Hope and Faith

TWENTY-FIVE: FAITH

It was Sunday, which meant that it was the day they would return to Meadow. They weren't in a rush to go back; Mike said they would leave after one. Faith didn't feel a rush to leave either. In fact, her time at her father's place wasn't going as terrible as she imagined.

Her attempt to sleep-in yesterday failed when her father's alarm clock went off at eight a.m. She threw her arm across the nightstand, hitting the small machine as hard as she could until it turned off. After that, she tried to fall back asleep but couldn't.

She got up at nine, showered, got dressed, and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Her father was making bacon and eggs, a favourite that her and Mike always enjoyed.

After they ate, her father had asked if she wanted to explore the city. At first she declined, said she didn't care to see any of it. But after some convincing, he somehow persuaded her to leave the apartment and wander the streets with him.

The sky was overcast and Faith felt that something was missing without the sun in her presence. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time it had rained. Beneficial for her, but probably terrible for the harvest.

He took her down Yonge Street and brought her to the Eaton Center. They stood in Dundas Square and she spun around in circles, taking in the view. The city was so different from the country. There was people everywhere, constantly, no matter what direction she looked. It was so loud that she could barely hear herself breathe, let alone think. She thought about the vast contrast of Meadow, how quiet it was there. How if you simply sat there without saying a word, the world would echo your silence back to you.

The air felt contaminated and thick compared to Meadow, and Georgetown even. It was too busy for her to cope. She already had enough going on in her brain as it was, she didn't need more stimuli to deal with.

As nice as the city was, it was far too busy for Faith. If anything, this trip confirmed one thing for her: she definitely made the right decision moving with her mother.

They concluded the day by going for ice-cream and taking a trip up the CN Tower. Opened in 1976, the CN Tower was the world's largest building, standing at 1,815 feet. Faith wasn't surprised that she'd never been before. She never felt the need to. Some of the kids in her class used to talk about it. How your ears would pop in the elevator on your way up. How you could stand on the glass floor and see the entire city below you.

From the top, Faith looked out over the city, across the water, so vast and blue. She felt a sense of belonging whenever she was near large bodies of water, whether it be lakes or oceans. Pools, even. She enjoyed swimming, being under water, immersing herself into the depth of the unknown. How strange, she thought, that a place so beautiful could also be so dangerous. How a place that harbours and creates life could simultaneously possess the ability to take life away.

They went home shortly after that, William continuously checking to make sure that Faith was okay, asking if she needed anything else. She subtly appreciated this great concern he had with her wellbeing.

They lounged around the apartment for a while, then fetched Mike and went for dinner. There was a restaurant just down the street from William's place called The Garden. It was seemingly extravagant and smelled of fresh lemons. Faith felt underdressed.

She ordered filet mignon, her father got lamb, and Mike settled on halibut. They made awkward small talk as they waited for their food, then indulged in the silence when they no longer felt the requirement to speak. William offered them dessert. Faith briefly considered it, but eventually decided that she was too full.