Saving Grace (editing)

16: elliot // Maybe

s i x t e e n

"...and they lived happily ever after. The end."

Closing the large picture book gently, he places it back on the shelf.

"Goodnight... Ewiot,"  Susie yawns, snuggling deeper into her bed

"Goodnight Susie."

Elliot moves his arm to turn off the lamp but a small voice stops him.

"Ewiot..?"

"Yeah?"

"When will Mummy come home?"

The small girl looks up at him with bright, expectant eyes, holding her toy bunny, Mr Carrot tightly in her arms.

"I'm really not sure Little Fairy. But soon hopefully."

It's somewhat the truth. But the notion that their mother would come home in the near future was extremely hopeful thinking. The chances of that were...

No, he wouldn't let Susie think this. He couldn't allow her cheeriness to diminish just like that.

Elliot releases a sigh as he gently brushes the little girl's hair with his fingers.

"But Ewiot..." She has the same troubled look on her face from earlier.

"What if... What if she doesn't..."

Before he can interject, she continues.

"Will that mean we won't have a Mum anymore?"

His throat catches when she says this and the distressed look on her face makes his heart sink.

"No Susie. No. Of course not." He pauses to take a steady breath. "No matter what happens, she is and will always our mum. And we will always be her kids."

"Always?"

"Always."

He feels the faint tremble in his voice and he hopes Susie doesn't notice it.

Thankfully, she appears at ease with this answer and closes her eyes, nodding.

He wants to sigh out in relief.

"Goodnight Big Brother..."

He smiles.

"Night night."

He switches the lamp off, with only a glowing green nightlight left glowing in the small space. Elliot stands up from the floor to turn to leave the room.

"By the way," a small voice whispers into the darkness. "I...really like... Grace... alot..."

Smiling, he closes the door and carefully walks to his room to not disturb the girl's sleep.

He opens the door.

It's not much really. There was a standard single sized bed with white sheets and a pile of clothes in the corner. There was a shelf of novels leaning against the wall and on top were framed family photos and other bits and bobs.

The house was quiet with only the ticking of a clock amidst the silence. Outside, a car drove past and the faint sound of a barking dog echoing was heard.

Elliot sighs, falling on top of his mattress  as he puts his hands behind his head.

He closes his eyes for a brief moment and the colour blue flashes into his mind.

He opens them instantly, staring up at the creamy ceiling.

Elliot doesn't know why she keeps appearing in his thoughts.

She did intrigue him deeply. And...

He sighs aloud.

Elliot knew that she was possibly hiding her own dark demons from the past.

She was trapped, entrapped by her own self, and possibly unwilling to reveal herself to anyone.

It was unlikely she would let anyone in, but for some reason, Elliot felt like that maybe he could be the one the break down her walls.

Maybe it was the way they briefly looked at each other and held eye contact.

Maybe it was because there was a sense of familiarity, of understanding between them.

Maybe it was the way her stare pinned down on him especially when she finally spoke.

Maybe...

"I should just sleep," he says to himself quietly as his eyes grow heavy.

[a/n: edited as of 27/01/17]