𝕴𝖓𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖍𝖊

29- Matching wounds

Maely's pov:

I remained sitting on a bench in front of the shooting range in the open air of the base, while the coolness and the breeze soothed me.

"Hun." I heard Simon's voice while he sat down next to me.

"Hey, baby." I said with a short smile.

We stood quietly as we watched the recruits being pressed and scolded by their drill sergeants.

"Are you okay?" Simon asked me as he grabbed my hand.

"I'm fine."

"You were a little hard on Svetlana, you know it's not her fault, honey." Simon told me. I knew he was coming to give me a speech.

"I'm not in the mood, Simon." I told him rolling my eyes.

"I'll keep talking to ya' anyway." Simon said to me.
I rolled my eyes again.

"You know it's not her fault what Vladimir did. Ya' heard her, she also suffered just like you and other people else. You were wrong for blaming her." Simon said to me.

I know I was wrong. I know that...and I regret it. Seeing her face...she was at her most vulnerable in front of everyone...it was like seeing my reflection in her.

For a few seconds...all I wanted to do was hug her.

"I know, I know I was wrong." I said to Simon without looking at him.

"And so?" Simon asked me.

"What?" I asked looking at him.

"What will ya' do?"

"Well...I don't know." I said.

"But what's going through your head? Tell me." Simon told me as he played with my hand.

"Would it be weird to say...that I want to protect her?" I asked Simon.

"No, it's not weird. Why do you think so?" Simon said looking me straight in the eyes.

"Because-we don't know each other. We're family but I don't know her and she doesn't know me. But- I want to protect her...get to know her...it feels weird." I said to Simon.

"Well, I think you've made your decision, honey." Simon said to me laughing but I couldn't see his face because of his mask.

"I think so..." I said laughing too.

"Price and Laswell are waiting for you." Simon said to me.

I nodded my head in agreement...
"Come on." I said standing up as I grabbed his hand.

"Nohan and Logan will go crazy taking care of the kids." Simon said laughing.

I started laughing- "poor them."

| |

When I walked back into the meeting room there was only Price, Laswell and Polina. As I walked in, the three of them looked at me and Simon.

"Maely." Laswell said to me.

I sat down and looked at them....

"What should I do?" I asked them. Their eyes expressed surprise.

"Are you sure?" Price asked me.

I gave him a smile-"She needs me."

Polina gave me a smile- "Thank you Maely...thank you for wanting to help her."

Seeing Polina's face was seeing my mother in her...she was a lot like my mom. Just like seeing Svetlana, it was like seeing me when I was her age. Who knew that after all this time...now I come to find out that I always had an aunt and a cousin...both of whom lived and continue to see the same pain that I had long ago left behind.