Across the Ocean - Kyra Cooney-Cross

Chapter Twenty Eight - I'm doing my best

There were no words, just the heavy silence of disbelief. We stood there, frozen in the unexpected collision of our worlds. 

My heart pounded, and the ringing in my ears drowned out all sound until finally. 

Alessia's voice cut through the tension. "Ella, what are you doing in Melbourne?"

As soon as the words left Alessia's lips, Kyra pushed past them all, her face pale and eyes wide with shock. She rushed off to the bathroom, her movements urgent and desperate. 

My eyes flickered from Kyra's to the three women standing before me, Alessia, Katie, and Caitlin. They looked as stunned as I felt, their expressions a mix of confusion and concern.

"I—" I stammered, unable to form a coherent thought. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions, and my words stuck in my throat. 

I glanced down at my niece, still sleeping, oblivious to the chaos surrounding us. 

Standing up quickly, I thrust her into Katie's arms. "Can you hold her?" I asked, my voice strained. 

Katie had no choice but to take the baby, and I didn't waste a minute more. I had to get to Kyra.

I rushed towards the bathroom, my heart hammering against my ribcage. The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear the sound of Kyra's muffled sobs from within.

I pushed the door open gently, stepping inside to find her leaning over the sink, tears streaming down her face. The sight broke my heart all over again.

"Kyra," I whispered, my voice trembling. She didn't look up, her shoulders shaking with each sob. I took a step closer, my hands trembling as I reached out to her. "Kyra, please."

She finally looked up, her eyes red and filled with anguish. "Els" she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. "You left?"

I felt a lump in my throat, the weight of my decisions crashing down on me. "I'm so sorry, Kyra," I whispered, tears streaming down my own face. "I had to leave...It was Dad and he took Laura and-"

"You had to?" Kyra interrupted, her voice rising in disbelief her voice slightly jarring. "What about me? I could've helped you?"

I stepped closer, desperate to make her understand. "It's not your job-... I just didn't want you to see-"

She instantly spat words back at me "See what" 

My shoulders instantly shrunk, my eyes darting straight to the ground "To see the person I am around them"

Kyra shook her head, her tears falling harder. "You could have told me, Els. You didn't have to disappear."

"I know," I whispered, my heart aching with guilt. "I thought I was going back to Hope Town, to beg for forgiveness, to go back to be there to protect Laura. Even if it broke me...but then Charlie rang and Laura already had the baby and we had to get away, so we hid for a bit and then came down here"

Kyra's sobs quieted, and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Are you safe, have they found-" she said softly, her voice filled with pain. 

I took her hands in mine, holding them tightly, cutting off anything about my family I didn't want her to know anything. "Laura and Lillie are safe" I paused squeezing her hands, and brushing over her knuckles with my thumb. "I haven't felt safe since the day I left-" I couldn't finished my words.

She looked into my eyes, searching for the truth in my words. For a long moment, there was silence, and then she nodded slowly. "She named her Lillie?"

A small smile tugged at my lips "Lillie Ella James" her face stared her eyes looked like a beacon of hope I sighed confessing "I'm um...changing my name too"