Salvage

Seventeen - Part 2, FINAL

"Aurora? Could I speak with you for a sec?"

Aurora glanced up to see Chinook approaching, a trail of three six-year-olds in her wake. She grinned and glanced down to where Cece huddled at her side, eyes intent on the book in her hands. "Sure. Let me finish reading this book to Cece and then we can talk?"

"Sounds good." Chinook gave her a grateful, sad smile, then turned back to the kids following her. "Let's go find Adam, guys, you know I think he's hiding on the back porch somewhere."

With a rousing cry, the three young ones scampered off, and Cece wiggled impatiently. "Keep reading, the grandma comes back in the next part."

"Hey, now I know how it ends," Aurora protested playfully. She started reading again, holding the book down to the little girl's level. She loved seeing the enraptured girl on Cece's face at the simplest things. The artwork was simple, but well done, and Aurora liked the way the rhymes flowed off her tongue. "Then my grandma turned to me, and said..." She paused and looked at Cece.

"I love you, chickadee!" Cece finished, and clapped her hands together in brief applause. "Very good for a first time."

"Hey, it's not my first time reading a book." Aurora rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but you didn't do all the voices right. I'll show you for next time." Cece nodded confidently and wiggled off the couch, getting restless.

"Hey, Cece." Aurora paused, her heart twisting in her chest at how well the girl was recovering from her experience. They were all so resilient. "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad I'm back too," Cece replied earnestly. "I wish Daniel were here but otherwise I'm glad."

"Yeah. Me too." Aurora tugged the girl's flouncy skirt lightly. "How you feeling?"

"Good." She rubbed her eyes. "I'm tired, though. I was dreaming about Cimorene again."

Aurora froze, feeling as if the breath had been knocked from her chest. "What did you say?"

Cece eyed her uncertainly. "Cimorene. She's the girl I always dream about. She talks to me sometimes."

"Do you know her? Have you met her?" Aurora asked urgently.

Cece shook her head, eyes wide now. "No, Jane always said she was probably just a dream girl, like a version of me in my head. Like an imaginary friend."

Aurora exhaled, leaning back. She knew she was scaring Cece with her intensity, so she relaxed forcibly. "What kinds of things do you talk about?"

"I dunno." Cece shrugged. "Like about books and trees and the sky and stuff. Whatever we want. Sometimes she's sad, though."

"Cece... Do you think, next time you dream, you could ask her where she is?"

"She doesn't like when I ask a lot of questions. She says she gets embarrassed 'cause she's not like a normal girl." The younger girl began twisting and wiggling away from Aurora uncomfortably. "Can I go play now?"

Aurora took a deep breath and released her. "Yeah, sorry." She could always push for more later. She watched the girl run off to join the ones tripping around Chinook and Adam.

Crap. She really wasn't crazy or imagining things. Cimorene was real.

Aurora pushed up from the couch and wandered over to Chinook, giving her a small nod and a smile. They stepped through the door into the hallway and closed it swiftly behind them, closing out the murmur of all the people in the other room.

"I haven't had a chance yet. To thank you." Chinook swallowed hard, not quite meeting Aurora's eyes in the dim light of the hallway.

"You don't have to. I'm just glad I found you."