There was a pause and her brow creased before she spoke up again. “How will I know you’re okay? I mean, if you’re taking too long to come back?”
I might have laughed at her sudden concern for my welfare, but I could tell she was genuinely worried, and it was a fair question.
“I’ll be okay. Even my worst enemy wouldn’t try anything here. Just be patient and get some rest. I’ll be back before you know it.”
My father said those very same words to me. Every night as he left for work, he’d implore me to sleep and promise me that he’d be back before I awoke. He always kept his promise. Until he didn’t. The thought was painful, and it filled me with heartache, but I couldn’t show Caimbrie my thoughts, so I turned abruptly.
I strolled through the port, ignoring the wave of memories that were crashing down on me. I hadn’t thought of my father in a long time. When I did, I couldn’t help the resentment I felt. I knew he hadn’t meant to abandon us, but that was what happened all the same. I was young when it happened, but I could still remember the stricken look on my mother’s face when the authorities came to our door. I could remember every night that she insisted she wasn’t hungry while offering me a second helping of the meager food she could find. I remembered finally being old enough to go out on my own, picking up trash and trying to earn a few coins so I could do my part.
When my mother died, it was just me. I knew better than to trust the men who came to take me away. I knew what happened to orphans. So instead, I ran away. I ran and hid and scavenged my way through life for many months until I met Adreax. He was older, tougher than I was, but he didn’t seem to mind having me around. And that was how he became my brother.
I shoved those thoughts away forcefully, realizing that I’d walked halfway across the port already, and almost missed my stop. I whispered a quick goodbye to my parents, again, and turned my attention back to the present as their memories were whisked away.