Time's Tragedies- The Books Of Beginning [2]

32. The Informant

The smell of sausages cooking wafted through the house as Rafe listened to the sizzle of the frying pan and the hot stove. He had hardly been able to sleep a wink, between the threat of Robert and what was happening to Lili and Kate. So this morning, he was the first one up, and decided to make breakfast sausage and toast for the children, hoping to do something, anything, to give them hope and make things less awful.

"Dad?" Called a voice from the doorway.

Rafe turned to see his youngest child standing there hesitantly. He felt a pang of heartbreak for her. She was only eleven, and that was a hard enough age to go through without all of this. Starting middle school, starting the process of growing up, those were challenging in their own right. But to have to experience such horrors as this... well, it was no wonder Abby looked so afraid, retreating into her shell and letting her confidence falter.

"Morning," he replied with a soft smile.

"You makin' sausage?" Abby questioned, coming closer, bare feet padding against the tiles.

Rafe nodded, "and toast. And I think we have orange juice in the fridge."

"What about that jam me and Jake like?"

"The raspberry? Yeah, I think there's some of that too."

Abby smiled a bit then, standing at his side. She always felt more confident when she wasn't alone. It was easier to be brave if she had someone to use as an example of how to do it.

"Did you get any sleep, Dad?" Abby didn't miss a thing, did she, he thought. That girl was so observant, so sharp. She could easily see the circles under his eyes.

"Some," he answered, and left it at that. "How about you?"

Abby shrugged, "I slept ok. Woke up just after seven, though, then decided not to bother trying to get back to sleep and read until I smelt breakfast. When I came down Jake was tossing around but still asleep. No idea about Lili and Eternity."

"What made you wake up?" Rafe questioned.

"I don't remember exactly, I was just... afraid. I'm always afraid these days." Her voice was thick with emotion and bitterness, the kind someone so young should never have to feel.

"Abby..."

Abby looked away, "I don't want to be scared. I want to be brave. Heroic. Like Aunt Emma, and Gabriel, and you and mom and everyone else. But I'm not brave."

"Hey, look at me," Rafe turned away from the stove entirely to place his hands on his daughter's shoulders and her her attention, "you are brave. You are incredibly brave. Bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's overcoming it. That's what makes Emma and Gabriel and your mother brave. They're just as afraid as you, they just don't let that stop them from achieving what they were born to do."

"But I do let it get in the way," Abby exclaimed, "when we were in danger, I ran away and left Lili and Eternity behind and then mom got hurt and then-"

"Abigail Clare Wibberly," Rafe said sternly, "you are an incredible girl. You are not only brave, you are brilliant and empathetic and trustworthy. But you are also only eleven years old. It takes many people lifetimes to find courage. It's something they gain as they grow and learn. No one expects you to be an adult. You're a kid, and it's natural for you to be afraid and to want to run from danger."

Abby sniffled. Rafe pulled her into a hug, letting her wrap her arms tightly around his middle as she buried her face in his chest.

"And furthermore, you're you, Abby, and that's an amazing thing to be. I know you want to be like Emma, and Gabriel, but you aren't either than them, and that's ok. You'll find your strengths and grow as a person. But never feel like you have to be someone else or push yourself too far because you think you should be a certain way," Rafe added.