Dance of Magic - The Books of Beginning [1]

56. My Everything

The next day things needed to get done, despite the fact that the temperature had dropped and gloomy clouds covered every inch of the sky. Richard and Clare has taken a portal (provided by Rafe) back to the rental house to gather some clothes and the boxes of random possessions they had stockpiled. Gabriel was left to watch the children and decided to leave them to their own devices, going to explore the library to find books on swordplay and battle strategy that would assist him in training Emma. 

As for the children themselves, they spent the morning getting bundled up and going to explore the area around the waterfall. It truly was a lovely view (as Wilamena loudly exclaimed) and it was nice to sit beside it listening to Emma and Michael shout over the roaring water as they told Wilamena the story of their very first adventure. Kate found it soothing, though she couldn't help but notice that Rafe seemed distracted. 

When she asked him what was wrong, he had said he was just a little tired. Kate knew that wasn't the case and that she would have to ask him again later. But for now she just let it go.

When afternoon rolled in, the clouds turned darker and temperature dropped even further. Between that and the spray of the waterfall, they had to retreat inside to warm up. It was there that Kate was asked by Wilamena to help her find some spare clothes - Wilamena had been hit hard by the water that splashed up from the falls and was both wet and cold, a miserable state. While the two did that, Michael and Emma went to rummage through the kitchen, only to find Rafe there, sitting by the back door, face twisted with apprehension.

Remembering the tension that seemed to weigh him down earlier and how worried Kate had been, Michael asked, "what's wrong?"

"And don't say nothing," Emma added, "because there's obviously something."

Rafe looked at them both, at their stubborn, concerned faces, and knew he could not lie to them. He sighed, "I'm stressed because I don't know where to go from here. I suppose I could join Abigail in New York, help her out some, but that's not really what I wan-"

He was cut off by Michael asking with evident confusion, "what do you mean, leaving for New York? I thought you were going to stay with us here."

Emma reacted a bit more temperamentally, "you can't just leave without talking to Kate!"

"I didn't plan to, Emma.I'm just still figuring out how to have that conversation. And to answer your question, Michael, I want to stay here, but I also don't want to intrude. I know your parents don't like me, and well, where we stand, I'm not certain. I want to stay with Kate, but not if it causes a rift between her and the rest of you. I know how much she loves you all and I would never want to damage that. I'm just trying to consider what to do about it," Rafe explained, his voice full of guilt and sorrow with a hint of awkward embarrassment.

Michael frowned in a sympathetic way. Trying to navigate this life after battle was challenging enough, adding in a resurrection must have made it even harder. He tried to think of something reassuring to say. But he was cut off when his little sister rolled her eyes and sighed, "ok, I'm gonna give you some advice to help solve your stupid little problem."

"Which is?" Rafe asked warily.

"Don't be an idiot. Stay here, with the person that you're obviously madly in love with and who loves you back. Simple," Emma declared, to the boys great surprise. 

"But-"

"You're welcome here," Emma blurted out, "yes, it may be awkward and full of tension and mistrust. But, I got news for you, it's already like that in my family. We're a mess. Kate spends a lot of her time trying to hold us together and at least if she has you by her side she has someone looking out for her and making her happy. So I don't care if mom and dad aren't too pleased with this, as long as my big sister doesn't have to suffer a broken heart anymore."