Strength In Our Bonds (The Strength in Generations Accompanying Book)

When Your Best Isn't Good Enough

It was a busy time at the Academy: so many press meetings, so many new projects... lots of new staff, remodeling... such was the case in the spring and summer seasons. Quistis felt that she hadn't stopped typing since she'd first sat down at her desk, and the workload didn't seem to be getting any smaller. She sighed. As much as she didn't want to, she'd have to have Aurelie take on some of her work. There was no way she'd finish it all herself.

"Aure-" She stopped. The door to Aurelie's office was locked. The lights were off. It was 11:23. Why wasn't she at work yet? Even if she had taken an early lunch or run to the bathroom, the light would be on. An unspoken rule in the Academy was that your office light stayed on until you were gone for the day.

"Where could she be..?" Quistis frowned. Now she'd have to use even more time to find her elder daughter.

She first went to Hope's office to ask him. Sometimes he'd borrow her, even if she was officially bound to Quistis.

"Good morning." Hope was sipping coffee with one hand while shredding paper using the other.

"Good morning, Hope. Have you seen Aurelie at all today?"

"I haven't. I'd think you'd see her more often than I would; her office is right across from you," he said, taking another sip.

"She isn't there. Her light is off; I don't think she's come in today." Quistis sat in one of the chairs. "What's more, I tried to call her twice on my way over here and she isn't answering."

Hope suddenly looked concerned. "I'll pop on over to the apartment complex on my way to the post office and see if she's at home."

"Thank you." Quistis smiled.

"Don't thank me. Aurelie is my daughter too," Hope chuckled. "If she isn't, I'll check with Gale. He's been assigned to security at the hospital today, so he'll have seen her if she's there."

Quistis nodded, before waving goodbye and heading back to her office. Maybe Vanille would be willing to help her with some of her work...

~ * ~

Aurelie sat in her bed, her knees drawn to her chest, her palms over her eyes; her face stained with tears.

Today, she'd oddly woken up much earlier than usual for a work day, and decided she'd make herself a giant breakfast and maybe go on a run with all the extra time she had. It was while she was looking for her trusty sports bra that her phone had gone off, a call from Harlan.

After the call was over, she didn't have much of an appetite- or much of a resolve to do anything.

~~~~~>

"What do you mean, 'a break?' Certainly, with us living on two different continents, you've already had a large amount of break time."

"That's not the point, Aurelie. I don't think this relationship is good for either of us. It clearly seems as though we both want different things out of it, and they don't coincide..." Harlan sighed. "None of this is to say anything's wrong with you. I still like you. I still want to be friends. I just don't think this is working out in any of the ways that either of us intended, and it's starting to show."

"But-"

"You're nineteen years old, Aurelie. You've made it clear you don't want a family anytime soon. I'm not fortunate to have so much time left to decide if I want one or not, and I certainly do want that. I don't want you to sacrifice your youth for me."

Aurelie was silent.

"You did say... that I was scaring you," Harlan added softly. "I don't want that."