Page 106 of Dawn of Hope

“Nah, I would have gone to find you.” He winks, followed by a light brush of his lips over mine. “Get some food. I’m going to go get some dry clothes and make sure everything is in order.”

I nod as he releases me, and move forward to grab my plate and make room for the line that is now forming behind us.

I follow Mara and Lilly back to our space and we eat, chatting easily between us. The more we talk, the more Lilly relaxes, offering tidbits of herself and her life back home. No one asks who she is here for. We try to keep the conversation light.

Boys run around the room, yelling, laughing, and tackling each other. Some lounge around in their beds, talking animatedly to the others around them. I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips as I take in the chaos around me. Something about everyone being together like this just feels different. We often eat dinner at the same time, but this feels like more.

It feels like a family.

I smile, turning my attention back to the story Mara is telling when I feel the cushion beside me shift.

“Any breakthroughs today?” Dane asks as he settles down beside me.

I shake my head. “No, unfortunately. I came back pretty early once I saw the clouds rolling in.”

“Good choice. It is really wet out there. Things can get pretty unstable when it rains like this.”

Lightning flashes across the window, lighting the room for a split second. Thunder rolls a few minutes later as the storm picks up.

I turn to him. “How long do they usually last?”

“Could be a couple days, but usually not more than that.” He reaches over and picks some food off my plate and pops it into his mouth.

“Hey! Get your own!” I say with a small shove.

He chuckles and chews the bite. “Aw, come on, you’ll share with me.”

“The only—” I am cut off by a quiet voice standing in front of us.

“Excuse me, Lennox?”

I roll my eyes at Dane. “You’re not getting off this easy.” He smiles and snatches another bite as I turn toward the boy standing in front of me. “Hey Roley. What’s up?”

“Um, I just, um, wondered if you had seen Fin? He isn’t back yet, and um, I didn’t know what to do.”

Fear and dread trickle down my spine as I sit bolt upright.

No.

“What do you mean, he’s not back? Were you with him today?” I ask.

Roley wiggles, shifting his weight on his feet as tears pool in his eyes. I have to remember, despite being on this island for years, he still is just a child, and is scared that something happened to his friend.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” I reach up and grasp his hands, squeezing them tight. “I’m not mad. I’m just trying to find out more information.”

He sniffles slightly. “We always meet at the tavern for dinner, but he hasn’t come back yet.”

“Maybe,” Dane chimes in, “he’s out there wondering where we all are. He’s new, remember? He may not know where to go.”

I jump to my feet and Dane pushes himself off the floor behind me.

“We’ll go check, alright? You stay here with Mara and Lilly.” I run my hand over the top of his head and nudge him toward Mara. She throws open her arms, and he snuggles up to her, still wearing the worried look on his face.

“It’ll be alright,” I hear her whisper to him. “We’ll find him.” He nods slightly and sniffles again.

Dane takes my hand and pulls me to follow as he weaves through everyone lounging on the floor.

“Dane, I’m worried,” I say.

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