To Long For

Ch. 12 Answers and Worries

Moments before Jack and Irma started their memory travels, a yeti named Jaron was walking past the safe room when he noticed something colorful on the floor.

He walked closer to the object and saw that it was a feather. Tooth's tail feather, to be exact.

Jaron picked it up and ran as fast as his yeti legs would allow to find North.

******

Jaron found North in his office and banged on the door in urgency.

This time, North opened the door. His face showed a concerning look.

"What is it? What's going on," he asked?

Jaron showed him the tail feather.

"Yes. That is Tooth's," North said, quizzingly. "What about it?"

The yeti revealed where he found it.

"Near the safe?"

Jaron nodded.

"We must go there, now," North said urgently, pushing passed him! "If she went anywhere near book, we have situation."

******

North and Jaron got into the safe and straight toward the Guardian book.

North opened it to the bookmarked page.

"Oh no, she took the page."

"What page," Jaron asked in his language?

"The page that's important to Jack."

He turned to Jaron, "I need you and one other yeti to guard the room Jack and Irma are in."

******

When Irma's memories finished, her eyes were already wet with tears.

Jack was watching her; his eyes still swollen from his own tears.

He didn't wait. He had to ask that question.

"Why did you do it?"

She didn't look at him when she answered, "I was depressed."

"You were pregnant," his voice was hard, and it made Irma cringe.

Irma wiped her eyes and took a shaky breath. She didn't answer right away, as she instead said, "I thought you died. I thought I lost the only man I ever loved."

"Irma, please. Answer the question. Why did you—," he couldn't say the word. He took his own shaky breath, "Why did you end your life?"

"I lost the baby."

"What?"

"I, I had a miscarriage." She pushed herself off the chair and walked only four feet before stopping and crossing her arms.

Jack joined her from behind, wrapping his arms around her.

"I lost you both at the same time," Irma cried. "My life felt empty."

"You still had your parents and your brother and sister."

"I know, but I didn't have you." She tried to take a step forward, but Jack held her firmly in place.

"If I didn't force you to go ice skating with your sister—" She sniffled, finally breaking away from his grasp and falling to her knees.

Irma cried deeply, "I'm so sorry, Jack. Will you ever forgive me for doing that to you?"

He went down on his knees in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders, "I already have. None of that was your fault. We didn't know something like that was going to happen."