Moving through Life

Pt. 10 | Bitter/Sweet Reunion

It had been so long since she had seen the insides of the walls. It was like nothing had changed. The smell of slightly aged wood still drifted in the air among the flecks of dust. There were still hooks near the entrance, which were natural precautions just in case they needed them. Shay had to think about the route they used to get home and, silently, began making her way through the walls.

She paused at one of the main junctures to take a breath. Her heart was pounding so fast. Her lungs felt so tight. Every twisting nerve in her body brought her steps to a halt. She wanted her parents to see reason. She wanted them to understand that Todd was a good person, especially for a human. She wanted to show them all of the things they made together that were still in Todd's backpack. Everything was coming to a head. Was she ready for it?

"Shay?" The young Borrower girl heard the familiar voice. She spun around, a lump forming in her throat as she looked into the faces of her three brothers. No words came to mind. Her mouth was dry and everything she was just worried about vanished from her mind. She was home. Finally, she was home.

"Hey," she managed to choke out as warm, salty tears streamed down her cheeks. "Um... I'm home."

Shay had barely uttered the words when all three of her brothers dropped their borrowing bags and charged at her, each throwing their arms around her and smothering her in an endless hug. Shay had let Todd hold her and had hugged his fingers dozens of times, but it was nothing like hugging someone her own size. The youngest of the Borrower siblings didn't register her brothers' questions and she certainly dared not give any answers just yet; not when this moment was so precious between them.

They held one another for what felt like an hour when everyone suddenly pulled away. Shay had never seen tears in her older siblings' eyes, yet there was not a dry eye among them. Slate, the middle brother, was the first to sputter out a coherent question.

"How did you make it back? Where did you go? Where have you been?" Slate sniffed and wiped his eye on the back of his hand.

"We thought we lost you!" Icon chimed in. Beau, with his knowing eyes, seemed to look through Shay directly to her thoughts.

"Shay, what happened? You've been gone for weeks. Just about two months actually. How are you home?"

Shay felt her shoulders beginning to shake as she looked into her brother's eyes. She wanted to tell him everything. She felt compelled to tell him everything. Thankfully, Slate and Icon interrupted.

"Now's not the time Beau. We need to get her back to mom and dad! They're going to be over the roof!"

With another keen look, Beau nodded and picked up his things as well as his sister's belongings.

"Alrighty then. Let's go home."

~~~~~^*^*^*^~~~~~

They made quick work of the passages and tunnels all the way back home. All the way, Shay tried grasping at any and every thought she could that would help her case. She finally had an argument in place. Now, all she could do was hope it would be enough.

"Mom! Dad! Come quick!" shouted Icon as he sprinted up ahead and burst through the door into the kitchen. Beau rolled his eyes and followed behind Slate as he guided Shay along. From the other side of the wall, Shay could hear her parents' frantic calls.

"What is it? What's going on?"

"Look!" With that, Icon stepped off to the side, revealing Slate, then Beau with a little Shay tucked under his arm. Shay glanced from parent to parent, trying to read the situation. What she saw as confusion before quickly evolved into overzealous cries and overjoyed sobs. Her father hobbled over as her mother dropped the spoon she was stirring with as they tackled their missing daughter.