The Walk To Freedom

14. I Won't Be Alone

The next morning was a bit weird for me and Asher. Waking up next to each other? What were we thinking? We didn't talk much. At work it was fine and while going back, no talk.

"Are you okay?" I asked him as he entered my room after dinner for therapy.

"Yeah why?" He picked me up and kept me on the bed.

"You aren't talking to me since morning."

"I am, I just... I have a lot on my mind." He looked away.

"About what? Is it anything serious?"

"Nope nothing." He faked a smile.

"C'mon Asher."

"Are you happy here?"

"What?"

"Are you happy here with us?" He asked again.

"Ofcourse I am. Why would you think that?"

"I want to keep you safe from everything bad in the world. I really care about you." He placed his one hand on my cheek looking straight in my eyes.

I held his hand. "I really appreciate it. And I'm very happy with you all." He smiled back at me.

"Emily I want to- oh am I interrupting something?" Adam stood at the door.

Asher pulled his hand back. "Um no we were just talking."

"Ok good, I also want to talk. I think you are capable without the medicines." He said.

"Really?" I asked excitedly.

"Yeah, you should stop now. We were anyway reducing doses per week so now you're fine without them. No painkillers from now on."

"Yes finally. I felt weird after having them. Now I'm free." I spread my arms apart mimicking a bird and they laughed.

Soon after my therapy, Brandon entered my room and we played some board game.

"Hey I haven't seen your rooms yet." I told them. I've been thinking this for a while now. I don't know what the top floor of this house looks like.

"You wanna see my room?" Brandon asked excitedly.

"Nah don't go, it's a dumping ground." Asher laughed and Brandon gave him small punches.

"Don't listen to him, you'll love it. Please come in my room." He asked and I agreed.

Asher picked me up and went up the stairs. I stared at him the entire journey and his jaw was perfect. I wanted to stroke my finger along that jaw line.

"This is my room." Brandon announced breaking me out of 'Asher Trance'.

It was beautiful. It had dark blue walls and one of the wall had all his paintings taped like a map. Each of that painting had some memory like on of them was of a hospital room where a woman was holding a child and their father beside them, the next was of two boys holding the baby from his hands and teaching him how to walk. Most of them were sketches with crayon and some were paintings.

"This one is you." I looked down to where he pointed and Asher bent down holding me in his lap so I can see better. It was the backyard painted with grass and back wooden fence. I was sitting on my chair trying to touch the grass beneath. My hair were longer in the picture. He didn't paint the details, just the overall story of the scene.

It was beautiful about how vibrant colors he used. I'm not used to this colourful life. But this new family brings along a colorful palette of joy.

"It's beautiful. You're a great artist Brandon."

"I'm making one more, our yesterday's picture with you, me and Asher." I smiled at Asher and he returned it to me.