"So how is everything?"

Here we go, "I've been better."

"I bet. I'm sorry to hear about you friend."

"David?"

"Yeah, and your dad."

"Mom doesn't think I should be sad."

"I do."

"Really?"

"Yeah he was apart of your life wasn't he?"

"Sometimes."

"But it's still sad. Now you don't have a chance at fixing that relationship."

"Yes!" Finally, someone understands. Of course it's my grandpa, I smile.

"It'll get better."

"I still feel him with me."

"That's normal sweetie." No one talks for a while.

I break the silence, "What's on T.V?"

"Nothing really."

"Usual." I rub my cheek a little.

"Are your stitches bothering you?"

"Yeah my medication hasn't kicked in yet. It'll nock me out soon."

"Don't worry about staying up for me. We have tomorrow too." He smiles. " If you need to go to sleep, go ahead."

"I'm almost to that point. It won't be long." I yawn.

I only last about thirty minutes before he nudges me. "Go on to bed."

"Goodnight." I slide my arm over and hug him, he hugs me back. I brush my teeth and go into my room. I put my brush back into my bag and see my card from Jacob. I read it again then put it back in and slide under the blankets. My stomach clenches into knots. Enough is enough, when I get home I'm getting help. I feel worse as the days go on. I want him to know I'm sorry for all of this. The drumming of thundering clouds roll in with bright flashes of lightning. Tears swell in my eyes, I try to blink them away, but it makes them fall. The rain softly falls from the sky and there's a super loud crack from the storm.

Don't cry. I quickly wipe my face.

Jacob? I didn't link our minds.

You did.

No. I swear.

Somehow we're connected.

I'm sorry.

I've heard.

Right. I really didn't mean to connect us. I got your note and I really appreciate what you said and I've been trying not to think about you specifically because I didn't want us to link up. I guess I failed.

Don't worry about it. It's silent, I can't tell if he's still there. Still here.

Shit, he laughs. Since I don't know what connected us I don't know how to separate us.

Remember what I taught you.

I try to think back, Just picture our spirits separating?

Close enough. I can hear the smile on his lips. You have to want it. Imagine us being on the phone right now. What would you do if you didn't want to talk to me anymore?

Hang up.

Picture it. I picture myself touching the 'End Call' button on my phone, Try harder. Annoyed, I picture myself hitting it again and throwing my phone down on my bed. Waiting to see if it worked I stay silent.

Hello? Nothing, I smile. The thunder quiets down to a calming rumble, but the lightning still flares.

I wake up with my head at the foot of the bed and my arms outstretched towards the window. Sucking in a deep breath I sit up and head for the bathroom. After my morning breath's gone I meet my grandpa in the kitchen. "Morning." I smile.

"Morning'." he tips his head towards me and he's putting his coat on.

"Headed out?" Maybe I can look through that box some more.

"Just out to the yard. The lightning last night struck a tree, it's a mess. I've never had this problem." I follow him out to see it, boy he wasn't exaggerating.

"Whoa." A huge tree is split straight down the middle. Branches are sprawled all over the yard and tiny wood chips cover the grass. "The storm did this?"

"Yeah." He picks up his bag, "That lightning was somethin' fierce." I've never seen a bigger mess before. That must've been the crack I heard last night.

"Any other trees damaged?"

"Yeah, I had a younger one right outside your window. It's disintegrated."

"Disintegrated?" I walk down to the side of the house and look for where it was, it's not hard to find it. There's a black ashy patch on the ground where he said it was. It smells like burt wood. I walk over closer and kneel down to feel the ground. I follow the trail over to my window, there's a line of ash on the side of the house. I follow it up, it's positioned directly at the middle point of my bed. That's weird, I'm glad it didn't hit the house. "Want some help?"

"I have to go into town for some more big bags. There's breakfast on the stove. Eat and I'll be back then you can help."

"Sounds good." I smile and go back inside. Yes, he's leaving! I change my clothes first and wait until I see his truck leave before I go into his room. "Shit." Of course the box is gone now. I look in his other closet and under his bed; nothing. It was kind of a small box, it could be anywhere. There's eggs and bacon on the stove, I make a small plate. I eat it quickly and search the rest of the upstairs rooms and closets. There's still a good thirty minutes until he'll be back I need to hurry. I look around the kitchen, "Probably not in here." I stand in the center and turn slowly, I stop at the doorway that leads to the basement. "Ou!" I run down the stairs tripping on the last one and flip on the lights. I check the entertainment room, nothing. The small half bathroom, nothing. I open the pantry for the hell of it, nothing. Wait. I drop to my knees and move around jars of sauce and canned vegetables to get to a box. There's no writing on it, I open it anyway. "Crackers? How many boxes of crackers does he need?" I hear the gravel crunching. "Shit." I throw all the boxes back in the big box and shove it back then put all the jars and cans back. As I'm coming up the stairs he walks in.

"What were you doing down there?" He asks at the top of the steps.

I hesitate, "I was looking for some gloves."

"Gloves?"

"Yeah like gardening ones. For when I pick up the pieces of the tree."

"Oh, out in the garage."

"Thanks I'll go grab them." I shuffle past him and out to the garage. There's a plain black pair and a grey pair hanging on hooks on the far right corner. After I grab them and turn around I see the box. I casually peek out of the window, he's still inside. I run over to the box and rip it open. There's nothing that really pops out at me in the newspaper. A few missing pets, a festival, something about some pregnant lady getting struck my lightning, then some kind of political thing. I grab the hospital records next. "Quileute Reservation?" I read the address, I wasn't born on the reservation. My name's here, date of birth matches, mother and father names are right, time of birth says 6:02 a.m, don't know if that's right. My mom would never tell me the time I was born. Wait, 6:02 on 6/02? That's weird. I move some more papers around in the box and find a manilla filing cabinet folder. My last and first name are written on the tab, I open it. Therapy papers? I never saw a therapist, especially not one in La Push. What the hell is all of this? I hear the door to the house close and quickly put everything except the folder back in the box. I shove the therapy folder under my tank top and smooth my hoodie over to hide it. "Do you want a pair?" I rush out of the garage carefully and hand him the black ones.

"Thanks." He slips them on. "Forgot my goggles in the house."

"I'll grab them." I start towards the house before he can object. First I sprint to my room and shove the folder into the bottom of my bag covering it with my clothes then I grab his goggles off the counter and head back out.

"Don't worry about the little chunks, I'll suck those up later. Throw the bigger piece in a pile, I'll use them in the fireplace."

"Got it." It takes an hour and a half to get the majority of it finished.

"Whew." He stands up straights and wipes his forehand with the back of his hand. "I know I've worked up an appetite. What about you?"

"A little."

"Let's go get lunch."

"Okay." We take our turns in the bathroom getting ready then we ride into town in his truck. There's mainly mom and pop shops around here and of course a McDonald's. He picks a familiar diner which is kinda full. "Must be good with this many people here." We sit in a booth.

"It's pretty good." He looks over the plastic menu sheet. After lunch I go to the store with him and help him bring the groceries into the house.

"Need help with anything else?"

"No. You didn't come out here to be put to work."

"I don't mind it. I think I'm gonna head off soon before it gets dark."

"Yeah I don't want you driving at night if you're on that medication."

"I'm gonna go pack up my stuff." I wish there was another opportunity to get back into that box. I make the bed make sure the folder's still in there with the rest of my stuff and take it outside. "Were you in the garage today?" I ask riffling through my bag.

"Not since we've been home, why?"

"I can't find my phone, think I might've left it in there. Just wondering if you saw it. I'll just go check." I start to walk.

"Go take that to your car, I'll go check."

Shit, "Oh wait, oops I got it." I pull it out of my pocket without him looking. "It was wrapped up in my pant leg."

"Good." Fucking fail. I throw the bag in the passenger seat and use the bathroom before I head out. "It was good to see you." He hugs me at my door.

"Yeah, I missed it out here."

"Come back whenever you want."

"I will." We hug and he stays in the driveway watching until I'm out of sight.

There's no car in the drive with I get home. "Ma?" I yell opening the door. I pull out my phone and call her, "Are you at home or almost there?"

"No, why?"

"I left myself a note on my desk, but forgot what it says. I wanted you to read it to me."

"Yeah I won't be home for a few more hours."

"Okay."

"Are you still at grandpas?"

"Yeah. I'll be leaving before it gets dark."

"I'll see you when I get home."

"Yeah, okay bye."

"Bye." I lock the door and put the folder on my bed. There aren't that many papers in it.

"I don't think she should be pulled out, but her mother doesn't like where this is going. She's been against our meetings the whole time. Svetlana is progressing immensely and I fear she may loose her control if she leaves." I flip to another page, "Svetlana first came to me with the help of her father without her mother knowing. She talks about a large man and tall woman who visit her at recess. They tell her they're her real parents, but she can't tell anyone." There's nothing else on the page, "Oh my god." I turn on my laptop and type in the address, I need to go there.

I pul out my phone, "Erika, hey it's Sveta."

"Sveta hey! What's going on?"

"I wanted to let you know I can watch your cat for you."

"I love you thank you!" She squeals.

I laugh, "When do you need me there?"

"Tuesday night."

"Great, I'll see you then."

"Thanks again."

"Yeah." Quickly I gather everything back into the folder and shove it in an old binder from school.

My step-dad gets here about a half an hour before my mom. She makes dinner, I sit at the table with them, but I don't eat. "You have to be hungry." she glares at me.

"No, grandpa and I went out to lunch. I'm stuffed." I pray my stomach doesn't growl and give me away. "Then you'll have some later. You have to eat with you pain medicine."

"Okay, fine. There's something I wanted to talk to you about though."

"What?"

"I'm gonna be out at Emily's for the next couple of weeks."

"Why?"

"Well she hired me a few days before my birthday and I feel bad for skipping out. I told her I'd start Wednesday so I'm gonna leave Tuesday night. Plus I know they could use the help." I sip my water.

"A few weeks?"

"Yeah like a month maybe."

"You wouldn't be staying with Jacob, would you?"

"No I'll be staying at Sue's."

"I'll think about it."

I wasn't asking permission. "She's already expecting me."

She sighs, "I guess I don't have a choice then."

"There's nothing to worry about though. I was out there last time for a long time and-"

"Yeah look what happened."

"What happened?"

She looks as if she didn't mean to say that aloud. I'm missing something, "The David thing."

I roll my eyes, "That literally could've happened anywhere."

"Not making me feel better."

"I don't have to worry about him anymore though. Nothing like that will ever happen again. Think of it this way, I could either be here all day lounging on the couch, watching T.V and eating all the food all day or I could be working and earning money; plus lounging on her couch at night and eating some of their food."

She laughs a little and keeps eating. They stay in the living room the rest of the night watching movies while I stay in my room. There's still a lot of money in my accounts from graduation and my birthday, I'll stop at the bank on Monday and take the majority of it out for spending while I'm at Erica's. I grab my suitcase and two big black duffel bags and start filling them. The folder goes into my suitcase first between the lining then I put pants on top. It takes about an hour to fill the rest of the suitcase and one and a half of the duffel bags. I leave room for my laptop and charger and toiletries.

"Anything special you want for the ride out? You should take some things to be polite." My mom asks me the next morning.

"Yeah I'm gonna get all that stuff Tuesday morning. I'll fill up the gas then too." It's hard for me to just sit here. It's killing me to not ask about that folder or the whole box at grandpa's. She'd probably deny it all, might not even say anything in front of Joey. It'd be better for me to just wait, I know this.

Sunday and Monday come and go. Tuesday morning I take the money out of the bank, get gas, print out my directions and put all my stuff in the backseat. I wait until my mom gets home from work to leave. "I'm sure I won't be completely gone for the whole month. I'll come out for a few days maybe sleep here once or twice. I'll be fine."

"I know." She hugs me tightly. "You have all you medicine?"

"Yup."

"Phone charger and all that stuff?"

"Mhm." I nod.

"Gas in the car?"

"Filled it up this morning. And I'll be back before you know it." She walks me out to my car and watches as I pull off. When I get to Erica's I pull in her parking spot, her car's parked out front in the fire lane.

"You're seriously a life savor."

"Anything special I need to know?"

"Not that I can think of. Here's the hotel number my room number all that good stuff oh, and the keys." She smiles and drops the ring in my hand.

"Great."

"I guess I'll see ya in a month then." She squeals.

"Yeah." She gives me a hug and I take all my stuff up. "Sprinkles…" I call when I open the door. "Hey girl." She comes over carefully and sniffs my stuff. "Do you remember me?" She rubs against my leg, "Guess so." I lock the door. I look over the instructions she left me, it's almost her dinner time.