Glass Dragon

Chapter 21

I try to smile but just can't so I sigh "I'm sorry" I whisper and she looks up at me "I'm just not used to people asking me such personal questions. Especially since-" I take a breath and try not to brake down again. She seems to understand what I mean although I don't say it and a sadness weighs in the room "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I just hoped you would open up a little." I sit up and shake my head "no, I guess it's just hard to explain. Since the hurricane, everything has just been hard to explain." I look down and can't help thinking about her. She's not gone but she's not here either and I don't know where she is. She must've heard it because she looked at me with a sudden relief like I answered her questions "you loved her very much, didn't you" she asks "the princess." I look at her and smile at the thought of her beautiful blue eyes and white blond hair as she smiled at me in the sun. My smile fades as the thought comes to mind that I might never see that bright smile again "yeah" I whisper and nod as I look back at her, admitting defeat "yeah, I did." She gives me a gentle smile then stands up to leave the room. She stops in the doorway and looks over her shoulder at me "your lucky to have such love." She looks down and closes the door behind her. Feeling her sadness I listen closely to hear her take a shaky breath outside my door and then walk away. Everything is painfully silent for a moment and I stare of in to space as I think about how we would laugh at the stupidest things, when we would hang out on the railing of the concrete stairs, how we would complain, critic each others art, snowball fights, and decorating gingerbread houses. The more I think the more tears stream down my face although I can't make a sound. Will I ever see her again? Will things ever go back to normal? Will she find someone else? When does it stop hurting? I don't know the answer to that question and may never know but I know that I will ask it every day. I lay down and cry myself to sleep only to wake half an hour later. As I hear the knock on my door again I sit up and try to respond although my vioce is gone "yeah?" It's painful to talk but even more painful to hear how hoarse my voice is. "Um" I hear a small voice say quietly "Papa told me to come get you for dinner."
"Ok" I respond and get out of my bed. I walk down the stairs to find children of all ages at the bar playing with dolls and toy soldiers or rough housing. I smile at seeing one of the children making water dolphins jump at the sink. I'm not so strange after all.