Four Elements Book 3 - Sacrifice

Part 45

The house was relatively quiet when Andie returned. It had been a tough ride. Everyone was putting up cheerful posters announcing Thanksgiving, but she didn't really feel like celebrating. And true enough, it had started to pour the moment she'd dropped Isabelle off. So she was grateful to finally get inside. Her parents were talking in the living room in quiet voices. Lisa had offered to take care of Hannah with Nina, so they didn't think too much about how sad everyone was. And, Andie suspected, so Hannah didn't ask uncomfortable questions like she always did.

"Mom? Dad, I'm home," Andie called.

"In here, honey." Hank's voice replied.

"I'll be in my room, okay?" she called as she dropped her bag and hung her jacket up.

She'd just set a foot on the first stair when Lauren called after her:

"No, hold on Andie, we need to talk."

Andie wasn't sure this was going to be pleasant, but it was better to get it over with... Making her way to the living room, she sighed and dropped into a couch, closing her eyes a few seconds. Only now did she realize just how exhausted she was.

"You okay, honey?"

"... Better than Bane and Robert, probably..."

"Tell me about it..." Hank said. "I'm amazed he got any of that speech out."

"It was beautiful." Lauren said. "I wonder how he came up with it, let alone read it."

"... I helped him with it," Andie told her. "Robert asked me to help put into words what he wanted to say. He told me he'd tried, but every time he'd start a sentence it would sound pathetic."

Lauren cast her a surprised look.

"You mean he was reading your words?"

"Well... his words, I just put them together," Andie amended.

"But then, why didn't you say it?"

"Because it wasn't up to me to do it, Mom! Camille was his sister, and I barely knew her. I saw her in pictures and Bane told me about her, but that's it. I met her once, he grew up with her. Don't you think it would have been just a little inappropriate if I'd read it instead of him?"

"But it was your work, and he didn't even mention-"

"Mom, it's fine," Andie said. "I didn't mind. I'm glad I could help."

"She's right, honey. It's not that important. What matters is they all knew Bane's mother was a good person."

He turned to his daughter.

"But I'm not happy with you, Andie."

Here we go again... Andie sighed mentally.

"Dad..."

"No, I mean it. You went and took life threatening risks!"

"Fighting a demon is a life threatening risk!" Andie retorted in annoyance. "And I can't just opt out! Like it or not, this is my life now."

"It doesn't have to be!" Hank replied. "You don't have to fight him."

"Dad, he's after us, okay? Not the other way round. If I could stop fighting him, I'd be only too happy to. But he keeps threatening people close to me. And you always told me to defend what I cared about."

"Not against demons!"

"You're out making a difference every day!" Andie said hotly. "And I grew up dreaming of doing the same. Why won't you let me try?"