THEM

Chapter 7

Aithne walked to her session with Isadora, feeling once more thankful to have met the pretty, spirited girl prancing next to her. They spent almost all of their free time together and though the girl was extremely talkative, Aithne never felt drained by her presence. In fact, she found to be invigorated by her energy. She felt that, bit by bit, Isadora's friendship was bringing back her old, bright self. She knew she would never be the same, but her liveliness and passion for her former interests were seeping back into her, as though she were feeding off of Isadora's spirit.

"So, have your sessions been progressing lately?" The dark-skinned girl inquired.

Before Aithne could answer, Mrs. Bauer appeared at the end of the corridor, striding elegantly towards them. She stopped in front of them.

"Morning Isadora, Aithne."

"Morning." They chirped unanimously.

Mrs. Bauer smiled at Aithne, her green eyes shining brightly. "I've got wonderful news for you, Aithne. You've got visitors."

Aithne's heart fluttered in surprise. Her parents had called her yesterday, yet they hadn't mentioned anything about coming to visit her today.

"I guess your parents wanted to surprise you. You're dismissed from your session today. You can spend the entire morning and lunchtime with them. Follow me, I'll take you to them." Mrs. Bauer nodded once and swiftly turned and walked away, not looking back to make sure that Aithne was following. Aithne hurriedly threw a "See you later." to Isadora and scampered after the tall woman. 

When they arrived at the entrance, Aithne didn't know how to react when her parents came into view. They didn't seem to know either, as they stood unmoving where they were, but their eyes brightened upon seeing her. Aithne wasn't a very tactile person and never knew how to properly greet or say goodbye to her parents. A hug seemed too intimate, a kiss on the cheek too posh, and a wave too cold. So, she settled for a small smile as she approached them.

They returned the smile, but then stepped to the side and revealed someone she was even more unsure of how to greet. Jeremiah. There he was, standing sheepishly with one hand in his pocket as the other ran through his hair. "Hey."

Aithne froze in shock. They hadn't talked since she had left, not even exchanged a message. Well, he had sent one message at the very beginning, which she hadn't replied to. He hadn't tried again, as if the message had cleaned his conscience regarding the extent of his care for her. She had thought that was a sign that they had unofficially ended. Maybe he had come to finally clear the air and make it official. She lifted her hand in an awkward wave. "Hey."

Aithne spent the morning showing the grounds of the facility to her parents and Jeremiah. She felt like a tour guide with the formal way she addressed all three of them and the way they asked short, polite questions and nodded at the response, as if it were a fulfillment of their responsibilities. As she was passing through the courtyard, she saw Raphael, who gave her a slight nod as his curious eyes passed over her companions.

When the tour was finally over, Aithne's mother proposed; "Why don't we all go to a restaurant together for lunch. There aren't many places around here, but we passed by one on the way here that wasn't too far. What do you say Aithne? Just like old times?"

Aithne was already exhausted, but seeing the hopeful glint in her mother's eyes, she could only plaster a smile and force some excitement into her tone. "That would be great." She felt bad for not being more genuine in her enthusiasm; the truth was that she was happy to see her parents and their small gestures and mannerisms that were unique to them, although clouded by a veil of hesitance around her, still reminded her of how deeply she missed them. However, the presence of Jeremiah and the unspoken words looming between them kept her in a constant state of anxiety.