Finding Peace

The Empty Hands

NOT EDITED//

The swim home felt just as long and unbearable as the way there. Arita still hadn't wrapped around her head that her mother was still not with her. And the fact that Arita had accomplished nothing made her feel sick. The thought of losing Jacob, all for nothing made her want to scream and cry. The only plus side to her trip was the fact that she found other family that was living a free life. But the one thought she still didn't understand was the one about Nick. The unreal feeling of knowing he left her like that, it didn't make sense and she didn't know what had gotten into him. And sadly, he wasn't who she thought he was, and that made her even more upset than she already was.

So over all her emotions were ready to burst, but she held them in. Built a tall wall in between her and her feelings. It was the best thing to do, the best way to keep herself from breaking down into an astronomical flood of tears and gut-wrenching sadness and confusion. But she held it, keeping a straight look on her face that no one could break. She was brave, and this was her way of showing it.

On their way home, passing all the places they had passed on the way to her mom. All of them meaning nothing anymore. Instead of being one step closer, they were being pulled farther and farther away.

The three stopped to see Arita's grandmother, and stay at the Inn one last night. She said her hellos and goodbyes to Levi and her grandma, still stuck in her sad gloom.

Staying at the Inn even one night caused her extreme pain. Knowing that just a few miles away, her brother's body was still laying on the sea floor-dead.
The one thing she wished she could change, was the state her closest brother was in. And it killed her to know she couldn't.

"Rita?" Her grandmother asked her. Arita had been sitting on the floor of her room for the past twenty minutes, not ready to leave the ocean without her mother.

Despite the fact Arita had tried to ignore every person she saw, Arita couldn't bare to ignore her grandmother. Her voice was so soft and sweet, it almost made Arita lose control and cry. All from one word her grandmother had said, she was already chipping away at her wall.

Arita slowly turn her head and looked up at her grandmother who was swimming towards her. Her grandmother could see in her eyes that nothing was going right, and immediately felt her pain.

She moved over and slowly sat in the floor, grunting a little as she settled in its gravel like floor.

Arita gazed into you grandmothers eyes, they resembled her mother's so very much. They were a soft blue that made you smile just by looking at them. They held a slight grey tint which Arita thought were the secrets they kept locked away from the world, only to be shown through the eyes.

Arita stared into her grandmothers eyes lost in deep thought and sadness. She longed for those eyes to be her mother's, but they weren't.

After realizing that her mother would never appear in her grandmothers place, she slouched over some and turned her head away.

Grandmother reached her hand out and wrapped it lightly around Arita's shoulders, pulling her closer. Arita layer her weary head on her grandmothers should, lightly closed her eyes and sighed a heavy sigh.

"I know this is hard on you love.." Her grandmother spoke like a soft wind, and even thought the soft wind had grown old it still soothed Arita.
"You're mother was making a choice for you, that was probably very hard on her."

"But grandma," Arita turned to look into her eyes, "I traveled all this way, lost Jacob, and put my friend's life in danger all for her to say no!"

Yep, there it was. The wall was knocked down in that very moment.

Arita realized that her wall had finally broke and should burst into invisible tears.

Leaning into grandmothers shoulder, she started to talk in between sobs.

"I just miss her so much. And for her to see that I traveled so far.. All for her to just push me to the side and stay.. It just makes me.. Angry."

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry. I couldn't image what you're going through. Losing a brother while trying to gain a mother, then she doesn't come home with you. It must be an extreme pain you are feeling." Pausing, she looked down into Arita's now red eyes and watched Arita nod in agreement.
Continuing she said, " But I can also see why your mother stayed behind."

Pausing again she looked into her granddaughters eyes and watched confusion fill them.

"You see, it has been, what? Seventeen years? And your mother has been labeled dead for every single one of them. Now what would people think if after seventeen years a thought to be dead woman, returns out of no where! I think some questions would be asked, don't you? And not to mention the fact that this once dead woman coming into your home when there is already another woman there, I don't think things would go down well."

Arita sighed and thought for a moment.
"But- well she could- wow you're right."

Her grandmother smiled a slight satisfaction smile.

"Now I know it hurts, a lot. But this was her choice, and you should respect it. Don't get me wrong, Rita, I'm miss your mom like crazy and would do anything to have her back in my life. But some things are locked into our time-lines, and I'm sorry this was one for you."
Arita turned into her grandmother and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you grandma." She whispered.
"I love you."
"I love you too." Her grandmother replied.

After her talk with her grandmother and her catch up with Levi, she had poured her broken heart out and opened her eyes to what was happening. She was ready to go home to her very alive father, and step-mother. Even if Arita's real mother was still living in a pearl at the bottom of the sea.
---------------------------
I wrote an epilogue but it won't add it! So I'll try and get it up by the end of the day. Sorry!
VOTE
COMMENT
SHARE