then winked at Sophie.
Sophie laughed. “I wouldn't bet against you.”
Mary's gap-toothed smile suddenly faded to a frown.
“What's wrong?” Sophie asked.
“You're going to leave,” Mary said, crossing her arms. “I don't want you to go.”
Sophie tousled Mary's curly hair. “Well, I can't stay here forever. I don't think your dad would like that too much.”
Mary scoffed. “He doesn't like anything anymore. Not since Mom died.”
Mary's face made Sophie's heart ache. She was so accustomed to pain, so hardened by it, but Mary's pain was new, fresh, the worst kind. Mary had to feel it all. Sophie hugged her closely. “He loves you and your brother. You can be sure of that.”
Mary pulled out of Sophie's embrace. “He has a funny way of showing it. When he's not fighting at that stupid tavern he's in the barn, training. The only reason he's been in the house at all is because it's wintertime, and you guys are here. Once you're gone, it will be back to the way it was... empty.”
“Don't you have any friends?” Sophie asked.
Mary shook her head. “I did, but dad doesn't let me see them anymore. He said people can't be trusted. That's why I'm surprised he let you stay here. It's because of your friend, I think. Dad really believes the reason he didn't die is because our mom's spirit is still here, watching over the house.”
Sophie finished the last few drops of hot chocolate, which had gone cold ages ago. “How did she die, your mother?”
“Mary!” a voice barked. It nearly made Sophie fall out of her seat.
Ben, a mountain of a man, was standing in the doorway, grimacing heavily. “What did I tell you about coming up here?” Ben growled.
Sophie got up. “No, Ben it's fine, real-”
“Please.” Ben raised a hand. “Let me raise my daughter.”
Sophie nodded and sat back down.
Ben nudged Mary. “Go to your room.”
Mary sighed. “Yes sirrr,” she said, pushing past him.
“And lose the attitude!” he called after her down the hall. When Mary's footsteps faded, Ben turned to Sophie. “She's a smart girl, tough as nails too, but as stubborn and thick-skulled as her dad. At least she got her looks from her mother,” he said with a scratch of the head.
Sophie nodded in agreement. “She's very pretty.”
Ben looked towards Jake. “Has he woken up yet?”
“For a bit. He wanted to leave.”
“Leave?” Ben asked incredulously. “In his condition? And go where?”
Sophie shrugged. “I don't know.” There was a lot she didn't know about him. It was strange, and frustrating. Usually, when Sophie touched someone, she would see glimpses of their past, their future, sometimes even lines of different lives, as if the same soul were living them over and over. Jake's future, however, was clouded, opaque to the point of being illegible. And his past, a blank slate, as if it never occurred at all. Sophie had never experienced anything like it before. It sent a chill down her spine to feel it, the utter emptiness.
“Did you figure out anything about him? Where he's from? Who his parents are?” Ben asked.
Sophie shook her head. Something told her that even Jake himself wouldn't know how to answer those questions.
Ben shook his head. “I just don't get
Sophie laughed. “I wouldn't bet against you.”
Mary's gap-toothed smile suddenly faded to a frown.
“What's wrong?” Sophie asked.
“You're going to leave,” Mary said, crossing her arms. “I don't want you to go.”
Sophie tousled Mary's curly hair. “Well, I can't stay here forever. I don't think your dad would like that too much.”
Mary scoffed. “He doesn't like anything anymore. Not since Mom died.”
Mary's face made Sophie's heart ache. She was so accustomed to pain, so hardened by it, but Mary's pain was new, fresh, the worst kind. Mary had to feel it all. Sophie hugged her closely. “He loves you and your brother. You can be sure of that.”
Mary pulled out of Sophie's embrace. “He has a funny way of showing it. When he's not fighting at that stupid tavern he's in the barn, training. The only reason he's been in the house at all is because it's wintertime, and you guys are here. Once you're gone, it will be back to the way it was... empty.”
“Don't you have any friends?” Sophie asked.
Mary shook her head. “I did, but dad doesn't let me see them anymore. He said people can't be trusted. That's why I'm surprised he let you stay here. It's because of your friend, I think. Dad really believes the reason he didn't die is because our mom's spirit is still here, watching over the house.”
Sophie finished the last few drops of hot chocolate, which had gone cold ages ago. “How did she die, your mother?”
“Mary!” a voice barked. It nearly made Sophie fall out of her seat.
Ben, a mountain of a man, was standing in the doorway, grimacing heavily. “What did I tell you about coming up here?” Ben growled.
Sophie got up. “No, Ben it's fine, real-”
“Please.” Ben raised a hand. “Let me raise my daughter.”
Sophie nodded and sat back down.
Ben nudged Mary. “Go to your room.”
Mary sighed. “Yes sirrr,” she said, pushing past him.
“And lose the attitude!” he called after her down the hall. When Mary's footsteps faded, Ben turned to Sophie. “She's a smart girl, tough as nails too, but as stubborn and thick-skulled as her dad. At least she got her looks from her mother,” he said with a scratch of the head.
Sophie nodded in agreement. “She's very pretty.”
Ben looked towards Jake. “Has he woken up yet?”
“For a bit. He wanted to leave.”
“Leave?” Ben asked incredulously. “In his condition? And go where?”
Sophie shrugged. “I don't know.” There was a lot she didn't know about him. It was strange, and frustrating. Usually, when Sophie touched someone, she would see glimpses of their past, their future, sometimes even lines of different lives, as if the same soul were living them over and over. Jake's future, however, was clouded, opaque to the point of being illegible. And his past, a blank slate, as if it never occurred at all. Sophie had never experienced anything like it before. It sent a chill down her spine to feel it, the utter emptiness.
“Did you figure out anything about him? Where he's from? Who his parents are?” Ben asked.
Sophie shook her head. Something told her that even Jake himself wouldn't know how to answer those questions.
Ben shook his head. “I just don't get
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