Pink hair and a broken heart

Chapter 29. The last recording

{Location: The Quartzstone roof}(Seliel's POV)

The clouds are slow as snails as I wait for the stars to shine. Mom yawns again, "Believe me when I say, unlike everything else, this mistake is rather recent. Only a few hours old." She pauses as the sun's glow fades, "Comfortable? Well, I'm not sure it matters if you are. Here we go."

{Location: The Clinic}(Dawn's POV)[Years ago]

"And done." I feel like falling asleep after recording 9 tapes. I'm not sure why I wanted to record these, I guess I wanted to keep better track of them. I really hope that only my ears will ever hear them. I stand up to stretch around the back room. My hands glide over a purple notebook contains my notes on something I'm working on. Which I would much rather have the clinic open then working on the stupid frightstone Chen asked for. I glance over my neat writing. So far the only thing I've been able to compare it to is the venstone which in itself if hard to dig for much less replica. Then my door opens and rings a little bell, "It's open."

James pokes his head in, "The polls just ended."

I reach out to hug him, "I'm so proud of you." I hold him as I look at the mountain of flyers in the waiting room, "Even if you don't win, I'm proud of you putting yourself out there."

"Well, hopefully, I'll win." James keeps holding me probably because of his nerves.

I lean in to give him a comforting kiss when the door opens again.

The cutest little girl with pink hair and a happy heart worms her way between us, "Hey Mom. Wanna see 'my Hero is' project?" Seliel looks up as her smile melts my heart.

I have to pull back from James as he lets me go, "Sure." I reach down, pick her up and rest her on my hip, "Where is it my little Seliel-bear?" I gently tap her nose as if she were a delicate flower.

Seliel smiles wide, showing her missing teeth and her pure joy of wearing her favorite outfit, a light blue t-shirt with butterflies and white roses with light grey shorts and beat up black sneakers. She wiggles out of my grip to grab her backpack, "I must have left it in the car. I'll be right back." She runs outside as I can't help but smile.

James holds my shoulders and rubs me, "See, she's fine. And she'll always be fine."

I look up at him, "And just how are you so certain?"

"Because we're both here for her." James kisses my forehead, "And I don't think that's ever gonna change."

"Alright sir sappy, how about you get her home for snack time?"

"Ok." James let's go and follows Seliel out, "Can I expect to see you home for the results tonight?"

"Sure." I wave as they pull out at the door closes.

I walk around, other than soccer kids with bruised knees, today has been sorta slow. Might as well start cleaning up, and I get the feeling James will be a hot mess tonight. I turn off my laptop, I've managed to sign up for online acupuncture classes. I somewhat understand them but I'm hoping to add them to like an extra comfort that people can ask for. I take a second to pause and look at my pile of tapes. I bend down under a desk and grab a duffle bag, I start putting them as dangerous thoughts race in my mind. What if someone finds these? It could bring Edward might find out about it. Or what if these manage to get back to Chen? I need something, some last second that on the offhand change save my secrets. And what about Seliel? I won't let the darkness touch her, I won't let her life go off the rails like mine did, I would do anything to keep her innocents. Wait, that's it.

I grab a new tape, place the duffle bag just below me and press the record button, "Sorry. Turns out doing a marathon of recording is hard," Especially considering I was up at 4 this morning checking in on my artificial fightstone, "And tiring. As far as I know, this is my last tape. Unless I really mess up with my daughter," I keep talking. I hope that someone if someone listens to this, won't think I'm that horrible of a person, "I know I say this every time, but be warned. This mistake is not as bad as my other 9, but it's still important. Still here? Fine. This story starts a 2 years after I first open the clinic. I should as that is today." I moan a little from my tiredness, "Mistake number 10 is a sum of all my mistakes. And the one thing I want most of all is for my daughter to have a good life," I hope that this works, "I want her to have a good life, full of friends, empty of hate and grudges. I want her to live in the now, enjoy peace when it shows itself." I recall my mostly blank and blurry memories of my childhood, trying to channel all the happy times from that, "I want her to chase her dreams whatever they may be," I feel like there's supposed to be something else, one last memorable sentence, "Seliel, I'm watching you right now. And I love every second of it. I know when you're a kid, making friends doesn't seem that special. But friends and family are helpful. I've seen both the worst and the best in people and the best is with people who are willing to help." I pause as I close my eyes and picture her face hearing this, "Sometimes, the hardest fight isn't with a sword. It's asking for help," I open my eyes, "I love you."

Then the door opens again, Seliel runs in and holds me tight, "Mommy, I forgot to ask, there are shooting stars tonight. Can we watch them?" SHe looks up at me with her brilliant violet eyes, Please?!"

I rub her head, "Yes. I wouldn't miss it for the world." I hit stop on the recording as she blabbers on about her school day. "You head home and set up the telescope. I just need to clean up." She nods as she runs out again.

I eject the tape, place it in a care, write down 10 on the case, close it up, place it with the others and place them all in the bottom shelf on the 3rd row of medical supplies. My mistakes are in the past. I made those tapes to make peace with them. They can't hurt me....if I keep them in good hands.

"Mom," Seliel screams for me, "What's taking so long?"

"I'm coming," I grab my purse, keys, and sunglasses when I bump into the door. I back off of it only to feel my coat rack poking my back close to the top of my lungs. For some reason, I shiver. I shake my head, it's nothing. My daughter needs me and I will be there for her as long as I can.

{Location: Seliel's rooftop}(Seliel's POV)[Present day}

I can't believe how much of a chipmunk I sounded like, "Mommy. I forgot to ask, there are shooting stars tonight. Can we watch them? Please?!"

I know what Mom says next, "Yes. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Click, the last tape ends as I'm somewhere between shocked and surprised. I remember that day. My teacher, Mrs. Bella, wouldn't stop talking about a large meteor shower coming tonight. I had asked and they told me it was something like shooting stars. I sit back up, hold the tape player in my lap as I look up. The night sky is crystal clear now. The best thing about living in the mountains, I'm this much closer to the stars.

And they're brilliant. I make small lines, making up my own constellations. Some shine more than others but I notice as many as I can. I look back down and close my eyes. About where I'm sitting is where Mom and I watched the stars so long ago, she even saved me as I almost backed off the road entirely. I open my eyes, just to make sure the stars haven't moved.

Then, one shoot across the sky left to right.

Maybe it's the nostalgia. Maybe I'm literally bored out of my mind.

But I choose to make a wish on a star.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star. I wish for friends who will survive any fight. With me or otherwise." I keep watching the star as it crosses over the crescent moon. I think it's my imagination, but I swear it glows brighter just before it burns out.