Case Reopened

Drawing the Line

Important! Must have read previous chapter: Finding Understanding for this chapter to make a lick of sense. Also that means more Sophia and Zander! Woohoo!

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Korean lyrics backed by emotion and a heavy beat filled Sophia's ears as she worked. The music blocked the world outside of the dissembled computer before her. Curled up on her chair, she found peace and order as she carefully placed each piece.

In the corner of her eye, a small slip of paper slid across her desk with a single message: I'm here.

Sophia nodded, acknowledging that she'd seen and read the message. She continued to work until the song playing ended. The gap helped her break from her concentration. Removing her headphones, she laid them beside her work and spun around.

Her father sat in her armchair, watching her. He smiled at her. Something about her father's smile always felt like a gift to Sophia and one she wanted to give in return to him.

She had discovered this wasn't always the case with other people. For some reason, their smiles didn't affect her the same way. Something about their smiles felt out of place to Sophia, as if they conveyed a message that she couldn't translate. But for the people in her small circle, she did enjoy their smiles.

Strangely enough, when Zander had smiled at her she'd wanted to smile back.

Maybe it had to do with knowing more about a person that someone felt comfortable sharing the familiarity of a smile with.

"Do you smile at everyone?" Sophia asked.

Though Sophia fully understood this question would be said with no context, her father didn't act surprised, merely laced his fingers together and placed them on the back of his head. His thinking posture as Sophia called it.

"No," he said. "Growing up I had to smile a lot for people but it was a smile that I had practiced and wasn't real. When I no longer had to wear that practiced smile I found I would only smile when I felt like it."

"That makes sense why you don't smile often for other people. Though I have noted that you smile the most with Mama and Aunt Carter."

"And you."

Sophia smiled, amazed at how simple words could make the inside of her chest feel warm.

"And me," she said. "I smiled at someone new today."

"Oh." Mason raised his eyebrows and though her father didn't say it outright, she knew he wanted to know the whole story. Sometimes because she knew him so well that the small gestures they exchanged felt like a secret language.

Other people might make the same gestures but Sophia could never be sure they could be translated in the same way. Too many times she'd misinterpreted a gesture someone made she remained quiet more than speaking so she didn't offend anyone.

"Yes, I was able to comfort someone. And I hadn't thought I would be able to since I had no idea what the issue was."

"But you managed it. I'm proud of you."

"At first I thought simply letting Zander hold my hand would be all the comfort he needed since that's what he asked from me but-"

Sophia stopped talking, watching how her father turned from relaxed to still. Though nothing in his posture changed, she knew the shift. It was a change from listening to paying close attention.

"You let Zander hold your hand?" Mason asked.

"Yes. He asked first and since he did I gave him permission because I didn't know how else to help him."