Under the Panakes Tree

Oralie smiled at the little girl who was sniffing flowers. Her daughter was two years old and loved them, especially the roses. Roses were a human flower and were rather pretty with their soft petals and bright colours.

"Daddy! Daddy, look!" The girl called out.

Kendrick crouched down next to her to examine the green bug that was crawling along the ground.

Oralie smiled at her little family. She placed a hand on her swollen stomach. Only a few weeks to go and their life would get better. Again.

Leaving the council to be with Kenric was the best decision she ever made. Bronte had promised to look after Sophie and he had kept his word. Sophie didn't know that Oralie was her birth mother. Oralie wanted to tell her but wasn't quite sure how. Besides, she didn't want to ruin the life she had built for herself.

Oralie closed her eyes. Don't panic. She was so lucky and she knew that.

"MUMMY!" The girl screamed out.

Oralie gasped and ran towards her daughter, but it was to late. She had faded away.

"Kenric-" but he had faded away too.

The sky turned black and Oralie collapsed to her ground, her pregnant belly gone. Her pink dress was suddenly soaked in mud. She screamed over and over-

Oralie sat up immediately gasping. She turned around panicking only to realise she was in the Panakes garden sitting under a tree. She must have fallen asleep. She looked up at the tree. Kenric.

She sat up quickly and dusted off her skirts. Her cheeks were covered in tears. She reached up to wipe them off. It wasn't fair. The one person she loved more than anyone else was gone. It had been a few years now but it hurt more and more each day.

"Kenric." She whispered to herself.

"Yes?" came a familiar voice.

Oralie whipped around so fast she almost tripped on her heels. And there he was. Looking exactly the same as the last time she saw him. Her breathing sped up.

"Hey-" he started but before he could finish she ran at him.

The force made him fall back on to the ground, Oralie with him. She didn't seem to care though. She had thrown her arms around him so tight he thought she would never let go. She sat up, not seeming to care that she was sitting on his lap and only a few inches away from his face. She stared at him before placing a delicate hand on his face. She looked shocked. But happy. So happy.

"Kenric" she asked. And she just said his name but it was so much more than that. It was all the pain and grief she had been through, her love for him, but most of all a question. As if to see if he really was there.

"Oralie." he said.

And that was it. Oralie kissed him. Kenric was shocked but he kissed her back.

The kiss could have been five seconds or a million years long. They didn't notice. They didn't notice the footsteps on the path. Or the gasp of a group of teenagers. Or the excited whispering from Sophie Foster who was extremely confused but also very happy for her biological mother. It was the cheering from Keefe Sencen that finally alerted them to their spectators.

Oralie pulled away immediately, her arms still around his neck.

"Um."

But their spectators just smiled at them and walked away leaving an embarrassed Oralie and Kenric behind.

Kenric grinned at her and leaned forward to kiss her again.

"No."

His smile disappeared.

"No, not like that." she quickly reassured him. "Where were you? What happened? What's going on?"

"It's a long story."

"I have time."

"Isn't there a council meeting today?"

There was. "I'm not going."

"What?"

"I'm resigning." She thought for a second "Well, I should probably go so I can resign."

Kenric smiled at her. He had never looked so happy. "Are you sure?"

Oralie looked at him "I have spent the last few years regretting what happened. I have a second chance and I refuse to waste it."

Somehow Kenric's smile got bigger. And simultaneously they leaned in to kiss each other under the Panakes tree.