by Elle, Leen
Sophie glanced at her and Robert's interlocked hands and grinned. He was leaning his head against his chair, his eyes closed. His blond curls had fallen into his face, making him look innocent and sweet.
While she knew the man beneath his cute expression was nowhere near innocent, it amused her to see him like this. It was if an entirely new chapter had opened up in her life, without her having realized it.
She still couldn't believe it was this easy to be with him, after he'd caused her so much pain. It wasn't so much that she forgave him, but that she'd had too many issues to hold grudges against. It had turned out to be much easier to let the past go, knowing he was willing to change.
Teddy was playing in the front yard, riding his bicycle back and forth over the green lawn. Gwyn was spending time with Rylan inside, and Sophie could hear them laughing through the open kitchen window.
It was one of those afternoons she wouldn't trade the world for. Never in her life had she known this much bliss.
Of course the peace wasn't completely impenetrable. Despite the sun and the smiles, there were dark concerns that had yet to be addressed. The week had been spent ignoring the problems that loomed ahead, and soon it would be time to refocus and begin working again.
Luke was still missing, Max was still a constant threat, and there was no way of knowing what Agent Marshall was up to. The only positive aspect of their situation now was that Cleo seemed to be fully on their side.
Robert had told Sophie that Cleo found new hope in their mission, which had once reached a dead end. Even if they hadn't found the paintings themselves, Cleo believed they were close on the trail. Her hope made her infinitely more friendly, and all hints of her formers threats vanished.
At first, Sophie didn't understand the change in Cleo. However, Robert had already explained her motives. Despite the paintings offering them no profit, Cleo and Max were obsessed with finding their stolen property. A fraction of the reason they wanted them so desperately was because of pride. It was insulting that thieves had stolen from them, who had made a business out of stealing from others.
Another facet of their desire for the paintings stemmed from their need to own the rarest, and most valuable paintings in the world. Robert said they'd been tightlipped about the specific paintings stolen, to curb others' interest in finding them. All that was known was that they were rare, and important enough to fuel a ten-year grudge.
When Sophie's parents had escaped, they'd made a huge dent in both Cleo and Max's pride. It wasn't hard to believe that someone as insane as Max had snapped and killed them both.
Sophie tried to blink away her dark thoughts. They didn't seem appropriate on a day like today.
Her attention turned towards a car pulling into their driveway. She automatically stiffened, but relaxed when she recognized Rylan's doctor. In the rush of the first few days of her return, Sophie hadn't caught his name. Now, she knew him as Dr. John Smith, a name she knew to be an alias.
It seemed like everyone in this business didn't trust giving out their true names. Ever since she'd known Robert, he'd given her at least three to work with.
Robert had opened his eyes the moment she'd unconsciously squeezed his hand. His dark eyes watched the doctor leave the car, a frown on his lips.
"Todays the day." Robert reminded her, sitting up in the chair.
"What day?"
"He's going to give us the facts about Rylan. The wound's had time to heal, so now it's time to outline where we're going from now on."
Sophie's heart clenched. Robert didn't seem enthusiastic about the results.
"I've seen gunshot wounds before, Sophie." His eyes were hard. "It's not something people get over in a few weeks. In some cases, a few years."
"Hey," She chided, squeezing his hand again. "He's alive. We should feel blessed for that gift. Anything else is just a challenge we can work through together."
Robert didn't seem affected by her words of support. His concern for Rylan was evident on his face.
"Gwyn doesn't need to know, so I'm going to talk to him in my room. I'll tell you the details later." Robert stood to greet the doctor, motioning for him to enter the house.
Sophie gave the man a small wave in greeting, but didn't stand to follow them inside. Even if it was selfish, she wanted to savor the last little bit of warmth she could take from this afternoon. She had a feeling tonight would not be an easy one.
Her eyes turned back to the front yard. She glanced around, searching for Teddy, but he couldn't be seen from the porch. Sophie stood, panic rising in her chest again as she turned to look for him.
She found Teddy sitting on the pavement in the driveway, rocking back and forth, holding his knee to his chest. His bicycle was sitting a few feet away, but Sophie was focused on his injured leg.
"Ow, ow, ow." Teddy whispered, as if he was trying to hold in the pain.
"Teddy!" Sophie rushed towards him, squatting down so she could see the damage. "We take our eyes off you for one minute..."
She pulled his hands away from the wound, and winced when she saw how deep the cut was.
"I lost my balance." He confessed, looking guilty. "I didn't mean to fall over."
"I know you didn't." Sophie reached out to shuffle his hair with her hand. "How much does it hurt."
His cut went from the top of his knee to halfway down his leg. It was covered in dirt, and needed to be treated immediately.
"Not bad." Teddy replied, even though his bottom lip was quivering. "It's not nearly as bad as Rylan's."
The realization that Teddy was trying to be brave was painful. When Sophie had been his age, she would've cried her eyes out over getting hurt. Even if the wound hadn't been nearly as painful as his.
"It looks bad." Sophie lifted Teddy to his feet, and reached up to touch his cheek.
She was reminded of Gwyn's story about their mother, and how the woman hadn't cared when Gwyn had been hurt. Sophie didn't want Teddy to have the same memory. She wanted him to know that he was loved, and that he wasn't alone.
Right now Teddy didn't have a Rylan to support him, so Sophie would take that role.
She turned around in front of him, and motioned for him to climb on her back. She hoisted him into the air, and noticed him wince out of the corner of her eye.
"We'll get you fixed up soon." She promised, carrying him into the house.
The moment she entered the kitchen, Gwyn bolted out of her seat. "What happened?" Her voice was tight.
"Just a little accident." Sophie sat Teddy down on the kitchen counter. "He's handling it like a man though. I almost cried just thinking about falling off my bike."
Teddy hid a smile, his eyes beaming. He enjoyed being compared to a man.
"He's tougher than me." Rylan chipped in from his bed. "I would be crying too."
Teddy's smile grew even larger.
Gwyn had already infiltrated the medicine cabinet, pulling out a jar of band aids. Sophie reached for a towel, and ran it under cool water. It took only moments for her to clean the wound, but for Teddy it seemed like hours. He hid his pain as well as he could.
As a treat for being so brave, Gwyn gave Teddy the special Ninja Turtle band aids. It took three to cover the length of the cut. Teddy's eyes widened in awe of the special band aids, and Sophie suppressed a smile. Sometimes it was too easy to please him.
"Can I go back outside?" Teddy asked eagerly.
Sophie winced, knowing she was going to have to be strict with him.
"Why don't you hang out with me for a little bit?" Rylan offered, saving Sophie from her duty as guardian.
She mouthed a thank you, as Teddy skipped over to Rylan's side. There were three chairs around the bed, and Gwyn and Teddy sat down next to him. It had been an awkward arrangement a week ago, but by now they were all used to the change.
Sophie turned on the TV Robert had moved into the kitchen for Rylan. She busied herself with preparing for dinner, trying not to think about the conversation going on upstair
s.
It had felt wonderful to be able to do something for Teddy. Helping him out made her feel useful, like she had a purpose. However, she wouldn't be able to change Rylan's situation. His injury was out of their control, and a few band aids wouldn't heal him forever.
An hour after he arrived, Dr. Smith left, without saying goodbye. They all heard him open and shut the front door, but no one commented on it. Everyone except Teddy knew what his visit was about.
Sophie gripped the spoon she was holding tightly. She'd prepared chicken soup for dinner, but she'd been too distracted to put any real effort into it. As she stirred, she wondered anxiously when Robert would come tell them the news.
When the door to the kitchen creaked open, everyone flinched.
Robert entered the room with a grim expression, and Sophie felt like she could hear everyone's hearts hit the floor.
Any inklings of hope they'd had sunk when he sat down at the kitchen table.
He turned to face them, his frown deep and foreboding.
* * *
The facts were simple. It was a result they should've expected the moment Rylan was shot.
At the moment, it seemed like Rylan wouldn't be able to walk normally again. His sentence in recovery would last a minimum of three months, and a maximum of six. Even after physical therapy, he would need the use of a cane to move around on his own.
It was a prognosis Dr. Smith made knowing he would have to monitor Rylan's situation for the next few weeks. Truthfully, he'd informed Robert that his report was a bit dramatic. He'd decided on his verdict after comparing the injury with past cases, but he had hopes that he would be wrong in this case.
Rylan was young and healthy, and the wound was already healing faster than expected. While he'd already outlined the worst case scenario, he also gave hope for the future. If Rylan continued to improve at this rate, he may one day be able to walk without a limp. It would be as if there was no wound at all.
However, running, or any other overly physical activity was not just discouraged, but impossible for him. Rylan would not be able to handle the strain of the those activites on his leg.
The best possible scenario that the doctor saw was of him walking normally again. Considering how the bullet had shattered his tibia, Dr. Smith said they were lucky.
After hearing the news, no one in the room felt lucky.
It felt like someone had just punched them all in the stomach, then kicked them while they were down.
Yes, if they tried really hard they could see the positives. He wasn't sentenced to a wheelchair, there were no complications with the healing as of yet, and most importantly, he was still alive.
Sophie tried to feel relieved, but she was so hurt by the news she couldn't see through the darkness.
She put herself in his shoes at sixteen years old. Being told he would be lucky to walk normally again, and informed that he could no longer run. While she'd never been an athlete, Sophie felt suffocated by that kind of fate. She wasn't even the one receiving the news, and she understand how terrifying the results were.
At the same time, all eyes turned to Rylan. It was a cruel response, considering how he probably didn't want four pairs of eyes judging his reaction.
Sophie wondered if they were each looking for relief or further disappointment in his expression.
Rylan glanced at them all in turn, seemingly confused by the sudden attention.
Then, like the angel that he was, he smiled at them.
"Well, I never was a fast runner anyway." He shrugged, still grinning stupidly.
Teddy began to cry without reservation and Gwyn turned away, cupping her mouth with her hand.
They were the closest to Rylan so they saw when the first few tears slid down his cheeks.
While he was grinning like a fool, his eyes were overflowing with tears of disappointment and fear.
Sophie clutched at her chest, willing herself not to cry. She had to pretend to be strong. If she started crying, that would leave Robert to be the responsible adult.
"You'll get out of chores for months." Sophie added, smiling back at him while brushing away her few tears. "It'll be fun. All the junk food and TV you could want."
"You guys will have to keep up the patient treatment too. That's been really great." Rylan replied. Even though she could see him crumbling inside, he seemed relieved at her attempt to play along.
"You'll have all the time in the world to practice your video-game skills. Maybe you'll finally beat me one of these days." Robert continued. His voice was the calmest in the room, and his face was a perfect mask.
Rylan and Sophie were struggling to keep up the act, but Robert was a pro when it came to pretending.
Teddy ran over to Robert, jumping in his lap and throwing his arms around him. Robert's smile faltered as he comforted him. Maybe pretending wasn't as easy for him as she'd thought.
"Will you all shut up?" Gwyn shouted, startling them all. "Can't we just accept that this situation sucks right now? Stop looking at the bright-side! There's nothing bright about it." She was staring at them all with desperate eyes that screamed at the unfairness of it all. "You're not making anything better!"
Rylan slipped his hand around hers, and she pulled away. He tried a few more times, and finally she allowed him to capture her hand.
"Hey," He whispered.
"Stop." She ordered. "Don't try to comfort me. I'm not going to let you."
"Hey," He said again, this time smiling genuinely.
All traces of his tears had vanished.
Sophie suspected that his strength came in the form of protecting someone else. He'd come close to breaking down, but now he remembered that he had to be strong for Gwyn.
She'd been right that he was stupid. Rylan was the most foolish sixteen year old boy in the world, but he was still perfect. If Sophie was his age, she would be swooning at how absolutely angelic he was being.
"Hey, look a me." He whispered to her. She turned reluctantly to look at him. "At least you won't have to worry about me running away from you." He motioned to his leg. "I can't leave you, so we'll just have to walk at the same pace. Wouldn't that be nice?"
Sophie laughed at how cheesy the line was, and Gwyn was laughing too, through her tears. Rylan, who had probably spent days coming up with the line, looked hurt that they were amused by his statement.
His eyes grew wide with disappointment, but Gwyn quickly displaced it when she leaned in close to him.
Despite everyone watching them in the room, she swooped down and kissed Rylan on the lips.
The kiss lasted briefly, as it was only a peck, but in seconds Rylan's face had turned the color of a lobster. His eyes had grown ever wider, and his mouth dropped open into a 'o' shape. His hand lifted to his lips as he tried to stutter some kind of reply.
Sophie laughed again, this time turning to see shock flickering in Robert's expression. Mid-kiss he'd covered Teddy's eyes with one hand, and was pointing at them with another.
"Those two are...?" He asked, his mouth hanging open similar to Rylan's.
"It must be nice being oblivious." Sophie commented, shaking her head. "So much for being a clever thief. Couldn't even spot a budding romance under your own nose."
"I knew they were close, but..." He glanced at Gwyn, looking like he felt betrayed. "Since when?" He asked in mock angst.
"Since always." She said as she fled the room.
Teddy struggled against Rylan. "Let go!" He ordered, clawing at Robert's hand. "I want to see!"
Rylan was still reeling in shock. He seemed like he was trying to call out for her, but he was choked on his words.
"Well..." Robert began, studying Rylan closely. "There's another good thing about being wounded."
"Let go!" Teddy ordered again, sounding angry. "Are they having sex?"
Shock returned to every face as each person turned to stare at Teddy. Robert dropped his hand, turning Teddy to him.
"What did you just say?" Robert's voice was dripp
ing with surprise.
Teddy glanced at them all in turn, his eyes narrowing as he registered the situation he'd gotten himself into. He hadn't known at the time, but using the "s" word was obviously the wrong thing to say.
"N...nothing."
"It didn't sound like nothing." Sophie stood and walked towards him. "Teddy did you just say sex?"
"No!" Teddy tried to make a dash for it, but Robert locked his arms around the eight-year old's waist.
"Where did you learn a word like that?" Robert asked, his eyebrow raising.