Reconciled in the End

Chapter 10: Quest

When they woke the next morning, it took a bit to recall where and what. Thomas felt comfort seeing those soft brown eyes drift to him however. Would every morning be as this? He wished that she was also feeling the same euphoria he was.

Siren squinted her eyes in mirth as she swung to his forehead for a kiss. “Good morning.”

He laughed as she then drifted her sight about the sunlit place in wonder. It looked so dazzling to her curious eyes. As she scanned outside, seeing the tips of buildings crested gold like waves, she spoke, “I slept very well last night. The bed and companion were very pleasant. Can I make you breakfast today at least?”

Thomas agreed, he still felt in a surreal daze, like this moment was too good to be true. She sauntered out of bed and pattered eagerly downstairs. Would this really be their golden palace of light every morning? She loved the inadvertent placement of the building to catch the amazing sunlight. A sparkle caught her eyes under the steps, but she ignored that something that wasn’t her own to prepare food instead. As eggs crackled on the stove, she studied her golden hands in wonder.

She squirmed with a joy she never thought she had as she danced about happily in the light. Thomas strode down at the scene, wiping his eyes swiftly of tears. The life before him was too much sometimes, and the hurt of it almost flickering away nipped hard. He bit his lip, amused, as he saw her directing him to sit at the counter. He didn’t say a thing but simply enjoyed her presence.    

She hummed some old song, she never was good with recalling lyrics. Many times in fact, she altered them with strange ones of her own. He’d catch the words with humor. She hardly knew that she did these things.

“I know you are restricted, but I can use my Crown to play some music if you wanted. I do miss your singing though,” he offered as she set a plate before him. He noticed she only took one egg and several toast without butter.

“Isn’t it dry like that?” he gently inquired, then realized her stomach yet couldn’t handle the grease his had. “Ignore me, please.”

She was still focused on the sunlight as she shrugged and ate her toast without complaint. Gleefully, she kicked her feet about in her chair. He eased, content seeing her so happy.

“The asylum didn’t let light in very well. I missed this a lot. A lot more than I realized. The natural world is so beautiful!” she beamed.

Absently in thought as they ate, he asked, “I could see that place very dismal. I didn’t like you stuck there, but couldn’t snatch you away either. The only thing I could do was fox. What did you think of the fox? Was I comfort for you?”

Siren froze for a moment as she thought on those hazy memories. It was getting more unclear with this barrage of joy. She didn’t know who Fox was. She just knew Fox was brighter than everything else around her. Fox gave her comfort when nothing else did in the least. Closing her eyes, she still had to answer the question honestly. Thomas, her true partner, deserved her honesty.

“I thought Fox was someone else. Someone older, I really didn’t know who or why, but someone lonely enough to have an interest in me for my intelligence. It’s all I had after all,” Siren cried, speaking the truth. It was a rather painful subject, but she had to be honest with him.

“You didn’t consider me at all?” he inquired in shock.

She bit her lip, returning bitterly, “I didn’t think you’d be able to do such a thing. The role of an Officer Task Master takes a lot of education, among other things. Your disposition didn’t seem…”

Thomas clarified curtly, “You didn’t think me smart enough to be able to.”

An awkward silence fell between them, and Siren sunk her shoulders down. Thomas let it settle long and hard as he stared at her. She gulped, scrambling for what next to say.
Suddenly, Thomas broke into laughter as he wheezed, “Ha, I finally outsmarted the genius!”