Without Words (ON HOLD)

Chapter 2: Coping

Katharine sits there motionless, the paper stating that she's adopted is tightly grasped in her hand. She stares into blank space, in shock. Mathew comes over to her and slowly sits on his knees in front of her.

"I'm sorry." He softly says, looking at the paper. Katharine doesn't respond though, so he gets up and goes back to work on cleaning out the kitchen. For an hour this goes on: Katharine sitting motionless, lost in her own thoughts while Mathew cleans out the kitchen and apartment. She finally discovers her voice.

"I didn't think this would be so hard." She mumbles, and Mathew turns his head to look at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Losing someone else, I've lost my parents and both grandparents. Really everyone of direct bloodline to me is dead, well the Miller family bloodline." She glances down at the papers in her hands once again.

"They were still your family, it makes no difference that you're adopted." He tries to get through to her, but she ignores him completely.

"I thought it would be funny to find out I was adopted- when I was younger of course- you know, a whole different family. But I regret that: Colton, my mom, my dad, both grandma's, and grandpa's. We cared for each other, we were a good family, of course there were arguments, but... It worked out, it was good."

She looks over to Mathew and whispers in an overwhelmed voice, "What do you do when you just lost everything?" Mathew looks back at her with sadness evident on his face.

"I'm not going to lie and say I know because, I don't."

"Well thanks for not lying like my family did." She mutters in a hateful tone.

"They.... They were looking out for you." Mathew hesitantly says, and Katharine's head snaps up and over to him.

"Looking out for me?!!" She screeches, "They kept the truth from me! I may still have family members that are alive and Colton never told me!"

"Maybe he thought you would just forget about him, and look for your real family."

"Why would I?! He was my best friend!"

"Look at it from what his perspective was." He replies calmly, and Katharine pauses, her mind thinking back to Colton and reversing the scenarios.

"I still think he should have told me." She grumbles, and Mathews chuckles lightly to himself. He then looks at the digital time on the oven and his eyes widen.

"It's getting late." Mathew calls to her sitting figure in the small living room. She quickly gets up and glances at her phone's time.

"It's only eight at night, not that late."

"Yes, that would be the case except it's a Sunday."

"And?"

"I get up early for work." He simply states, and she nods her head in understanding.

"Do you drive?" Katharine questions him, and Mathew looks at her oddly.

"Yes, I'm 24. I think I'm capable of driving." Sarcasm intertwines with his words.

"Oh shut it, I was only asking because I don't have a car and I'd rather not have to call a taxi."

"Would you like me to drive you home?"

"Please." She quickly responds pulling on her light coat, and following Mathew out the door and into his car as a thought occurs to her.

"You're not going to kidnap me or anything right?" Katharine asks while clicking on her seat belt. Mathew looks over at her slowly, a deep chuckle working its way up his throat.