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Authors: A.L. Tyler
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family was limited to what he knew about his dead grandparents.
Howard sighed. “Well then, you couldn’t drive the car. And I’d want to talk it over with the doctor before you went, because that might not be such a good idea. But I guess I could try to put something together.” He looked directly at Lena. We’ll discuss it later.
After the meal was over, Lena found her way up to Howard’s office and waited patiently until he arrived. When he came in, he went directly to the opposite side of his desk and sat down, looking much more casual than Lena had expected.
Without actually looking at her, he started in a serious tone. “Do you really feel comfortable doing this? Rollin is still out there.”
Lena cast him a nervous glance. “But he hasn’t been heard from in months…not since what he did to Devin, right?”
Howard shrugged. “Right. You know as well as I do.”
Lena shifted uncomfortably. She knew he was still out there, but preferred not to think about it. Everyone knew he was still out there—but what he was doing, or planning to do, remained a frightening enigma. “Are you comfortable with me doing this?”
Howard glanced over at her and sighed. “It’s not about me. You’re old enough to make this call. I think you should take some time to really think about this, and I’ll say I said no if you’re not okay doing it. But if you’re ready to go, I’m ready to let you. But I need to know you can handle being the adult in the situation—Cheryl’s responsible, but she’s still just a kid. And you know I like Devin, but he’s not someone I would leave in charge if given an option.”
Lena nodded. She looked down at her knees. “But you think I’m ready?”
“I think you’re ready if you think you’re ready. It’s a big responsibility, even with taking Cheryl and Devin. You’ll be in charge. I doubt anything will go wrong, but if it does, it would be your job to take care of it.” Howard’s grey eyes scrutinized her.
Lena took a deep breath. She looked back up at Howard. “I’m ready. I can handle this.”
A week later, Lena found herself in a pair of low slung jeans and a T-shirt, casually propping herself against the driver’s door of the grey sedan as Howard worked the last of the heavy suitcases into the trunk. She hadn’t been dressed down to such an extent since her induction into the Council, and while Mrs. Ralston kept eyeing her exposed midriff with deep disapproval, she found that the clothes seemed to enhance the effects of her lifted spirits. For the first time, she was stepping out to attend to her own business, and not anyone else’s. This journey was hers alone.
She was keeping her secrets and her word to Warren Astley. She hadn’t spoken to him since the church in Crystal City, but her present arrangements were sufficiently public that whoever had informed him last time would probably tell him again; she had already booked three nights in a hotel in Missouri. She had laid the plan out very carefully with Devin and Cheryl; they were hoping to meet up with Warren Astley sometime between the extended stay in Missouri and the next extended stay in South Carolina. Hopefully Warren would consent to traveling with them for a while, just so that Devin and Lena could oversee the introduction, and then, if everything went well, Cheryl would be staying with Warren. She would still come out to visit them, but she would be living with her biological father. Lena realized that someday she would likely have to reconcile the facts with Howard, but she was hoping to wait for a time when he didn’t already have so much on his mind.
Of course, Lena hadn’t told either Devin or Cheryl what her business in South Carolina was, despite the fact that Devin badgered her with questions every time they were alone. She had finally sworn him to secrecy and said that she thought she had found some of her own lost relatives in the area. Ones the Council didn’t know
Howard sighed. “Well then, you couldn’t drive the car. And I’d want to talk it over with the doctor before you went, because that might not be such a good idea. But I guess I could try to put something together.” He looked directly at Lena. We’ll discuss it later.
After the meal was over, Lena found her way up to Howard’s office and waited patiently until he arrived. When he came in, he went directly to the opposite side of his desk and sat down, looking much more casual than Lena had expected.
Without actually looking at her, he started in a serious tone. “Do you really feel comfortable doing this? Rollin is still out there.”
Lena cast him a nervous glance. “But he hasn’t been heard from in months…not since what he did to Devin, right?”
Howard shrugged. “Right. You know as well as I do.”
Lena shifted uncomfortably. She knew he was still out there, but preferred not to think about it. Everyone knew he was still out there—but what he was doing, or planning to do, remained a frightening enigma. “Are you comfortable with me doing this?”
Howard glanced over at her and sighed. “It’s not about me. You’re old enough to make this call. I think you should take some time to really think about this, and I’ll say I said no if you’re not okay doing it. But if you’re ready to go, I’m ready to let you. But I need to know you can handle being the adult in the situation—Cheryl’s responsible, but she’s still just a kid. And you know I like Devin, but he’s not someone I would leave in charge if given an option.”
Lena nodded. She looked down at her knees. “But you think I’m ready?”
“I think you’re ready if you think you’re ready. It’s a big responsibility, even with taking Cheryl and Devin. You’ll be in charge. I doubt anything will go wrong, but if it does, it would be your job to take care of it.” Howard’s grey eyes scrutinized her.
Lena took a deep breath. She looked back up at Howard. “I’m ready. I can handle this.”
A week later, Lena found herself in a pair of low slung jeans and a T-shirt, casually propping herself against the driver’s door of the grey sedan as Howard worked the last of the heavy suitcases into the trunk. She hadn’t been dressed down to such an extent since her induction into the Council, and while Mrs. Ralston kept eyeing her exposed midriff with deep disapproval, she found that the clothes seemed to enhance the effects of her lifted spirits. For the first time, she was stepping out to attend to her own business, and not anyone else’s. This journey was hers alone.
She was keeping her secrets and her word to Warren Astley. She hadn’t spoken to him since the church in Crystal City, but her present arrangements were sufficiently public that whoever had informed him last time would probably tell him again; she had already booked three nights in a hotel in Missouri. She had laid the plan out very carefully with Devin and Cheryl; they were hoping to meet up with Warren Astley sometime between the extended stay in Missouri and the next extended stay in South Carolina. Hopefully Warren would consent to traveling with them for a while, just so that Devin and Lena could oversee the introduction, and then, if everything went well, Cheryl would be staying with Warren. She would still come out to visit them, but she would be living with her biological father. Lena realized that someday she would likely have to reconcile the facts with Howard, but she was hoping to wait for a time when he didn’t already have so much on his mind.
Of course, Lena hadn’t told either Devin or Cheryl what her business in South Carolina was, despite the fact that Devin badgered her with questions every time they were alone. She had finally sworn him to secrecy and said that she thought she had found some of her own lost relatives in the area. Ones the Council didn’t know
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