𝑅𝑒𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 (𝐺𝑎𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑡ℎ)

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 16 - 𝑎𝑙𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙

Nathalie had a problem.

She didn't know how to tell Gabriel and Adrien about the fact that their loved one had randomly disappeared.

This wasn't a very common thing to tell someone.

Nathalie had tears in her eyes but then she quickly dried them from her face.

She needed to be strong.

She had to do it for Gabriel and Adrien.

After she had calmed herself down she walked back into the room.

Gabriel and Adrien were still talking to each other as nothing happened.

"I think I have to tell you something..."

"What is it?"

"I'm so sorry..."

Nathalie felt her eyes watering again.

"Nathalie are you ok?"

She didn't know how to tell them the bad news.

She tried to calm down as she took a deep breath.

"Emilie is gone..."

Gabriel and Adrien looked at her in disbelief, as they didn't understand.

"Uh?" Gabriel said.

"Uh?" Adrien said.

"Well, you don't have anything to say?"

Nathalie was crying and she didn't understand why they weren't doing the same.

They didn't look so upset.

"Nathalie..." Gabriel said.

"What?" Nathalie asked between tears.

"We know she's gone"

"Yeah, she had been gone for one year now" Adrien said.

"What..."

"Yeah, she died we know that..." Gabriel tone was sad.

"Why did you say that Nathalie?" Adrien asked.

Nathalie didn't know how to answer them.

It looked like with Emilie's disappearance they also forgot about the past days.

That was good.

It meant all was coming back to normal somehow.

Maybe that's what Emilie was talking about.

Nathalie tried to recollect herself.

"Uh? I was just... I was just... please forget it happened!"

And with that she ran out the room into the bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror.

She took a deep breath.

She could do this.

"Come on Nathalie, you have to act natural"

Nathalie walked out of the bathroom and came back to the bedroom for the second time.

"Are you ok now?" Gabriel asked.

Nathalie was desperately trying to regain her mental sanity.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"Do you remember how you got injured Gabriel?"

Gabriel frowned.

"I told you I don't remember"

"So you still can't remember how you got hurt..."

Gabriel shook his head.

"You said we went to the North Pole but I still can't recall what we did there"

So the North Pole thing was still valid.

"Got it"

Nathalie came sitting at Gabriel's bedside.

"Are you going to play videogames again with me tomorrow?"

"Ah uhm..." Nathalie stuttered.

She didn't know what to say and to be honest she didn't know what to do in the first place.

"Yes why not" she finally said forcing herself to smile.

Gabriel and Adrien were staring at her which made her a bit uncomfortable giving the situation so she decided to go away.

"Look! It's late! I have to go!" the woman said looking at her nonexistent watch and got up.

She turned around and was ready to leave but she suddenly felt something holding her wrist.

Gabriel had grabbed her hand.

He looked at her.

"Don't go..." he pleaded.

Nathalie looked at him.

"Why?"

"I... I don't know... I just need you here..."

He was staring down at his hands avoiding to look at her.

He looked nervous.

Nathalie couldn't tell if it was because of his partial memory loss or if the disappearance of his wife did something to him but that man needed comfort and it was clear.

She couldn't just leave him there.

The woman sighed and sat back next to the man.

Adrien smiled and got up.

"I'll leave..."

The boy quickly left the room and Gabriel looked at her in confusion.

"You don't have to go anymore Nathalie?"

Nathalie let out an awkward giggle.

"Eh... no... I guess not"

"Ah good! I confess that I didn't understand where you had to go because it's kinda late" the man said in relief.

Nathalie frowned at him.

"What do you mean? I should go home..."

"Home? This is your home"

"Uhm... no?"

Gabriel looked more confused than ever.

"Yes... you work here... you are my assistant..."

The man grabbed his head.

"Uhm... maybe my mind is still fuzzy..." the man stuttered.

Nathalie could see he was upset and anxious so she decided to play along.

"Ah... yes of course! I meant... I meant that I still have another home somewhere and... I still don't really see this as my home because I'm just an assistant you know..."

"This is your home Nathalie! Don't say such things!" the man scolded her.

The woman smiled.

"Yes, I suppose it is"

"You shouldn't doubt it"

Nathalie was still confused about the whole situation, she still didn't really know what to think but she was happy everything was almost back to normal.