Alexus's Point of View

Joe and I had a lot of fun at the creek. We splashed around, hopped on the rocks, and snacked on wild berries. Near the end of the day, I fell in the water, but we laughed it off. I noticed that the sun was setting. "Joe, we were out too long. We should head back. Your mother won't be happy," I commented.

"You're right. Are you going to be okay? You're late, too," Joe asked.

I realized that I had no idea how Mr. Xemnas would react to me coming home so wet at that time of day. "I don't know," I mumbled.

By the time we got back, it had started to get dark. Aunt Myka, Saix, and Mr. Xemnas were waiting for us outside. "Joseph, Alexus, where have you been?! Why are you both soaking wet?!" Aunt Myka fretted.

"I'm sorry, Mama. We were out by the creek," Joe apologized.

I felt uneasy that Mr. Xemnas was there and Axel was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Axel?" I questioned.

Mr. Xemnas approached me. "When you didn't come back, he went home and informed me of the situation, and I came instead," He explained. I lowered my head in fear and shame. I should have paid more attention to the position of the sun. I knew better. Mama would have given me a good scolding if I had been out in the forest that late, but I had no idea what Mr. Xemnas would do. Mr. Xemnas turned to Saix. "You may leave. I trust you can take care of things back at the castle until I return." Saix nodded and left through a dark corridor.

"I'll take Joe home, now," Aunt Myka announced. I looked at her, silently pleading that she would stay, but she and Joe were already walking away.

"Let's go inside," Mr. Xemnas prompted me. He didn't sound angry, but I still hesitated. I could feel myself shutting out the world, trying to will that moment away. Mr. Xemnas stopped at the door and turned to me, waiting for me to follow. I was frozen in place, filled with terror. "You'll catch a cold if you stay in those wet clothes. Come inside and change. I'll make a fire."

I was confused, but I did what I was told. I went upstairs and changed into one of my dresses before I went back down to find Mr. Xemnas tending to the fire in the fireplace. He backed away when he was satisfied and stared at it. I braced myself for whatever horrors awaited me, but when he did nothing, I couldn't handle the dread any longer. "If I'm to be punished, please just get it over with," I begged.

Mr. Xemnas turned to me. "Would your mother punish you?" He inquired.

I blinked in surprise. I was very caught off guard by his response. "She would scold me good, sir," I answered.

"And what do you suppose she would have said to you," Mr. Xemnas asked.

I blinked back tears as I thought about Mama. "She would say-" My voice got caught in my throat, so I started again. "She would tell me that I'm not supposed to be out that late and how important it is for me to be home because it worries her when I'm not home when I should be. She would send me to bed without supper and tell me to think about my actions."

I began crying for what felt like the thousandth time since Mama had passed. Mr. Xemnas stroked my hair. "Alexus, you shouldn't be out so late. When you do that, I don't know if you are safe, and there can be great consequences for anyone involved. Now, go to bed. You can eat in the morning," Mr. Xemnas said. He didn't sound angry. His words sounded more hollow than anything else.

"Yes, sir," I managed to say between sobs. I stood up and made my way to my room.

"Alexus," Mr. Xemnas started. I turned to Mr. Xemans to see that he was standing up with his arms open. I ran into his embrace and sobbed, not caring about any of my prejudices or fear of him.

When I had cried all my tears, I pulled away. "When are we going back to the castle?" I wondered.

"I am unsure. I have deliberated and come to the conclusion that it is in our best interest to stay here for the time being," Mr. Xemnas replied.

"Oh." I wasn't sure what to make of my situation.

"Can I trust you to wait here for a few minutes?" Mr. Xemnas questioned.

"Yes, sir," I answered.

"I'll be right back." Mr. Xemnas stated before he opened a dark corridor and went through. When he disappeared inside, it closed behind him. I sat by the fireplace and waited. I heard him in the kitchen and went to see what he was doing. He was putting a few food items in the pantry. He took two sea salt ice cream bars in packaging off the table and handed one to me when he was finished. He began to eat the other one. I stared at the ice cream he gave me, unsure of what to do. "Go ahead. Eat it."

I ate my ice cream, unsure of what was happening. I looked up at Mr. Xemnas. He remained expressionless. "Aren't you mad at me?" I reminded nervously.

"No, Alexus. I just needed to know that you were safe. That is all I care about. That is why I want you to learn to defend yourself. If I know that you can take care of yourself, it will put me at ease. However, I understand that there have been many large adjustments in your life. I realize that I pushed too much on you too quickly. I am sorry for that," Mr. Xemnas replied.

"You- You're not mad?" I asked.

"No, Alexus. I'm not. I know that you didn't mean to stay out too late. You're a good girl. So polite and well-behaved. Your mother raised you well," Mr. Xemnas complimented.

"What makes you think that? You have only known me for a week," I pointed out.

"And in that week, you have been well-behaved, considerate, and polite, aside from a couple of small incidents," Mr. Xemnas commented.

It was slightly comforting to know that he approved of me, but I pushed that feeling down when I reminded myself that I didn't care. "Well, that's just how it's supposed to be," I stated.

Mr. Xemnas glanced at the clock. "It's late. You should get to bed. For real, this time. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, sir," I said. I went upstairs and got ready for bed.

Mr. Xemnas came up. "Did your mother do anything for you at bedtime?" He wondered.

My brain went back to a time when I had her with me as I answered, "She tucked me in. Sometimes she read with me or sang to me. She would give me a hug and a kiss and tell me she loved me. Sometimes she would tell me stories." I was snapped back into reality. "Why do you ask?"

"I know I'm not your mother. I'm not trying to replace her. I was just wondering if you wanted me to do any of those things with you," Mr. Xemnas explained.

I thought about his offer carefully. That was the first time I had understood that I wasn't the only one who was adjusting. Having a daughter meant changes for him too, and I realized that he was trying to be a good father. If only he had tried sooner. It was too late for that. Still, I did wonder if doing those things with him would remind me of Mama. If the very act would allow me to pretend it was her and not the man before me. "I would like it if you could tuck me in," I decided.

"Alright. I'm afraid I've never done this before, but I will try," Mr. Xemnas replied. I pushed the covers away and hopped into my bed. Mr. Xemnas walked to me and carefully pulled the blankets up over my body. "How was that?"

"That was okay, I guess," I sighed.

"Is something wrong?" Mr. Xemnas asked.

"No. It's just… sometimes Mama would do it like that, but sometimes, she would pull them up over my head before pulling it back. That would always make me giggle," I said.

"Should I do it again?" Mr. Xemnas offered.

"No. That's alright. Thank you, Mr. Xemnas. Goodnight," I yawned.

Mr. Xemnas kissed the top of my head. "Goodnight, Alexus. Sweet dreams." He left my room, and I went to sleep.

Tara Mccann: While this is mainly in Alexus's point of view, I have gotten to a place in the story where I think there will be a bit more of Xemnas's point of view. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.