SILVER EYES (GXG)

Chapter 19: The Return

"Grace?" Heather asked, noticing my frozen state. "What do you think?"

I blinked, twice, as if rebooting my brain. Beyond the mix of emotions and contradictions swirling inside me, I felt happy for her. For real. It was a big step, and no matter what my circumstances were, I had to be by her side... right?

"I think it's great!" I said.

"Really?" She didn't seem entirely convinced, but a spark in her eyes told me she was excited by my response.

"Of course! And I want to help you."

"Oh, you don't have to. I don't even know where to start. It will be an adventure."

"And I want to go through it with you. If you let me, of course."

Heather's lips turned into a tiny smile and she came closer, wrapping her arms around my neck and entangling her legs around me under the water.

"Thank you." She whispered before her lips met mine. They were wet and tasted faintly of chlorine, yet they always seemed to meld with mine so smoothly and perfectly.

I slowly pulled back and took a moment to watch her. Our faces were so close that I could see every intricate detail of her turquoise pupil, a color that still felt so alien to me.

"I like how this adventure begins." I said.

"I can also tell you how it continues." Heather whispered back and her lips found mine again.

I spent the night with her that day, although I have to admit I'd lost count of how many nights I'd ended up there. Without consciously planning it, we had built a routine that felt unbreakable.

I already knew her schedule by heart, as well as her hallmates'. I knew exactly when Lea and Kate went to sleep, when they got up when they gathered in the hall to gossip about newcomers, and when they left for the weekend to visit their families. I knew the perfect moment to sneak across the hall like a ninja to get to Heather's room, without being noticed. And somehow that secret role was kind of fun, at least by now.

I learned a lot about her just by staying there and watching. She never woke up late, not once. Her schedule was sacred; that was the first thing I learned. Once her alarm went off, she was straight into work mode. She'd go through the border night report and send back her impressions if there were any. She reviewed the assignments of every Narval Officer and made changes if she thought they were needed.

She'd open the blinds, check the sky, and decide whether to take the Narval coat or not. It was funny because she relied heavily on the Reg Bracelets' predictions—which were usually spot-on—but when it came to the weather, and only the weather, she seemed to prefer trusting her instincts instead. Plus, there was always a recommendation for me: "Strong winds coming from the north today," or, "Probably some acid rain this afternoon, be careful."

But out of her entire morning routine, what I liked the most was her last step before leaving: watering her adorable family of plants. She would check the handmade watering system she had built, inspect their leaves with a tiny purple flashlight (which I had no idea what it was for), and then water them with just the right amount each needed. She did it with such precision and care that it left me hypnotized every morning, as if those plants were her lifeline.

At some point, she felt my stare and turned around.

"What?" She said, refilling her watering can.

She had already watered Gia, Lory, and Walter. On the waiting list: Renne, George, and Lotus. I'd already memorized their plant names.

"Nothing, I just think you are really cute." I said.

She left the water can and came to bed to give me a kiss. I wrapped my arms around her wrist and pushed her down, trapping her.