Together we fall

15 | Keefe

Keefe awoke to a quiet sob.

He immediately sat up in bed, his eyes darting to Sophie. But she wasn't crying; she was lying still and calm beside him, Ella in her arms.

He smiled as he gently brushed a sheen of golden hair from her forehead. She stirred but didn't wake, nuzzling her head against his hand.

He heard another muffled cry, and Keefe realized it was coming from above him; up the stairs.

He slipped out of bed and quietly walked down the hall. He ran up the stairs, taking two at a time as worry consumed him.

He followed the quiet cries to Ember's bedroom, stopping briefly before turning the doorknob.

As he went to her bedside he could faintly hear Ace snoring from across the hall, completely oblivious to his sister's cries.

Ember was clutching her bedsheets with a white knuckled grip, her eyes red and her expression rigid. Tears spilled down her cheeks and stained her teal comforter as she quietly sobbed.

Keefe nearly doubled over when he felt her emotions. They were double the intensity of Sophie's—and that was saying a lot. Her feelings of pain, sorrow, and hurt punched him right in the gut, making his eyes water too.

"Em?" He whispered, and she flinched.

She quickly wiped her face with her hand and pulled her covers up to her collarbone, looking like she wanted to hide beneath the fluffy blue sheets. Her face tinted scarlet as she watched him with meek eyes.

Keefe sat down on the edge of her enormous bed and embraced her tightly, sending calming breezes into her mind as he often did to Sophie. She hugged him back, clinging to him as she started to cry again.

"Daddy," she whispered, "I'm scared."

Keefe's eyes widened. She hadn't called him "daddy" in years.

"Scared of what?" He asked.

She sniffled. "Scared . . . of what I can do."

After the sentence had left her mouth, she completely broke down and sobbed, her figure fragile and cold. Ember shook so hard, for a moment Keefe thought she was having a seizure. He held her securely, letting her tremors fade to small vibrations.

"Ember," Keefe whispered into her ear. "You can do great things."

"I don't want to hurt people," she cried, "I don't want to hurt them."

"You don't have to hurt people." Keefe brushed her hair behind her ear. "You can inflict positive emotions too, remember? I bet mom can teach you that."

Ember closed her eyes tightly as tears spilled down her cheeks. "What if I hurt them on accident?"

"You'll learn to control it," he promised.

"How?" She sobbed.

He stroked her hair gently before saying, "Bronte is going to teach you."

"Bronte?" She pulled back. "The one with pointy ears?"

Her lips tugged upward, like she wanted to smile but didn't have the strength.

Keefe smiled sadly. "That's the one."

She buried her face in his shoulder. "Do I have to?"

He sighed. "If you want to continue at Foxfire, yes."

She was silent for several moments. He could feel her heart rate beating extremely fast, could feel her emotions skyrocket. Her skin was feverishly hot, like her tears had triggered a fire in her bones.

After what felt like a lifetime she whispered, "Okay."

Keefe squeezed his daughter's hands. "You'll do it?"

She sank back on her bed. "I'll do it."

Keefe smiled. "You're so brave, Em."

Her lips quirked upward, just tinging at a smile.

Keefe tucked his daughter in, pulling her comforter to her neck. Now that Keefe realized it, the sheets were the exact color of Emerson's eyes. Teal.

Keefe knelt by her bed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure dad," she mumbled through a yawn.

"How long have you liked Emerson?"

She blushed. "I don't know . . . A few years?"

Years?

Keefe just nodded. "And he makes you happy?"

Ember was now half asleep, her eyelids closed and her voice slurred. "He makes me the happiest girl in the world."

Keefe chuckled.

He kissed her on the forehead as he murmured, "Good night, angel."

Her voice was just above a whisper as she said, "Good night, daddy."