My Darling Shina - Book Three

Chapter Thirteen

I slowly raised my hand, slightly curled fingers twitching before stretching up towards the ceiling. My eyes shifted to the side to look at Marie, her hazel eyes looking luminous as she smiled at me encouragingly. It was the second week of school and the teacher had made it plain that all students were to participate in class discussions, regardless of how fluent they were with the language.

Luckily I had taken the extra year at home as a chance to practice more, so I was not stumbling as much as some of the other international students, but it was still harder to understand native speakers than I had expected.

Marie had taken to speaking mostly French with me to help me pick up the parts I was having trouble with but I had to admit to myself that I sometimes became distracted watching her lips and listening to the sound of her soft voice more than what she was actually saying.

Hearing the teacher call my name, I gave my rebuttal to the last student's opinion on the effectiveness of alternative energy resources around the world. Germany and Italy were prime examples of solar-powered success, being the leaders in solar power generation, Germany even proving year after year that you don't have to have constant clear skies to be able to access solar energy.

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"The teacher really liked your answers today. They were really well thought out and explained," Marie's soft voice filled the room, my eyes wandering over to take in her cheerful smile as I turned on the laptop.

"It was okay, but I could have done better if my mind was on the subject more. I had too many distractions to really focus, though," I mumbled. I couldn't even keep my mind on things during gym, actually getting hit by one of the opponents in a game of dodgeball.

Of course, as soon as I had been tagged back into the game, I had taken the chance to smash a ball into both him and the two boys I had seen spending far too much time admiring how good Marie looked in the girls uniform as they practiced volleyball on the other side of the gym.

"What kind of distractions," seeing her tilt her head cutely to the side, something I had thought only happened in books and shows, I stared blankly at her as I imagined all the different outfits she should wear to look even cuter. Hearing her clear her throat, I gave my head a small shake and focused on her in time to see her cover her mouth, laughter spilling from her lips as she looked at me. "Was I one of the distractions, Matthew?"

"Distractions? Oh! No, of course not! Well... Okay, maybe a little, but mostly it was just that I'm expecting a response today to the email I sent out recently. You know, the one I sent to that guy," looking back at the computer monitor at that point, I noticed it was waiting for me to put my password in.

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Setting down the print-out, I ran a hand down my face, exhaustion settling in as I thought over what I had just read. She was thought to be somewhere in western Europe, likely within France or Germany, a thought that had me almost hyperventilating at the idea she might be in France. Maybe even in Paris!

It was Marie's gentle hand on my shoulder that had me calming down again, recognizing that no matter where my mother was, she was still out of my reach at this moment in time. Without more leads, there was no way to track her down. She could be within 5 miles of me and I would never know unless I happened to somehow bump into her on the streets.

That thought had me making a mental note to be even more aware of the people around me when I was wandering the city, but the thought of how many people came in and out of Paris every day had me understanding that it would still be very unlikely to spot her even if she was in the crowd somewhere.

"Even if it takes my whole lifetime, I won't give up on finding her," I whispered quietly, ready for Marie to say she wasn't willing to stick it out for that long, even as I prayed she would stay by my side willingly.

"I know you won't give up. I wouldn't either and I hope you would search for me this hard if it was me who was lost." The feeling of soft lips on my cheek had me twisting my head around to look wide-eyed at the smiling girl standing just behind me, the warmth of her small hands gently gripping my shoulders filling me with wonder.

The look in her eyes as she met my gaze reminded me of how my mother looked at my father when she found him asleep at his desk once. Fondness mixed with a determination to help him in any way she could.

Nodding once at her, I turned back to the computer and began typing a new message to my contact, requesting he continue his search and keep me informed of any updates. At least I knew that I could rely on Marie to stay beside me on this quest, no longer fearing that she would grow tired of waiting for the search to end.