before she could make that big step and go search for her family.
"She isn't ready for that yet." Suddenly Matthew's voice was heard and Mike and Sully looked at their oldest son. He was right.
"What then?" Mike felt devastated "How can we help?"
Matthew looked at Sully "Do you know where Cloud Dancing is now?"
Sully nodded, "I could find him."
"All right, then do so, please," said Matthew, causing Atlantis to shift inside his arms and look at him, confused.
"Cloud Dancing?" she silently asked.
Matthew nodded, "He's a Cheyenne medicine man and a family friend. He will help you through this."
When Atlantis tried to protest, Matthew stopped her gently saying, "Trust me on this. I will explain everything on our way home."
Atlantis didn't understand a thing of all this, but if she was sure of anything at this moment when her whole world crashed, it was Matthew's love. She trusted him completely.
So she just nodded silently uttering , "Okay." She closed her eyelids feeling Matthew's lips on her forehead, and a sense of comfort washed over her.
"I'll go find Cloud Dancing," said Sully and was gone the next moment.
Matthew tenderly caressed Atlantis' back and quietly said, "Come on, let's go home."
Dr. Mike watched them leaving and inhaled a deep breath, hoping with every part of her heart that Cloud Dancing would be able to help Atlantis.
Atlantis was sitting on the bench in front of the homestead, holding little Matthew in her lap. She and Matthew had had a long talk with the child, and Atlantis was devastated to leave her baby. His tears ripped her heart, but she knew that she had no choice. She had to find the way through this if she wanted to live a normal life. That much she knew; that much she could understand about this whole mess.
Sitting now, she slowly rocked her little son as he clutched to her, tears already dried on both of their faces. Words unspoken echoed in their ears. Her beloved child wanted to go with her on this trip, but from Matthew's words she understood that she had to go alone. Little Matthew calmed down a bit when he herad that he would stay with Matthew, but the sadness because of approaching goodbye hit both of them. So they just sat there together on the bench, watching the sun slowly fading away from the sky.
Matthew was sitting beside them, one of his hands wrapped around Atlantis' shoulders and the other one holding little Matthew's hand. The little boy held onto him as if for dear life ever since his Ma had said that she had to go away for a few days. At first, little Matthew tried to convince Matthew to tell his Ma to drop her plan, knowing she would listen to him. But not this time. His little heart broke, and he wished the sun came back to the sky and that those "dancing clouds" never showed up.
As the sun hid behind the hills and the sky put on its nightgown, they heard horses approach. Looking up, Matthew saw Sully and Cloud Dancing riding toward them.
Atlantis still avoided her eyes, but she knew that they were here. She could hear the horses catching their breath as they stopped in fornt of the homestead, and she desperately tried to swallow the sob that rose up in her throat as little Matthew held more tightly onto her.
She didn't want to leave her son and even though she trusted Matthew, she was scared to ride off in the night with somebody she'd never seen before. She didn't need that right now, she didn't need strangers around her.
She kissed her son's hair, re-thinking the whole thing. She didn't feel ready. She wasn't sure this would help. She didn't know whether she could do that. Ready to protest, she at last she looked up.
As she did so, her eyes met Cloud Dancing's wise and friendly eyes for the first time.
And she felt peace.