The Last Healer

Chapter 12: Ariella

Chapter 12: Ariella

            Father and Robert were bending over papers at the dinner table when we walked in from the day of shopping. A part of me was still shaken up from what happened in the seamstress and the other was glad that I was home.

            "We're home!" Mother shouted at Father who looked up from his paperwork for a moment and shook his head.

            "I see that." Father chuckled. "Is there a reason you shouted?"

            "We need to talk." Mother told him and walked to the kitchen. "The rest of you, just relax." She shook her head and disappeared through the door.

            "Thomas, did you anger your mother again?" Father sighed as he stood up.

            "Why do you assume it was me?" Thomas laughed.

            "It usually is." Brittney grinned. Father chuckled as he disappeared into the kitchen as well.

            Slipping my shoes off and placing them next to the others, I made my way towards the couches. Dimitri was laying on the farthest one and he grinned at me. He still had a bandage on his head and his leg; his leg propped up on the side of the couch with some pillows underneath it.

            "How are you feeling?" I asked.

            "I'm alright." He shrugged. "Not the worst that's happen to me."

            "Really?"

            "Aye. I've had to eat our parents' cooking." He chuckled.

            I stared at him for a moment before I started to laugh. They all seemed to dislike Mother and Father's cooking and had a fun time making jokes about it. It made me happy that he could still joke, even when he was hurting.

            "How was shopping?" He asked. "Did the girls use you as a doll?"

            "That's the next day off we have." Natalie laughed as she collapsed next to me.

            "Now I feel bad for her." Dimitri grinned and then winked at me.

            "Oh, shush." Natalie told him. I looked between the two and smiled.

            "So, did anything interesting happen today?" Robert asked from the table.

            "More than we care to admit." Brittney sighed as she sat across from him. "That's a lot of paperwork."

            "A lot of people got injured."

            "Thank you for the obvious comment, Robert." Brittney rolled her eyes and he shrugged.

            "Ariella." Father called to me as he and Mother walked out of the kitchen. "Come here, my dear."

            "Y-yes, Father." I swallowed nervously as I made my way towards him. My mind went wild as I tried to think about what I that would make him want to talk to me. Did I say or do something wrong? Am I going to get in trouble?

            I took a deep breath as I stopped beside Father. He gave me a sad smile as he motioned to the chair behind me.

            "Sit down, Ariella." He told me as he dragged his chair closer. I did as he said and he sighed. "Take a deep breath, alright?"

            I took a slow and deep breath, trying to calm myself. He wasn't yelling at me, he didn't seem angry, so why was I so afraid? Of course, I knew the answer. I didn't want him to be disappointed in me and I was scared that he would be.