Departure

America

This morning I spent pacing my apartment. I couldn't figure out what to do. Eden spent the morning just watching me pace my apartment, not saying anything at all.

I've already accepted that Eden won't speak. It's just become part of him, however he understands me when I speak to him and he can read fairly well so I'm not worried about that.

Most of the time Eden just writes what he wants me to know. When he first started doing that when he was six, I hired a tutor to help him with spelling and handwriting. I also bought him a notebook and pen to take everywhere.

I take him to a therapist every week so we can see what caused his muteness. Again this started when he was six and first started writing his thoughts. I was confused on why he wouldn't speak to me but could write what he wanted to say.

It puzzled me immensely and Eden wouldn't tell me. I figured maybe he would tell the therapist in his own special ways. Anyway I got sidetracked. I eventually just collapsed on the couch and Eden came and climbed into my lap.

I began brushing out his hair with my fingers, while I was thinking. I was thinking about the deal that I had made with Orion A five years ago, during the war.

I didn't see it then but the deal has been bothering me ever since the war ended. Why would they risk their people, their supplies, their home on a war they might not have even won? All for virtually nothing in return.

That's the type of stuff Alaina was worried about during the war. She expressed her worries to me a few times during meetings but like an idiot I didn't pay her much mind.

Although that wasn't the really fishy part of our deal. Two months after the war ended I got word from the council that New Glass City was entering the Council as an independent nation. I was okay with that because we were going to forgive and forget. Then during the next month's council meeting Orion A announced that they were going to be helping New Glass City get back on its feet.

Another nation asked the question that was on everybody's mind. "At what cost?"

"They only thing that it will cost them is loyalty in the Council." The Chancellor smiled his big, bright smile.

That rubbed me in the wrong direction. That was exactly what he had said to me when he reached out to me the first time. I thought it was a little strange that he was gathering support from two colonies that weren't allies.

When I got out of the council meeting I began wondering "What was he doing with all this power? And who else did he make deals with?"

Having those two questions back in my mind began thinking about the old council meetings. Was there anything unusual about them? Yes, there was something off about them.

Eden tapped my arm and it pulled me out of my daze. He showed me his notebook and on it he wrote "Mommy, what are you thinking about?"

I ruffled his long, blond hair. His hair was still the platinum blond it had always been but it was a little shaggy and probably needed to be cut but I didn't like cutting Eden's hair because it reminded me that he was getting older.

"Baby, I'm just thinking about the council stuff." I reached down and kissed his forehead.

I can't believe he is already 9, it feels like yesterday that he was only a little three year old.

Eden pulls out his pen and began writing in his notebook in his handwriting that should be way to precise to be a 9 year old's. When he was done writing he showed me the notebook once again.

"What's wrong mommy?"

"Something just doesn't make sense to me." I stared at the wall.

Eden began writing again. I don't deserve this kid. Then he showed me his notebook.