Chapter 22

After an hour-long lecture which left Mayu on the brink of death by boredom and Tala at the edge of tears of embarrassment, Luz woke up and tried to sneak out of my room with no success. Paz and Mayu mobbed her for gossip, pulling her into Mayu’s room and leaving me alone with Tala.

The poor girl was trembling like a newborn calf.

“Look,” I said with a smile, “you don’t need to worry about what just happened, okay? The punishment was mostly for the benefit of the girls. You may not have noticed, but they’re very ... playful. They tend to get out of control if I don’t put my foot down.”

“I’m...” she stammered. “I’m really sorry about this. You’re being so kind to me. So helpful even though I’m obviously getting in the way of a really important day ... and then I go and do something like this...”

I patted her head, much to Tala’s surprise. It was a trained movement, something I did multiple times a day by this point, and one I didn’t think twice about. This one time I should have. It would be more awkward if I pulled away now, so I just committed to a short mussing.

“Tala, listen to me,” I said firmly. “It’s fine. I’m doing this because I want to, not out of obligation.” I removed my hand from her head. “I don’t blame you for any of this. In fact, I’m glad you trust me enough to call me for help. I want you to feel free to do that whenever you need. So don’t get shy on me right now, okay?”

She nodded shyly, looking down at her feet as a blush colored her face.

“You need to be strong,” I continued. “For yourself, and for your brother too. I have a feeling this might get worse before it gets better. But it will get better. Okay? I promise.”

She nodded again. It was shallower, accompanied by a short gasp.

“Cool,” I said, glancing at the rising ruckus coming from Mayu’s room. “The girls will be busy with themselves for a while, so we have the living room to ourselves. Take your time and compose yourself. The situation isn’t ideal but try to relax a little. Everything that can be done is being done, and worrying won’t help any.”

I led her to the sofa and sat her down. She followed like a mopey puppy. I knelt in front of her and put my hands on top of hers.

“Do you need someone to stay with you right now?” I whispered. “Or do you want to be alone?”

“I don’t know...” she sobbed. “I don’t...” Tears fell from her eyes freely.

“Oh, sweetheart.” I sat next to her on the couch and hugged her.

She grabbed onto me like a drowning man would a piece of flotsam. Her glasses fell from her face and clattered on the ground, forgotten as she softly cried into my shoulder.

“I was so scared...” she said hoarsely.

“You don’t need to be anymore, Tala,” I said soothingly, gently threading my fingers through her hair.

“I know...” she whimpered. “I’m sorry ... I’m not ... I’m just so relieved...! If I was alone, I don’t ... I wouldn’t even know how to begin...”

“Shhh,” I soothed. “You don’t need to think about ’what ifs.’ I won’t let anything like that happen, and neither will the girls. We’re here for you, okay?”

“Mhmm...” she intoned, her wracking sobs subsiding.

“Breathe,” I said. “In and out, slowly. In ... and out...” She followed my instructions, relaxing against me.

With a yawn, she started to lift her head, but I kept her down with my hand.

“No need,” I whispered. “Just keep your eyes closed and relax.”

She nuzzled my chest, taking a deep breath, then, slowly but surely, fell into the rhythmic breathing pattern of sleep. A minute after I was sure she was sleeping, I gently lifted her into a delicate princess carry and took her to her new bed.

Closing the door, I pondered for a moment if I should knock on Mayu’s door or just barge in. They were talking in hushed tones now, and I couldn’t tell exactly what about. Opting to make the least amount of noise possible, I just opened the door.