“If happy little bluebirds fly… Over the rainbow… Why, oh why… Can’t… I?”

Soft morning light radiated through the stained glass windows, illuminating the dimly lit cathedral and its murals with color. My voice- weak as it was- easily pronounced its way through the long hall, the echoes of my solemn emotion delivering themselves to everyone in attendance. To my surprise, I found it pleasant: the sound of my words really felt like music for once. That melancholy of mine resonated with them as well, and I couldn’t help but feel just a little bit better once I’d realized that I wasn’t the only one with tears in my eyes.

I was dismayed by the sound of clapping, however, inundated by a respectful applause as I returned to my seat. It was nice to think that they enjoyed my performance, but in my misery I loathed the idea that anything here today was worth celebrating.

My brother said nothing to me as I sat down, letting my take and squeeze his hand as hard as I needed to. Annoyed beyond all reason, the heels at my feet tapped against the ground just a little bit harder and a little bit louder than they ought to have. But nobody dared to say a thing about it. They knew who I was the daughter of.

He gave me a smile, which I took- perhaps selfishly- as one of approval rather than solace. But it did help me feel that much better once more. If not solaced, consoled.

Touch was kept to a minimum today. We knew the kinds of things that could happen at a place like this- and considering everything that was going on at that time- it was better to be safe than sorry. Thankfully my sister wasn’t here to cause anything inappropriate. I hated to admit it- but I didn’t want her here in the first place.

My father was in attendance though, sitting opposite Cyrus beside me. He looked at me with those confident blue eyes of his, helping to calm mine, giving me a kiss on the forehead before standing up and taking the empty stage I left for him. Most of what he had to say must have been blocked out of memory, retreating into my own head as I sat there in silence, plagued by grief. There was no way things could possibly get any worse.

But then- exactly when I needed it the most- I felt a hand on my shoulder. If it was anyone else, I would have flinched and panicked at their touch, but she was different. Hers felt a lot like my mother’s, the way she almost protectively held it there reminded me of her.

“You did beautifully.” She whispered, and I was oddly appreciative of the way her face was absent of a smile. It might have been selfish of me, but she must have sensed that I couldn’t stand to see people smile. “It’s okay to cry.”

Almost on cue I felt that dam break, hearing the echoes of my own sobs bouncing back to me as I cried. It took hearing her say it for me to be able to cry without being ashamed of myself, but no one was going to blame me for it- especially at a funeral. She was my mother after all. I heard her sit in the empty seat beside me without taking her hand off of my shoulder. She wasn’t afraid of making too much noise in shuffling around- even if everyone did look at her with just a little bit of scorn- not if it meant consoling me. Solacing me.

My eyes were free of tears by the time my father had finished both his eulogy and the ceremony, but her hand was still right there on my shoulder. That feeling was something I would remember for the rest of my life.

“Leah…” I mumbled, a bit loud to be considered a whisper. She smiled only after I smiled, turning to her and melting just a bit with my heart. “I miss her…”

In hindsight it was a bit rude- perhaps selfish of me- not to thank her for either her touch or her compliment. But at the time I’d thought it enough just to acknowledge her help, and part of me still feels that way. What distresses me now was being able to look back and see that lack of gratitude continue for far too long.

“You’ll see her again someday, I promise.” She nodded. I know that she felt the same, but my jealous and short-sighted heart would have snapped at just the concept of anyone else being able to empathize with me. “Hopefully I can be half the mom she was someday.”

She had blue eyes. Ones which reminded me of my family, despite not being family. Properly blue, unlike mine, which were stuck in limbo trying to decide who I was meant to be. Caught between the rest of my family and my mother. It hurt knowing I’d never see those red eyes of hers again.

And there she was. Mom.

She’d wanted an open casket according to my dad, and I was happy that she had one. My mother had always been the most beautiful woman I knew, despite how we both looked. Part of me scorned my condition, but knowing it was from her helped put that hatred to rest. Her face was almost happy, peaceful.

Leah, my guardian, held my hand as we stepped down the aisle to meet my mom one last time. On the pedestal beside her sat a small bowl, full of small packets of seeds. She always had liked gardening, even if it was stereotypical of a woman in her position. Most of the volume had thinned out as people accepted the memorial seeds out of obligation, but I could see at least one for every kind of flower she’d ever helped bring into the world, including me. A single apple sat there, alone, surrounded by the rest. Daddy insisted she could never grow an apple tree down here, but Mommy always wanted to try anyway.

The cathedral was quiet, almost empty now. We must have been the last ones to see her before they finally closed the casket, and that hand didn’t leave mine for a moment.

“Candace.” She tugged on my arm. “Your eye’s getting all red.”

Blushing profusely at that, I felt around for the contact in my eye. It was still there, but all of that crying must have irritated the white around it until it was all red and sore.

Leah was the only person I could remember smiling at the sight of my mismatched eyes. Up until that point it had been hiding them that usually earned that kind of reaction.

“Here.” She smiled, plucking the sunglasses from her face and setting them nicely into my gorgeously done up hair. “Keep those just in case.”

“Thanks.” I bit my lip, unable to appreciate the gesture as much as I would have liked to. It was just nice to be able to show my eyes right now.

Leah didn’t usually step foot in churches, let alone Catholic ones such as this. She was Jewish after all. But my father was insistent that this was the place we held my mom’s funeral, and she wasn’t about to miss it.

My mom had a cross- Saint Clair’s cross- resting on her chest. For as long as I could remember it had been affixed to the head of her collar, something that had since been removed before she was to be buried. But it was still there where her collar was not, now dangling from a chain wrapped around her throat. A necklace.

“Mom wanted me to have that. She always said she was going to give it to me after she was gone. She just didn’t want me to inherit the collar.” My voice shook as I spoke, both disappointed and angry. She was never seen without that cross, and my father insisted that it stay that way. Buried along with her.

Leah stared at it and smirked, almost defiantly. “Don’t tell your dad about this, okay?”

This woman- the girl who had been my babysitter back when I was little- had balls as big as both her father and mine. It was something to be admired. Luckily, I was the only one who saw her reach in and take it. But I certainly didn’t have the courage to take what was meant to be mine, that’s for sure.

“If I get killed for this, you’re not invited to my funeral.” She winked, clasping the necklace around the back of my neck for me. “How’s that feel?”

A warmth spread from the cross to my heart as I finally held it to my body. “It’s perfect, Leah. Thank you.”

“It’s what your mom wanted.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Thank her, not me.”

My cheeks turned pink as I turned back to my mother, smiling as Leah left us alone together for the last time. I needed that, I felt, but I needed this even more. If I was going to be my mother- to inherit her collar like I was meant to- I needed this.

“I miss you, mom.” I held the cross with one hand and hers with the other, beginning to tear up again. She had a book in her hands, her diary, as worn and filled with passion as she had always been. “I miss you so much.”

It had come too soon.

Tears broke from me at that point, left leaning towards her as I cried. I was only fourteen after all. Today had come too soon. There was so much left that I’d always thought I’d get to share with her. But now that she was gone I was never going to share another moment with her again. A whole list of things came to mind, things that I was going to regret never getting to say or do with her. There was one such thing that stood out to me the most though.

I had always assumed- perhaps selfishly- that my mother would be there to see me get married someday. I had always held out hope that she’d be the one to walk me down the aisle in the end.

But that was never going to happen.

“I’m sorry…” Memories of my mom getting beaten, violated, or otherwise abused for the sins that I’d committed sprung back to my mind. I couldn’t help but blame myself for this. For somehow making this day come much too soon. “I’m so sorry…”

Curse this family and everything it’s ever stood for. My heart ripped into shreds within my chest as I fell to my knees, hideously bawling my eyes out. No one was going to blame me for taking my time. They knew who I was the daughter of. Alecia Saint Clair.

“It’s time, princess.” He held his hand to the back of my head, gently running his fingers through my hair. “Every queen has her time.”

“Daddy…”

From my knees I looked up at him, sniffling back my weakness before he could witness it. I adored my father, but I’d never loved him quite as much as my mother.

“Was it my fault?” I asked him, hiding her cross in my hands. “Did I kill mom?”

My father looked at me and frowned, gently lowering himself to his knees in front of me, something I’d never seen him do since. I could see him noticing the cross at my neck as he took me by both hands and helped me to my feet, but it did nothing but make him smile.

“You didn’t do anything, princess. It wasn’t your fault, I promise.” He didn’t dare to laugh or cry, he wasn’t that kind of man. “It was my fault.”

Tears rolled down my cheek anew as we turned towards her one last time. My father closed his eyes after a moment, letting me be the last person to see her face. Before that, though, I got to be the last person to see his face as he laid eyes on her- the woman he loved- one final time. He did laugh and cry one last time for her, and for me.

My father spoke little of the cross hanging from my neck, cradling it in his hands. But it was clear he approved of it. Perhaps inspired by my seeming act of bravery in taking it for myself, he reached in to hold her one last time, taking the diary from her hands and holding it to his chest like it was the bible. Clutching the cross with one hand, I reached to her casket with him- his eyes still closed- and spoke the last words I’d ever say to her.

“I love you, mom.”

Slowly, the casket closed, and she was delivered to her final rest.

Life moved too soon. All of a sudden I was in a world all on my own, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that. Mom was safe, and her collar was too, but I wasn’t quite ready to inherit it.

“Daddy?” I frowned, letting go of the cross. “Am I still inheriting mom’s collar like you said I would?”

Father was always gentle with me, even at the most sensitive of times. “Would you like to?”

My young heart hadn’t expected him to ask me that. He’d never given me that sort of choice before. Like my mother always reluctantly told me, “You have to do as Daddy says, because that’s what you’re for.” That was my purpose. That was the reason he let mom keep me. I was just like her. I’d never actually considered whether I wanted to become her someday, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

But I shook my head. All I could hope was that it was the correct answer. “No.”

He looked at me with an almost curious regret. For a second it was pretty clear that he hadn’t actually considered what I’d say when he asked. After all, no one had ever told him no before.

“I’ll tell you what, princess-” Dad laughed just a little, reaching past the seeds and into the bowl, plucking the fruit from its center. Then, he placed it into my hands. “We’ll leave it up to God to decide.”

Swallowing nervously, I accepted the apple, my nervous heart beating quicker every second. “How?”

“Let’s bury a piece of her with us.” He told me, clasping his hands over mine as I held the apple. “When we get home, I want you to bury this apple where you’ll remember, and if God permits- hopefully a part of her will grow with you. Can you do that for me?”

Hesitating, I turned it over in my hands. I was sure that I’d see her again someday, but I wanted that day to be today. She had been taken from me, and my world was so much emptier without her. If she couldn’t get an apple tree to grow, what hope did I have?

My solemn head slowly hung in agreement, I sighed. “Yes, father.”

“Princess…” He paused, giving me a look we were both more than familiar with. “Promise?”

With a heavy heart, I felt my face turn red, pressing my lips to the apple and planting a kiss like it was her. “Promise.”

Dad proudly stood over me, mom’s diary clutched to his chest. If there was one thing I knew about my father- the man who had everything he wanted- it was that he loved playing games. “If you can grow an apple from that tree- just one apple, no matter how big or small- I’ll let you be whatever you want to be.”

For the first time that day, just a bit of hope made its way into my heart, and I couldn’t help but cry tears of joy. “I love you, dad.”

“I love you too, princess.” He said as he took my arm in his. “Now let’s hurry. We don’t want to keep mom waiting.”

My father was right to hope, because I did plant that apple. And every day when dad brought me into the garden, he helped me care for that tree.

It’s still in our yard to this day. I see it on occasion from the window of what used to be the room my mother and I shared. On nights when it was just the two of us we would sit there and stare into the garden outside- it was one of the few passions my father allowed her. Granted, I’ve never actually taken a bite out of one to see if they’re any good, but I was the first person to over pluck one of those apples. The next time I see that tree- I thought- I should take one of them home and plant another.

But that would have to wait. Today wasn’t about an apple, or a cross, or even about me. It was about my mother in a way, just not the way you probably think.

When I lost that cross, at least the first time, I was devastated. And the first person I called hadn’t been my father or my manager- it had been her. Leah. I think that was when I realized what our relationship really meant. Because once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it. It all just sort of clicked into place.

“Hey, mom.” I smiled as I stepped in to see her, letting the door slowly close behind me. It was early enough for the morning light to just be radiating through the curtains, but I had to see her as soon as possible. She needed to be seen. She deserved to be seen.

The break of dawn usually came too late to wake me. My mom taught me the benefits of being up early when I was young and since then I’d always had some sort of routine which needed to be observed. Lately- and by lately I mean since I’d gotten a housemaid but before said housemaid was relocated- it had been to first wake up and drag myself out to the garage for at least an hour of working out. Chloe had no reason to know how I stayed so fit, and if I’m being honest I certainly started losing motivation once she was gone. But in case anyone is wondering- which they’re not- that’s why I shower every morning.

Today was different, however. The first thing I did when I got up was make sure she was still there. She was, and I made sure to lock the open hatch between us to keep it that way. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little bit scared that she was going to try and escape while I was asleep. Which I’m not convinced she didn’t try to do last night. I couldn’t have blamed her if she did, I would have just done my best to stop her.

All things considered, I did feel a bit guilty to lock her inside of the cell again. That’s why I hadn’t done it last night. But this was different. I wasn’t locking the doors to keep her in, I was doing it to keep everyone else out. If all went according to plan I’d be back before she even woke up.

Then, of course, I skipped working out for like the fiftieth day in a row. I really needed to get back on top of that, but today was not the day. Today was the first day of a new era- and the last day of an old era.

I got into my car. Alone. I drove over the land bridge from my small private island and onto the mainland. Alone. And I drove around the facility three times like Leah taught me before walking inside to see her. Alone.

It was hard for me to admit it, but my heart was pounding. Clearly hers was too, because sure enough, she was awake. For now. Her eyes went wide as she saw me, and my heart was quickly calmed by her smile. Hearing me call her mom made her laugh, and this time she didn’t deny it. But laughing quickly broke down into a fit of hacking and wheezing. And crying.

Seeing her in this much distress was one of the most painful things I’d ever been through- in part because I knew that it really was my fault this time.

And all for what? A pair of necklaces?

Leah had promised to help return my mother’s cross to me the moment she found out it had been taken. She had been there, she knew how much it meant to me, and I still couldn’t get it back. I’d been stupid to hide my intentions from her. Yes, I was happy to have the necklace Chloe made for me back, but it felt like a crime that I had prioritized it over something Leah had risked her own life to deliver to me.

The only thing I could think now was how ashamed she was going to be when she found out it was gone. It was one of the few things my mother- the one that gave birth to me- left for me to find. Aside from her old clothes and some photos of us together, the one thing that remained was the diary I had tucked safely in my purse.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” She forced with a sore voice as I sat down. If anyone was still going to call me that, it was her. “You’re up early.”

“They wouldn’t let me in any sooner.” Her hand fell into mine, too weak to pull away as I took it. The other was firmly tucked away for her own safety, having been shot in the other shoulder. “I should have been in the car with you. I’m sorry.”

She stopped me, squeezing my hand as strongly as she could. Weakly. She shook her head. “No, honey. It’s alright. I know it all turned out well in the end.”

The thought of that made my stomach churn. “You were shot because of me.”

“I was shot trying to protect you. That’s on me. I meant it when I told you that I would die for you, Candace. I love you.”

“But it’s not fair.” My voice cracked, almost hiccuping. “I never thought you’d actually have to go through with it.”

“You’re safe.” Leah closed her eyes, smiling. “That’s all that matters to me.”

The manner with which the poison made its way into her system was through injection- a bullet wound- rather than any normal means, which caused the medics a hard time to figure things out. The good news was that they had identified what poison it had been, but the bad news was that Leah had been exposed to Ricin.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, knowing what sort of response I’d be getting.

A cough and a wheeze. “Does that answer your question?”

“I’m sorry.” I mumbled, biting back my tears. “If I had been honest with you about what I was doing, none of this would have happened. I should have just come out and told you I was after. But now it’s too late… I’m sorry…”

“You don’t need to apologize, honey. I’m not upset- I could never be upset with you- at least not for very long. It’s okay to make mistakes, even if those mistakes cost you something. I couldn’t live with myself if you blamed yourself for this, please. I want you to be happy… I need to know that no matter what happens… you’re happy.”

Tears broke from behind my eyes, rolling their way down my cheeks. Her hand was cold as I squeezed it, forcing myself to the brink of crying and beyond, showing her a smile. “I brought Chloe home with me last night. She’s mine.”

Leah’s eyes went wide as her tears escaped her. At first I expected an intense shame and loathing to come my way, but instead I was met with her usual warmth. She laughed, even as the tears rolled down her cheeks, she laughed.

“I’m so proud of you.” She mumbled, knowing that deep down it was what was going to make me the happiest. “How is she?”

“She’s okay.” I swallowed nervously, squeezing her now sweating palm. “She has the other half of our locket.”

“You two had better figure things out this time. I don’t want to hear her breaking your heart again, okay?” Leah continued to giggle, just happy that the two of us were okay. “And let me know if you need me to come down there and kick some sense into either of you, please. I’d make a great mother.”

“You are a great mother.” Leah had everything a great mother needed and more, and I couldn’t ask for a better mom. Not even from my own. “And you’d make a great mother-in-law.”

She bit her tongue at that, slowly closing her eyes and rolling her head back. “Candace…”

“Leah…” Desperate pleas quickly escaped me. “When I get married… Will you walk me down the aisle?”

It was clear to see that her heart was torn on that. No more were her delighted giggles, the thought of that was enough to send her into a full on fit of happy crying. “You should really save that for your father, don’t you think?”

“You wouldn’t have your father walk you down the aisle.” I exclaimed, still begging her for an answer.

“If my father had been alive to see me get married, I would have.” She smiled, finally opening her eyes. Leah looked worse with every moment she sat there, holding back all of her pain so that I wouldn’t have to watch her suffer. “But yes. If you’ll have me… I’d love to walk you down the aisle someday. As long as you promise to sing at my funeral.”

My heart both fluttered and broke at the sound of her words. All of this for one little necklace. “I lost it, Leah. Mom’s cross is gone. I’m sorry…”

Leah’s lips curled into a small smile. Before I could cry any more tears I felt her hand on my shoulder, comforting me. It only stayed for a few moments before she reached beside her, picking her jacket from the floor and hauling it into her lap so that she could fish through the pockets.

“Don’t be.” She blushed, holding her hand out to show me what she’d found.

“Mom’s cross.” Gently and carefully, I reached towards her, taking it into my hands. “But how?”

“Found it in the grass before I left the courtyard. I picked it up after I got shot, just to make sure it was safe. I should have handed it to you then, I’m sorry. It would have kept you from worrying.”

“Leah…” My voice shattered with joy, smiling happily. “Thank you…”

“Like I said, kid. I’d do anything for you.” She leaned back in her bed, finally able to close her eyes and rest. “You’re the key to my heart you know. I wish I could have had a baby of my own, but I’m happy I had you.”

“Don’t say that like it’s over, please-”

“Candace.” She paused, staring at me with her desperately pleading eyes. “Was I half the mom she was?”

“Yes.” My heart swelled. “Yes, you were.”

Leah broke down. Within a few moments she was to a point where I wasn’t sure I could watch anymore. But I sat there and I waited it out with her, her hand in mine and the necklace in the other until she eventually stabilized. She was going to need a moment to herself.

I’d never taken the time to really look at it before, but as I sat there and studied the cross, I noticed something. It finally occurred to me what exactly I had been missing.

“No.” I mumbled to myself as I reached into my purse, setting my mother’s diary into my lap. “Don’t tell me…”

Slowly and carefully, I unlocked the clasp keeping the book sealed shut, turning the pages for the first time. The key had been on me for my entire life, it was my mother’s cross. Of course it was. I was just too blind to see it. If I had realized it sooner I could have opened it up and read it the moment it was in my hand, but I hadn’t- and I’d been too sentimental to break the lock open.

If Leah hadn’t been there to rescue it, I never would have read my mom’s diary.

I gently closed the book, depositing it back into my purse to meet the smile of Leah beside me, somehow proud of me for unlocking that part of my past. But I wasn’t about to read it now, I had too many thoughts and feelings on my mind to be stuck looking back at what was. I wanted to focus on what is.

“Well go ahead.” Leah looked at me with her glazed over eyes, fixing them on the cross in my hand. “I’m afraid you’ll have to put it on yourself this time. I don’t really have the hands to hold yours anymore.”

My eyes followed. I wasn’t just holding a piece of my mother, I was holding a piece of myself. A piece of our family. It was too important to us both to entrust it in the hands of someone who’s just going to lose it. Leah needed all the help she could get thanks to me, but thanks to her, I didn’t. She might not be my mom, and I might not be her daughter, but she was as close to family as they came. Cynically, it was almost better this way. Leah might never have a child of her own, and if I had been that daughter of hers who never came to be, I never would have met her. But at the end of the day, Leah’s been with me longer than my mother ever had the chance to.

I was careful not to hurt her as I put it on, but the necklace was much prettier on my mother than on me. Which was exactly where it was going to stay, with her. With my mother. Leah.

“I want you to have it.” I sat up, brushing her hair out of the way so that I could see it.

She wasn’t shocked or surprised as far as I could tell, but she wasn’t so pleased either. I think she had wanted this. She had hoped for this, rather than selfishly sought after it. In a way it made her feel greedy. Indebted to me. But she only had one hand to work with, she couldn’t take it off on her own anyway. It was bittersweet. An apple.

“Candace… I don’t deserve this.”

Leah tried. She couldn’t even convince herself of that anymore. Loathing was doing the talking now and it had nothing near the tongue she did. I’d come to realize that she was something of a habitual liar. It was her defense mechanism- lie until you get what you need. One second she works for me, and the next for my father. I didn’t need to know about all the things she went through to protect me, so she made sure I didn’t. But the gun was always loaded, because what use was an empty weapon?

“I’m sorry, Leah. I’ve done enough harm already. You have to let me go, I can’t let you protect me anymore.” I understood that it must have been hard for her. But we both needed this. “I’ve come this far thanks to my family. But all of this has made me realize that I don’t know who I really am aside from my father’s son… And I learned that from you.”

Faltering, I swallowed my heart. If this was the last time I ever got to speak to her, I wanted her to see that I was growing up, even if it hurt us both. She’d spent her entire life on me, and for what? To be sent to the grave doing it? Leah had no idea who she was on her own- and I couldn’t grow up to be her either. She’d done enough to protect me. Hopefully once all was said and done, we could both figure out who we really were.

Her left hand curled around the cross. She was crying at just the thought of it. This was hard for her, but she was going to take it better from me than from my father. I just wished it hadn’t come to this.

“You're just like your father.” She managed between sobs. “Always making me feel that much more indebted to you…”

She may have been a liar but when Leah told the truth, you could feel it. I didn’t want her to be indebted to me, it hardly felt like I deserve anything from anyone. I was never going to let that happen with her. As far as I was concerned, she’d already paid off whatever she owed my father.

“It’s ironic.” Her gaze shifted, almost shamefully. It was a hard thing to swallow. “I don’t even like apples.”

My heart popped. “Apples?”

She swallowed. Her eyes closed, body shaking with pain. Fingers pried away from the necklace and curled around something else. Tucked away beneath the covers with her- an apple. The cross she could wear, however painfully. But she could only hold one or the other, not both. Only one of us could hold the apple. It fit into my hands like it was made for me, that accursed fruit. I held it, knowing where it came from. My stomach was spinning in a lot of ways I didn’t quite understand.

I brought it to my chest, taking it from her aching fingers as they chased after it. I hoped to see myself in its shiny polished surface, but the dull light of morning refused to reflect, captured inside of its matte skin. “My father came back to see you?”

Leah winced. Leah shuddered. Leah recoiled. Something about her reaction was off. On a dime something changed, the gears in her head turned… backwards. “He never left.”

What I would have given to see my reaction just then, at least in the reflection of the apple. Invisible seeds planted in my throat I couldn’t swallow. “He didn’t?”

“He was the one who brought me here.” She sighed, sitting up slightly to ease the agony in her chest as she forced breath in and out. “He’s been here all night.”

For some reason the tightening in my chest made it hard to think, let alone speak, so I mumbled. “I was told no one was allowed in?”

Leah could barely shake her head. “This is Cardinal Russo you’re talking about. He does whatever he wants, remember?”

The apple turned over in my hand as I stared at it, met with my reflection. “And he wanted to stay and make sure you’re okay?”

Birds chirped just outside the window, quietly. The room was devoid of life for a few moments as Leah and I sat there, trying to listen to their calls. Memories of my childhood were so fuzzy at this point that I couldn’t remember who taught me the sounds of which bird, but among them was at least one I could recognize. There were no bluebirds, which was good, because I wasn’t ready to watch those little wings fly over the rainbow.

There wasn’t going to be a rainbow left once this storm settled. But at least I heard cardinals.

“I’m not going to be okay, Candace.” Leah told me, searing the perception of happily ever after in my head. She wore a frown on her face, one which she always wore beneath a fake smile. “I don’t like being the one to give bad news. But I can’t protect you from this just by hiding it from you, I’m sorry. I don’t think your father would be here if I wasn’t about to die.”

Tears practically glued my eyes shut. The thought of it had me shaking with fear. I’d been afraid before, more afraid than this, but this was different. I wanted to scream.

“Things keep running through my head, like I’m fading in and out. I don’t know if I’m dreaming… or hallucinating… or something else.” Leah tried not to stutter, but she kept stopping to catch her breath. “I keep seeing my family all sitting in a tree, and for a few moments I forget that I’ve never had a tree. But there they are- my sister, my mom, my dad, and… my husband. It doesn’t feel real like I’d always hoped it would, but in the same way, this doesn’t feel real either. It’s like they’re one family, and you’re another… and I have to pick which one I want to be with.”

“Stay with me, please. I want to meet the baby you have one day.” I held her hand as tight as I could. “And don’t you dare say it’ll never happen, because when I’m in charge, you’re not going to be in debt any longer. I’m going to get rid of it, I promise.”

Leah’s smile struck me with just a bit of hope. Wordlessly, her pinky curled around mine, accepting my promise. Even then her crying eyes still stared blankly towards the apple in my hand, and I wasn’t sure what she was seeing just then. But I couldn’t help but see a bit of color in her cheeks.

Biting my lip, I nervously laid her hand back down on her chest. “Would you… like me to go get dad?”

Leah’s hands quickly clutched the cross resting between her collarbones, as if to hide it. Blue eyes only parted from the apple in closing. Her answer came with a lot of hesitation, unsure whether it was okay to say yes. But it was.

There were people outside waiting as I stepped into the hallway, either following me or waiting to see what was going on, but the moment the staff saw me they quickly began to disperse.

“Turn around.” I snapped, growling at the next person I laid eyes on. “Turn around and walk the other way.”

One of the staff, a redheaded woman, squinted at me. But walk the other way she did. She was pregnant, visibly so, but she was still the same woman. Leah didn’t need to see someone like her right now. It would only make things worse. She huffed at me after a few moments, pulling her cardigan over herself to try and hide her body. Her eyes were like daggers.

“Get moving, sweets.” I tapped my foot impatiently, not taking no for an answer. “I’m waiting.”

She recoiled ever so slightly as I hissed, squinting as she wordlessly turned around and marched off in a hurry.

“Pull yourself together, Amelia.” I mumbled to myself once they all had gone, forcibly prying myself from her side. “It’s time to stop chasing your own tail…”

My father was exactly where I was afraid he’d be by the time I found him, standing behind the reception desk with my brother and his mom. That was where the security usually sat, but when he wanted control, he got it. The two of them quickly hushed, and then vanished without a word once they saw me coming, leaving me and dad alone. He had his back turned as I stepped in, facing the waiting room ahead of us. I wasn’t surprised to see him, I was surprised to see him just sitting there.

Especially considering how long he’d been here.

“Why are you here?” I spat as I stepped inside, knowing that no one beyond this room could hear us. That was all I had to say for myself- accusing him of being where I thought he wasn’t supposed to be.

“Good morning, princess.” He said with a smile, quickly standing up. Dad was quick to point out that he was usually the tallest person in the room. “How’d you sleep?”

“Awful.” I shuddered, crossing my arms at my chest. “Just awful.”

“I can’t say I slept much better.” He chuckled, waiting for me to approach so that he could reach around my back and place his hand on my opposite shoulder. Once I did and once he had he just held me there, facing me towards the desk. “What about her?”

My organs seemed to squeeze all at once. He wasn’t supposed to be here- not while I was here.

“Who?” I asked, quickly trying to feign innocence. I knew it wouldn’t work. And to be honest, I knew it really wasn’t even worth a try.

“You know who.” He frowned, tapping the paperwork in front of him. “I caught your brother and his mom trying to file these. Not that I didn’t already know.”

Just as I’d feared, those were Chloe’s documents- the ones I had signed and sent my sister late last night, alongside her general personnel file. It had her picture on it this time.

“Daddy…” I stuttered, my heart thumping with anticipation. “Please…”

Father took his eyes off of her and pointed them at me, almost disappointed. “This is what you really want, huh?”

I could feel the bumps in my windpipe as I swallowed. “She’s mine, dad. I’m not getting rid of her again.”

“I’m not going to make you.” He sighed, grip tightening around my shoulders. “But there will be consequences if you don’t.”

Swallowing my nerves was like seeds rolling down my throat. “What kind of consequences?”

“You’re not marrying that girl, Candace. I’m not going to let you.” He frowned, picking at his scar with one finger. “And until you agree to marry someone else, you won’t be inheriting anything from me.”

“Oh yeah?” I rolled my eyes, teeth pinching the inside of my cheek. “And if I’m not your heiress, who is?”

The scariest thing about it was that look in his eyes. My father had a plan. One that I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear. “You don’t have to find out, princess. I want it to be you.”

My mind drifted from Chloe for a second, considering it. She wasn’t the only woman I cared about. Fingers curled around the little red apple, clutching tighter. He took my hand in his, upturning my palm until I was holding it out for us both to see, all the while looking down on me with that loving smile. I cared about Leah too.

“If you take my place, you can cancel all of your new mother’s debt.”

It worried me to hear him call her that, but he knew what kind of relationship I had with Leah. “And if I don’t?”

“Then you can’t.” His smile faded, but he didn’t frown. He simply slid his hand out from beneath mine and placed it on top of the apple, holding it from above as I did so from below. “Now what’s it going to be?”

My eyes locked with his, and then hers, and then mine as they reflected from the shiny side of the apple. Still determined to do what’s right, I spun it in our hands until his reflection faced him, and I was left looking over towards the photo of Chloe on the desk. Being with her made me happy. She made me happy. And all Leah wanted was to see me happy. So I made the difficult decision. I pulled my hand away from his, and I smiled. She made me smile. He could have the apple. I had her.

I watched his neutral expression become a frown, tossing the fruit into the air and catching it. He held it to his chest. My father was a cruel person, one who at one point would have done something awful to me just then, as punishment for disobeying him. But as I had come to realize, and he himself would admit, my mother had changed him. He hated himself for that, even if he couldn’t help it, but I wasn’t afraid of Chloe like he was. If the woman he loved could change him, then hopefully the woman I loved could change me.

“Okay.” He shook his head, glancing at his reflection. “You’re cut off.”

“I know.” Blushing at just the sound of that, I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t excited to discover the extent of what he meant by it. “But I’m following your advice. Doing what I want and not taking no for an answer.”

Father rolled his eyes at that one. He was annoyed. Very annoyed. “You know sometimes you make me wish I’d had another kid to try again with.”

“They’d probably just end up like me.” I forced myself out of his grasp, stepping away from him towards the glass. “But you could always adopt, you know. There are a lot of kids out there who need a good home.”

His expression finally lightened, chuckling. “I’ll think about it.”

He tapped the file closed and scraped it off of the desk, almost bitterly. It only took a couple of moments to find someone else to hand them off to, that same redheaded woman, who could take the folder to his ex-wife for him. “I’ve actually been thinking more along the lines of getting myself another slave, any recommendations?”

The implication that I might even have recommendations made me shudder. “Please don’t ask if you can have Aria.”

“I’d be shocked if Lilith somehow ended up letting her fall into my hands.” He smirked. “I was thinking more along the lines of that whore from the pounding house. You know, the former actress?”

My gears skidded to a halt. “Who?”

“The lady who played Dorothy Gale when you were real little, remember?”

“Oh yeah-” The sparkle in my eyes just about blinded me. My niece had great tastes. “You mean back when we all almost got shot dead in an alley?”

“That’d be the show we were there to see, yeah.”

“What does she have to do with anything?”

“She was your friend’s homewrecker.”

“Wait, that’s who Leah’s husband cheated on her with?” I gasped. “How the fuck did they meet?”

“Who do you think tried to shoot us in that alley?”

My jaw dropped. “And you hired him?”

“I’m not the crazy one here, Leah is the bitch who went and married, I was the one who killed him.” He coldly groaned. “Besides, I’ve recruited a lot of men that way. It’s how I met her father. It only made sense to let the kid take his place.”

“And now someone has to take his place.” My voice hushed. “Why’d you kill him anyways?”

“Because he cheated on his wife.”

I crossed my arms at my chest. “That’s not it.”

Dad paused for a moment, promptly rolling his eyes. “Because he broke her heart, and no man like that is going to stay my right hand. He didn’t deserve her, and if she wanted him dead, who am I to stop her?”

I loved him. He was my father. I knew exactly why I liked him so much, I just wasn’t sure why anyone else liked him so much, but I was beginning to see the picture. If he respected you, he treated you right.

For the most part.

“Leah told me you’ve been here all night.” I stuttered, trying to keep my eyes off of him as we walked. “How long have you had that apple?”

“I brought it to the party.” My father informed me as he stepped out of the reception room, and I quickly followed. “I never know who might need one.”

“Like Leah?”

“Like Leah.”

My face turned red. Hot with both a strange anger and embarrassment. “She asked me to come get you.”

He raised an eyebrow at that, squinting. “What for?”

“She wants to see you, dad.” The words left a bitter taste in my mouth. “I didn’t question it.”

His face was struck with nothing short of confusion as he stopped to stare at the fruit’s matte skin. “Alone?”

“Please don’t make this any more awkward than it needs to be.” My body shuddered, trying to shake the anxiety off. “This is already hard for me.”

“Alright. Alright.” He nodded, letting me take his arm and lead him there. “But only because she’s so important to you.”

A weight slowly lifted from my chest. “Thank you.”

Room nineteen. We stepped back into intensive care together, father and daughter- and I guess seeing that put a smile on Leah’s otherwise agonized face.

“I’m sorry.” The words leapt from her lips the moment she saw him. “I couldn’t do it, Sir. I’m sorry.”

The steel toed boots on my feet halted at the door, but he stepped forward, still holding the apple. He didn’t just look at her, he glared at her.

“I told you one last collection job was all you needed to do before I made you my advisor, and you couldn’t even manage that. I asked you one thing, one simple thing, and you went and pushed yourself.” He quickly took a seat by her side, right where I had been sitting. For a moment I felt my chest bubbling with rage, but he kept going. “You had to go and get yourself killed trying to protect my idiot progeny from yet another maniacal superfan, didn’t you?”

“Hey!” By the end of it I was offended for a completely different reason, but at least he was giving Leah a little bit of credit. “I’m standing right here!”

“His debt is coming out of your allowance, kid. It’s not like you’re going to have much use for it.” He snapped at me, half-jokingly. “Just be glad I’m not giving it to you, Watts.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did, Sir. I’m sorry.” Leah was curling in on herself, making my aching heart worry that she might just drop dead right then and there. “I take it I’m fired?”

“Bold assumption.” Dad grinned. “I’m surprised you’re more afraid of that right now than dying.”

Leah’s single mobile hand tightened around the cross, still hiding it. But that little movement was enough for my father to finally notice that, and once her wrist was firmly within his grasp, she didn’t attempt to resist him pulling her hand away from it.

“I thought that punk made off with this.”

“He did.” I supplied, growing slowly more irritated. “Leah found it after she was shot.”

Very little surprised this man, but his eyes went wide with disbelief as he turned to her. “Are you actually that insane?”

Leah shriveled inwards, her wrist still caught in his hand. She wouldn’t have known how to respond to that in the best of scenarios, but the tightening grip around the base of her hand was simply watering the seeds of fear that my father’s gaze planted in her throat, choking the words out of her throat before they could bloom.

“Don’t answer that.” He snarled uncaringly, releasing her now limp upper arm and curling his fist around the cross dangling from the necklace I’d given her. Nerves kept me frozen feet behind him, afraid of what my dad was going to do to her. He was about to snap it straight off the chain without a thought, even if it choked her, and neither of us would have stopped him. Leah couldn’t even watch.

“How could you even think to put this on?” His wrist twitched, and she began to flinch, whimpering at the pain of even trying to move. But at just the last moment, he stopped. Realizing something as he looked her over. “How did you put this on?”

Leah pried her eyes open, silently stuttering. She could still just barely move, but it was enough for her to at least begin pointing at me with her free hand.

“Answer that.” My father groaned at her, and then at me. “Did you put this on her?”

“Does it matter?” I crossed my arms at my chest, blushing. “She deserves it-”

“I don’t.” Leah quickly retorted, refusing to accept my praise. “I don’t deserve a thing. Not after everything I’ve done. Not after everything my father’s done. I’m sorry…”

Slowly, I watched as my father let go of the cross, silencing her with one finger to her lips. Leah quickly shut up, staying silent even once he’d pulled his hand away.

“I never would have hired you if it weren’t for my wife, you know. You have her to thank for that.” He sighed, his temper slowly subsiding. “But I guess you were just destined to get here, huh?”

Leah hesitated. “I don’t believe in destiny.”

The moment she saw his hand moved, she froze, watching him hold out his now open palm and taking her hand in his. Her eyes locked with his, terrified. She quickly sensed that she somehow must have said something wrong. But she let him hold her hand like I did.

“There’s your problem.” He responded. “With an attitude like that, you will die.”

“Why does it matter, Sir?” She raised her voice at him for the first time, quickly shrinking back down. “I’m nothing…”

“You saved my daughter’s life.” My father stated matter of factly. For a moment- just briefly- he gave me a knowing look, smiling slightly. “You’re not nothing.”

“Daddy…” I nervously whispered, unable to speak much louder. “What are you doing?”

“Whatever I want.” He smirked, sending chills down my spine. “And not taking no for an answer.”

“I don’t understand.” Leah quickly whimpered, struggling to keep her composure. “What do you want from me now?”

“What do you want?” He repeated back to her. “You’ve been after this your whole life. Don’t think I haven’t been watching you. I wouldn’t let a bug land on my daughter’s shoulders if I thought it didn’t deserve to be there. You’ve been trying to get my attention. You’ve wanted me to notice you for years, now enough already. You can quit trying to impress me. I see you, Leah Watts. I’ve noticed you. I’m impressed. Now answer my question. What the fuck do you want?”

Suddenly, and without warning, her emotion seemed to quell. From where I stood it was like she’d be given a second wind. But that didn’t make it any easier for me. It was agonizing to watch the two of them go back and forth with one another. I couldn’t take much more of this. It was just too uncomfortable. It was just too painful.

“That’s it.” She smiled, her eyes drifting shut as she laid her head back. “Thank you.”

Perplexed- and almost impressed- he let go of her hand. “Anytime.”

Finally finding the strength to move, I stepped towards her. There was one last thing I needed to say to her before I left, gently taking her by the hand and setting my other on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t be the daughter you wanted. I know I’m not the one you expected. But I hope you don’t mind that I was the one you ended up with.”

“At this point I don’t think I’d have it any other way. As long as you don’t mind me being your mom, that is.”

“If you’ll have me, I’d love nothing more.”

“Don’t say that. I’ll always have you, and you’ll always have me.”

“Hopefully I can be half the mom you are someday.”

“You’re my daughter. Of course you will.”

“Thank you for everything, Leah. I’m sorry that it took losing you to realize how much you mean to me.”

“As far as I’m concerned, I got what I wanted…” Her empty eyes fluttered open, locking onto mine. “Don’t worry about me. Do what you want, and don’t take no for an answer.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Our foreheads pressed together for a moment. “I love you.”

I felt her shift, placing her lips to my forehead and kissing me. “I love you too.”

That was the only way I could stand to leave her. If she died, I said everything I needed to say, and I had nothing to regret. If she didn’t, I would have a new mother. But I couldn’t stand to sit here and watch the light leave her, I couldn’t be there when she died. We already knew just how much that affected people. I wasn’t about to carry the weight of that for the rest of my life, and she wasn’t about to let me. With a heavy heart, I tore myself from my side and I left the rest to her.

“Don’t you dare.” She mumbled to my father as he turned to follow me, grabbing him by the hand. He wasn’t going to be so lucky, she wouldn’t let him. “Don’t you dare leave me here alone.”

He stopped in his tracks, his scarred eye twitching as he held her hand. “And why should I give you another moment of my time?”

Without a second of thought or hesitation, Leah smiled, tilting her head towards him. “Because if I’m going to die, I want to confess my sins first.”

He looked at her like that was the answer to whether she was insane. Apparently she was. “Remind me, you’re Jewish, yes?”

“Yes.” She swallowed her pride, squeezing his hand for support. “Always have been.”

“Considering Catholicism, are you?” He smirked, squeezing back.

“I don’t know. It’s not like I don’t already have a cross collaring my throat.” She giggled to herself. “You say you’re God, right?”

The sound of that made him smile. “Sometimes I can’t help but think so, as crazy as it sounds.”

“Tell me about it.” She rolled her eyes. “Humble me.”

“You first.” He hummed, sitting down next to her. “What sins have you committed?”

“Just one.” Leah whispered. “Other than that, I’ve been an angel.”

“Tell me.” My father paused for a moment to admire her attitude. “What’s on your mind, angel?”

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And I don’t know about you, but I don’t care to know what happens next. Today has already been one hell of a day, and you deserve to be back with Chloe as soon as possible.

The halls were mostly empty as I made my way out. Quiet and lonely. Even more alone than before, I drove home. It was time to make myself- and her- feel a little bit less alone.

It was easy enough getting back home, pulling the car into the garage, and forcing myself past the workout equipment collecting dust without a second thought. Getting myself to go back inside was another thing entirely. I felt like my feet had turned to stone again just outside the door, refusing to let me step inside. Was this how she must have felt when she first came here?

My reflection was, well, it was me as I looked into the shaded windows refusing to let me peer inside. Little did she know she had been admiring her own hair by the window into what would eventually be her home when she climbed out of that box. Sophia had a lot of guts to walk through that door. But I could do anything she could do and more, so I did. I went back inside. This was my house. My Sophia. My Chloe. My home. Mine. All mine.

She deserved to sleep in. She certainly wasn’t entitled to sleep in, but I was going to let her anyway. Things are back to normal now. I’m in charge. I decide what she does and doesn’t deserve; she deserves to sleep in today.

Tidy up, feed the cats, make breakfast. Three checks in a row. I could do anything she could do, and more. I could restore order on my own.

Besides, I was a better cook than she was anyways. It didn’t sound like she was even awake by the time I opened the hatch back up, sliding breakfast to her on a plate this time. Actual food on an actual platter. We’d use the bowl somewhere else. Hopefully the smell would help wake her.

I locked the hatch and ate my breakfast before leaving the dishes in the sink. Someone would clean them later. Even skipping my morning workout, I needed a shower. My empathy only goes so far though, and after a couple minutes of trying to clean myself off in the cold water like I’d forced her to, I turned the heat back on. No way was I about to force myself through that.

I got dressed. I gave up and did the dishes. I bathed my pets all on my own. I even did laundry. This is all to say that I deliberated for a long time that morning on what to do next. I was understandably nervous, but eventually I just had to tear the bandage off and get the girl .

“Good morning.” I think we both said in unison to each other, but only after half a minute of avoiding eye contact, followed by the rest of the silent minute directly afterward.

“So…” I started, making sure she wasn’t about to interrupt with something else. “How’d you sleep?”

“Better than I probably should have, all things considering.” She hesitated for a moment before answering. “I’m moving in with you, after all.”

My face quickly turned red at the way she phrased that. Moving in together.

“You’ve disobeyed me a lot lately, but what matters is that you came home.” My lips curled into a smile. “And for that, you’ve earned a hot meal and a hot shower.”

Chloe’s eyes glowed at the sound of that second one, having already finished her breakfast. “May I?”

“Not yet.” I shook my head. “Not here at least. You’re getting an upgrade.”

“An upgrade?” She asked, not quite knowing if she knew what was coming. “You mean-”

“Shut your mouth.” She quickly went silent at my command. “Shut your eyes, and give me your hand.”

Chloe looked at me in hesitation for a few moments, but if there was one thing she’d learned how to do very well over the last year, it was to know when to give up. When to forfeit. She slowly did as she was told, letting me grab her by the hand as she quietly closed her eyes.

Taking her hand in mine and planting the other on her back, I guided her to her feet and led her out of the cell. Chloe walked slowly, but she readily allowed me to lead her where she needed to go.

It warmed my heart to see that all of the submission she’d once shown me was real.

Licking my lips, I planted a kiss on her cheek. “I’m going to want more of this from you.”

She flinched, not expecting me to whisper into her ear like I did, but she quickly recovered. “Yes, Mistress.”

Chloe held my hand, refusing to let go. Call it instinct. I led her to the door of what was once the guest bedroom, which was no longer. From now on, there would be no sleeping in a cell. From now on, things were going to be different.

“From now on, this is your room.” Prying her fingers from my hand, I led them to the unlocked doorknob, tapping her back to urge her forward. She was excited, and well- so was I. “It’s still my house. Nothing in there is really yours, it’s all still my property, and so are you. But from now on, this is the servants’ quarters.”

Her hand grabbed at the handle, impatiently. But like a good girl, knowing never to jump the gun, she waited for me to tell her exactly what to do and when. Chloe was antsy, but she kept her mouth- and her eyes- shut.

“Go ahead and open your eyes.” I stepped back, releasing her. “Feel free to tell me what you think.”

The first thing her eyes locked onto when she opened them was me. Almost like she wasn’t sure this was really happening. But it was.

And as she went to open the door, she couldn’t be more happy about it.

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“That’s where you got those scars, huh?” Leah mumbled through the pain, both pleasantly and unpleasantly surprised by my father’s stories. “I never would have guessed.”

“I’ve always felt the same way.” He smiled, checking to make sure no one else was there to listen before motioning for the nurses to step inside. “Quite frankly, if it hadn’t happened like it had, none of you would be here right now.”

“And neither would you.” Leah finished for him.

“And neither would I.” He confirmed.

“So…” Another voice piped up from beside them both as she stepped inside. “Are her sins forgiven?”

There was a quiet pause as he turned to look at the girl, Aria, here to check up on her patient.

“I would think so.” He assured her. “As are yours.”

Her eyes promptly widened, flickering with hope. “You mean that?”

Cardinal nodded, not smiling, but also not frowning. He was indifferent to the girl. “You did everything you could to break things up between my daughter and that girl of hers, that’s all I could have asked of you. The only thing you could have done better is actually pull it off like you were told.”

Aria quickly hung her head in shame, the hopeful flickers disappearing as her eyes twisted shut. “I did break them up, Sir.”

“But it didn’t stay that way.” He rolled his eyes.

“It’s not my fault they got back together.”

“And it’s not my fault that my son and his mom turned you into their slave.” Her boss smirked. “You just got unlucky I suppose.”

Aria frowned, pouting to herself, but accepting his decision. She knew very well not to argue with Cardinal Russo. “What now, Sir?”

“I’m not going to kill you, but I’m also not going to help you. So… Nothing.” He grinned, pinching the girl’s cheek. “Which is why that collar’s going to stay. It’s punishment enough for your defeat. Nice try, though. Better luck next time.”

“There’s not going to be a next time…” Her eyes opened, now glowing with anger.

“No.” He concurred. “I don’t suppose there will be.”

The undersized nurse went on with her task, however morbid. It was clear that not all was well with the woman. Unfortunately, all she could do now was pray.

“Leave us.” Cardinal frowned, snapping his fingers and making the girl disappear.

“You’re cruel.” Leah forced through her throat again. “What you do to these girls, it’s cruel.”

“I do what needs to be done.” He smiled, genuinely. “Because no one else will.”

“And Aria?” She choked. “What happens to her once you’re rid of her owner?”

“Depends on what happens to you.” He took her hand. “And whether she can save you.”

Leah’s blue eyes scanned his, curiously. Not wanting to leave. “What happens if she does?”

“Then she’ll belong to you.” He squeezed her hand. Her one mobile hand. “Lilith is giving her to you either way.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

He let go of her hand. “Everything you own becomes mine.”

“Because I’m indebted to you.” She swallowed nervously, not wanting him to leave just yet. “You’re leaving this up to me?”

“And whether you live, yes.”

“She’s counting on me.”

“I’m counting on you.” He agreed. “So you’d better not die.”

Leah coughed, tears beginning to well. “You’re cruel.”

“I do what needs to be done.” He turned her palm over. “Because no one else will.”

Leah’s hand graciously accepted the apple as he gave it to her.

“Welcome to the family.” My father smiled, saying nothing more and nothing less as he made his way out, finally leaving her to her fate.

Her hand shook, left with nothing but that apple, pressing it to her lips. It smelled bittersweet as she held it there, longing to taste it. But she knew she couldn’t have it. All she could do now was plant one last kiss and pray that everything turned out okay.

Alone. The apple pried away, reflecting back at her as she stared at it. There was nothing left for her but that reflection. He was gone. She was gone. I was gone. But Leah was still there. Alone.

She prayed. She prayed everything would be okay. Her body aching from a lifetime of pain and regret, Leah closed her eyes, pressed the apple to her naked belly, and cried herself to sleep.

Praying that she’d wake up.

And everything would be okay.