Loving Ashlynn (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 18 - The Truth Has More Sides (Kalenah Conrad POV) Pt.1

A/N: NOT THOROUGHLY EDITED!!

Chapter 18 – The Truth Has More Sides (Kalenah Conrad POV) Pt. 1

I watch with wide gray eyes as Samson lifts his chopsticks to Faith's lips, torn between rebuking my son for putting Faith on the spot, while always wanting to witness her reaction. A larger part of me is frozen, though, just holding my breath, waiting, fearful of the outcome here, running over the possibilities.

After her sickness induced reveal of her lack of trust when it came to food that I prepared, I knew this would end badly. But in my immobile reserve I gape as Samson – completely at ease – lowers his chopstick to his own mouth first, dipping it in the shrimp and broccoli sauce before placing it right at Faith's mouth, a simple comment added. He points out that he's fine after swallowing the morsel he took before Faith.

His gaze full of unhidden mirth and a coolness that was shocking but not any more than the moment Faith decided to open her mouth, leaning forward, her eyes focused on my son, the trust I see traps all my feelings in my throat, a knot growing. Did Samson see it? Not just the trust, but also the pleading in her green eyes for that same trust not to lead to her being hurt?

Blinking to clear the moisture in my eyes, I do it quickly, not wanting to miss a beat.

I have been utterly blown away when Faith closes her eyes. Actually shutting her lids, releasing a slight moan that only makes Samson smirk and get right back to eating, as though, this momentous achievement from Faith does not require praise. She ate. Hell Faith let him feed her.

On top of that, she shut her eyes, sighing in satisfaction. Instantly I'm transported back to the sickly girl that knew I was sitting in the corner of her room, that fought sleep, eyes flying open when clearly all her body wanted was to have them closed. Now, here she was taking food that wasn't sealed from Samson. Doubling back, all things throw me off about tonight.

As Faith chews the morsel of food, it actually now hits me what Samson has been trying to do, oddly, what I've done with every one of my children that didn't want to try some new dish. I tried it first, played it up and coaxed them into trying it for themselves. Only, Samson was not using the method for the same reasons. Now, he was doing it because Faith had major trust issues when it came to food, under the impression that we'd somehow use food to make her ill when that was out of the question.

Samson has been doing it from the beginning. I realize, processing it all under pressure and so when she decides to eat Chinese instead of one of her sealed meals, I make sure to serve in her line of sight, knowing that her fear came from her – Dmitri – instilled paranoia.

I listen to Faith speaking about cold eyes, confused, wondering who she was speaking of and realizing that she had not run into the forest because we forgot to cancel on all the extra children, but because of cold eyes.

As Faith scurries from the room I am unable to move, my mind still processing this new change... especially when it came to Samson, the way he behaved around Faith, the looks he gave her that he did not bother to hide.