My only source of light

[33]

Looking at the last trail of smoke from the vehicle with which the boy had left, Senju decides to return back in the house. 

She went back into the small hall, which was now more familiar than before, closing the door behind her, letting the coolness of the evening into the house. 

When she returns to the living room, she thinks a little about what she will tell Yuki about the boy's absence and departure without upsetting the girl. 

But she knew that no matter what she tells the five-year-old, she would still be upset that Mikey had left without saying goodbye. 

Putting a smile on her milky white face, Senju heads for the open door to the living room. 

Going inside, she looks around a bit to get familiar with the room and the places of the others persons, then she goes to the sofa. Passing by the round coffee table in the middle of the room, she then sat down next to the little girl, smiling at her. 

Yuki glanced at her from the moment she entered the room and continued to do so, but after a while she stopped when she saw that no one had entered after the previous one. 

She looked at the living room door with hope in her eyes, though, many would say she didn't understand but it was the other way around. 

She understands the situation she is in now, and she knows that most likely no one will come, and that no one but them was in the house. 

But even though she knew the truth, no one and nothing stopped her from dreaming that someone would walk in that door. 

The woman next to her was staring at her with a look she had never met that day, or since she had seen her, on her face. 

To tell the truth, Yuki hadn't seen much of the girl's facial expressions, but when it came to the absent boy, the girl took on many facial expressions, and this is a new one. 

Her face did not say much except regret and understanding, although she was not the one who had left without saying anything. 

As if Senju was imitating everything Mikey had to do to her, she apologized on his behalf in a way that Yuki thought the other would approach. 

The five-year-old girl looked at the door once more, then glanced out the window at the front yard. 

Then, when she had finished, she looked at Senju, who had previously looked at the back of her head and her curly hair. 

The look in her blue eyes had remained the same even then, but that did not upset the child at all. And they both looked at each other, not knowing what to say, even though they both wanted to or didn't want to approach the discussion about the one who had left. 

Eventually Senju gives in and sighs for herself, taking her gaze from the other's eyes, then stroking her hair.  Knowing that the older girl was not going to say anything, Yuki decided to take the first step and ask. 

She did not want an elaborate answer or a pathetic excuse, only the truth and the pure truth that would reconcile her to her little annoyance. 

"Where's Mikey?" 

Even though she expected this, Senju was a little surprised when she saw that Yuki had taken the initiative to start the first conversation, but at the same time she was a little relieved. 

She really didn't know how to start explaining it to her without upsetting her, but now she had the opportunity to answer the question without bothering too much. 

"He had to leave earlier because someone needed him.  Don't get mad at him, it's not his fault after all." 

Although Mikey hadn't given details of what he was doing or why he had to leave so suddenly, Senju knew what Mikey was doing without learning anything from him.