//Clipped wings// Mama Emma///

///Chapter 13///

Flashback

"What's wrong with you?" demanded Ray. He glared at the other boy. angrier than he had been in a long time, maybe ever.His perfectly constructed plan, a scheme he had been working on since he was six, was finally falling apart around him. Courtesy. of course, of his best friends, the two people he had sworn to protect. "How could you let her do this?" .

But Norman didn't look at him, Instead staring forlornly at the retreating figures of Emma and the woman who called herself their mother. "She wanted to" he said simply.

 "Emma will always do what she wants. Neither of us will ever be able to change that".

Ray was more furious with every word that left his mouth, grabbed the sickly boy by his shirt. "Do you not understand what's happening here?" he seethed. "She is walking to her death;we'll never see her again. You'll never see her smile or watch her climb trees. You will never play tag with her again." He inhaled deeply through his nose "You're no idiot Norman, so what about this do you nor-"

 But Norman surprised him. turning icy blue eyes onto him. Ray had never quite seen him look at anyone like that before. "She wanted to" he repeated icily If Ray had been anyone else. he wouldn't have seen the pain behind his gaze "The best way to honor her is to make sure everyone gets out of this house, Just like she wanted us to." Ray felt his temper rise. We wouldn't be in this mess: he forced through clenched teeth. "If you knew how to tell her no. If you had explained to her thar her naive dream was Impossible from the beginning"

 "She wouldn't have cared."Norman cutted coldly. leaving no room for argument. "Emma is no idiot,Ray. Hopeful and optimistic, but not a fool. She knew how difficult It would have been, but she would give herself ten times over to save our family. You know that"

Of course Ray knew that He knew Emma wasn't stupid, no matter what he had told her in the past; she was just full of so much heart. so much love. But they couldn'r afford to think about everybody. not in this cruel world. He only had enough room In his heart to think about her. her and Norman. He couldn't.

Norman's gaze softened "She wants this."he assured him. Anyone else would have missed how his bottom lip trembled. "Even if we could catch up to her and Mom, we can't take this away from her. She's giving herself up to give us, all of us, a chance "

 He hadn't even been aware of the tears rolling down his cheeks. Before Norman could say anything else.

 Ray turned and ran out of the room. 

End of flashback

Even after Emma had fallen asleep, Ray couldn't stop staring at her.

 He was almost worried that If he took his eyes off her. she would slip right through his fingers. It was ridiculous. he knew. Emma wasn't him. He had no reason to suspect that she would ever- "But what if she had?" a traitorous voice that sounded an awful lot like Isabella hissed into his ear. 'She suffered all those years alone. You had Norman and your family. she had no one. Don't you remember how resigned she was that night?' Of course he remembered. 

He'd had nightmares for years about how ready Emma had been to walk to her death, how content she was to die that night And he would know because he'd worn that same look since he was six. Out wasn't that different? She had sacrificed herself to give them a chance; it wasn't like she had wanted to die. Emma wasn't him. Emma was strong and fierce and determined. She never would have given up so easily, not like he had. She wasn't a coward like him. 

She wouldn't-

"Ray." 

Ray lifted his head slightly. his eyes drifting to Norman's. His oceanic orbs were as calming as always. and Ray realized he was shaking slightly, his hold on Emma a little too tight. He loosened his grip, rubbing the skin there apologetically, even though she was in a deep sleep and probably hadn't even felt it.