Her Savior (Book Two Of The Brave Series)

8-Aria's Tears

8-Aria's Tears

The next morning Aria woke up with clean sheets and the chilly air. When she looked at the clock she felt relief, as Daniel would be off to work already. She stretched out and turned on her back, but the searing pain in it told her no. That was when she noticed the aches in her body from the night before. Unfortunately, this had happened too many times, and even as her body protested in pain, she stood and went into her bathroom to get ready for school. The shower eased some of the ache, but when she got out and stood in front of the mirror she gasped.

There was a slight bruise on her cheek, her lip was scabbed over and slightly swollen, and her throat has patchy red and purple bruising around it. She reached into the drawer beside her and applied enough makeup to cover the bruising, though there was nothing she could do about her split lip. Her stomach ached as she moved around, but ignored it as she brushed her hair, letting it fall loosely around her face, hoping to help with hiding the bruising.

When she was dressed, she grabbed the jacket Xepher had let her borrow and made her way downstairs. Looking out the window, she noticed the snow had gotten much worse, at least six inches off the ground now. She put on her water boots and put on Xepher's jacket before tucking her head down and heading into the snow. It was near impossible to see in front of her, but she'd walked the path enough times before. As the snow fell softly but quickly, Aria was reminded of the first time she saw the snow. Her father was still alive then, and she was still a happy little girl. They were all happy together.

She remembered her father waking her up with a gentle shake on her shoulders. Calling her Princess and telling her it was snowing outside. She'd been so excited that she'd nearly leapt off the bed and out the door in just her pajamas. He'd laughed at her and made get bundled up before going out. Her mom was waiting for them at the door. They each held her hand as they ran outside with her in tow. She'd been amazed. Gone were the pools of muddy water and wet brown leaves. In their place was a layer of thick, plush looking snow. It covered everything like an enchanting blanket. Hanging from tree limbs there'd been icicles and puff of white came from Aria has she huffed in excitement.

"It's like a fairytale!" She'd cried out, looking back at her smiling, happy parents.

"It truly does." Her dad said and they played in the snow, long enough to get drenched, with smiles on their faces.

A year later, her dad died of lung cancer. It was too late when they'd found out, and her father had refused to put them in debt with the treatments. He'd cared for and loved them until the very end. Aria was seven when her dad died, but to this day she remembered the very smile he gave her that night, when she'd found her fairytale. He had given her that same smile when she looked him in the eyes and held his hand as his eyes closed for the very last time. She'd refused to leave the room. She wasn't a quiet child then. She was loud, stubborn, and strong. Even after he passed, she refused to give in to the emotional turmoil as she watched her mother fall apart piece by piece.

After the funeral, she became consumed by her job, finishing law school, and working insanely large hours to become the well-known lawyer she was now. Then came the night that Aria woke up to her mother's heart wrenching sobs. She silently rose from bed, and followed the sounds downstairs, finding her mother curled in a ball on the sofa in the living room, clutching a picture of the three of them on a trip to the Grand Canyon. When her mother saw her, she tried to wipe the tears away and play it off, but Aria merely shook her head.

"It's okay." She said to her mom, and in that moment, she caved into herself. Aria sat beside her and hugged her mother as she cried her heart out.