"She said that, did she?"

Relaying again what Ria had told me, strangely enough, was an even harder undertaking the second time around. Probably because the first time I explained it, Sera had no relation, absolutely no reason to care about the sentiments of a complete and total stranger. historical

On the other hand, although she'd never allow it to surface, I know for sure.. Irene cared immensely.

After all, all I had to do was drop her name on a call, and here Irene came running in an instant.

A speed bump on the road had me quivering slightly in the backseat, but at the same time, it also toppled over the other passenger right beside me - I felt the warming sensation first before I felt her.

Resting on my shoulder, her warmth, the strands of her hair dimly ablaze joining the crinkles and folds of my clothes.. so soothing to the touch.

With a light nudge, I shifted Ria back upright.. and met again across from me, those hazel eyes staring back from the rearview mirror.

"She was pretty convincing," I answered back, not knowing what else to say except, "Again, I'm sorr - "

"I heard you the first, second, and third time," Irene spoke before I could finish. "Do you really want me to repeat again what I said the first, second, and third time too?"

I didn't answer her, instead, I turned away to the window-side, watching as the whizzing blur of concrete and bricks gradually transformed to a landscape of greenery as we made our way for home, my home.

Still couldn't quite figure out how we managed to haul Ria's body out of the park without being stopped and questioned by any of the random joggers and loiterers loitering about in their morning stroll. Irene didn't even have to pull out the detective card in case the police got involved in an alleged attempted case of abduction.

Then again I suppose it's like Ria had once told me oh so long ago now... people would take any bizarre sight they see and twist and contort it back to a skewed sense of normalcy.

Normal, huh? I guess this was just gonna have to be a new normal to get accustomed to.. no longer having to brace myself any day for the front door barging open with a loud audacious 'hello' echoing through the halls, accompanied by strange bizarre gifts handpicked from the latest exotic, foreign country venture.

There wasn't much conversation over the course of the trip. Of course, there were a few attempts to start one that ultimately went and fizzled out - the air that permeated the vicinity just simply wasn't a lively one.

"When I drop you off," Irene said, starting another one. "I want to know that you won't beat yourself up over this like I know you will."

I blew a sigh, my breath fogging the glass. "You might not think it's my fault, but..."

"Because it isn't your fault," She heavily affirmed. "If it had been me there talking to her, I'd have done the same thing as well."

"But is it right?" I spoke out loud, I wondered out loud "Out here, in there, what's better for someone like her?"

"That's not our question to answer, unfortunately," Irene said, and I caught her gaze drifting over to the glow of light to the right of me. "If this is her answer.. so be it, then."

"Where does that leave you, then?"

"Me?"

"Wouldn't you rather have her awake?" I asked her. "Do you really agree with this answer?"

"I've used her as something to hang around my neck for like the last fifty years. I've treated her like an accessory, a no-other-option emergency," She said stiffly. "I have no say in this."

"Morally, maybe you don't.." I peered at her expression closer through the mirror. "But selfishly.."

She never strayed her eyes off from the road. Shifting gears, steering left on the last corner turn towards home was all done the same way - methodical, logical. It was the tone of her reply that gave it away, the sound of her voice..

Emotional.

"I wish the Blightfall never gave her this chance."

It wasn't long before I was standing there once more in front of the entrance to my driveway, watching Irene's car rumble away and disappear into the distance, taking the forever slumbering Ria along with her.

Irene knew her best, she knew her longer, and it's only right if she stayed together with her.

Before she went, Irene took a moment to roll down her window, wanting again to make sure I'll be just fine the moment she takes her eyes off me.. and only after assuring her for maybe the third or fourth time that I won't be my own punching bag, did she finally put her foot onto the pedal, but not before she tenderly stroked me on the cheek and pecked me a quick kiss goodbye, parting away with a faint smile.

It was nice, It was comforting, relieving.. and not just for me either, I'm sure.

I lumbered on through the pathway to the porch, briefly settling down onto one of the steps to settle out a whole 'nother matter entirely. I took my phone out of my pocket again - and whispered a silent prayer as I raised it to my ear.

Fingers crossed I still have a job after this phone call.

Surprisingly enough, however, although I dialed for Nick, it wasn't his loud, booming, subtly condescending that answered my ringing. The moment I heard that coy, playful, "Hello?" answering after the tone, I knew I was in for an entirely different type of admonishment.

As expected, my missing my shift wasn't an ordeal taken lightly. In Hayley's own words, apparently, she's 'devastated' and utterly 'heartbroken' that her star employee could ever come and 'betray her trust'.

Of course, she's saying all this while all the while I could clearly hear her trying to stifle a giggle in-between her agonizing cries of woe and grief.

Maybe it was the tone in my voice when I spoke my apologies, or perhaps Ms. Witch was feeling just awfully merciful today, but she didn't even wanna hear it.

Instead, I was told to catch the evening shift, something about it being a good opportunity to learn how to close up shop before she abruptly ended the call with a just as impish, "Bye-bye~!".

I'll say this, her enthusiasm was infectious. When I rose to my feet again, my body didn't feel as heavy as before.

When I eventually reached and entered the house - there was a peculiar feeling of stagnation in the air, a stillness.. a gloominess. Maybe it was just me, or maybe it had to do with the fact that it was just so damn quiet.

I looked left towards the living room, and found out why instantly - sitting on the couch was a figure in white, breathing quietly the slow, faint breaths of slumber.

Ash was sleeping, yet her head, her posture, was held ever so high still on guard. I'll give her this, she's got the whole dignified demeanor down to a work of art. Literally, she could fall and trip down every step on the stairs and still do so with class and grace.

She must have pulled an all-nighter.. yet again. When I said to watch over Sammy, I didn't mean.. for real, this knight's utter devotion to fulfilling her tasks extends to a point that frightens me sometimes.

Briefly, I considered waking her up, but then not even a minute later, I was gently laying her to her side, careful to not rouse her as I slid over a couch pillow under her head.

For a while I just stood there, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, and the peaceful, ethereally beautiful expression on her sleeping face. I felt a smile forming, when I saw her ears twitching so adorably, and I felt it grow even wider when a groggy mumble slipped past the narrow gap in her lips, "Mas.. ter.."

Who knows, maybe somehow subconsciously she knew I was back already, and of course, there was no way she would hear the front door slam without also immediately coming over to welcome me home.

See? Even sleep, her devotion to a task transcends even consciousness itself.

Slowly, I let my hand light run through the seams of her hair, and I felt my spirits lift ever so slightly again.

I took the utmost care not to make even the tiniest creak walking up the stairs to my bedroom, and once there, I was again greeted once more by another slumbering figure.. this time on my bed.

What was it she said to me before I left for the night - something about rather breaking her spine on the floor than spending even a second breathing in the fumes and scents of my sheets? Something along those lines, at least.

So tell me why was it that dear little sister Simmy had every single one of my pillows in a big bear-hugging embrace in her arms, seemingly also in utmost bliss under the warmth of my blanket? She couldn't bother using any of the spare pillows I got her - no, she just had to use my own, didn't she?

Just goes to show - berate me all you like, Sammy. Deep down inside, you're still that same little sister all those years ago creeping under my covers every time it thundered.

It feels so strange. After waking up, after making that decision - it felt like the world had suddenly stopped spinning. Like everything had frozen still, and that nothing else seemed to matter anymore. That I was trapped in this perpetual limbo of blame and what-ifs.

But then after that, from little things here and there, I'd catch glimpses, I'd get hints that the world hadn't stopped after all. That things still mattered, that I could still feel things that didn't have to do with that sinking feeling of misery and failure - that life still goes on, moves on.

Maybe I should too.

I think that's what she would have wanted..

Sweet dream, Ria.

You deserve it.