EMRYS' POV
The thought of Daisy going back to Zandara terrified me immensely but I knew that she was desperate to get back to Kai, and who was I to stand in her way?
She had been my only constant since I woke up from Felix taking over my body and as much as I felt like I needed her, I just couldn't be selfish and force her stay.
One month wasn't very long, but it was the goal that I'd set and I planned on making the most of my time with Daisy on Earth.
She had her first vision of Kai three days ago, and since then, she'd had four more.
She was worried about him and I felt helpless, unable to stop the tears whenever they started. All I could do was comfort her and remind her to take each day at a time.
Having a timeframe set for when she was due to leave seemed to help, but it didn't stop her nightmares from invading her dreams.
She was terrified by them, visibly shaken to the core but she never wanted to talk about them and just blocked them out.
Last night, she stayed in my room, hopeful that she would rest easily knowing that someone else was with her, but as I expected, another nightmare woke her from her sleep.
It was mid-morning, and Samantha paid us a surprise visit to drop off a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies.
I couldn't get enough of them, having two each time we went to the cafe so I was extremely grateful for her kind gesture, taking a bite of one as soon as she put them on the kitchen table.
"These are my absolute favourite. Thank you, Samantha." I smiled softly at her.
"You're welcome." She smiled, though slightly nervous.
"Daisy is just in the shower. You're more than welcome to wait for her if you'd like to see her." I stated.
"How is she doing? Did something happen the other day at the cafe? One minute she was fine, the next she was gone and I haven't seen either of you since. I was actually getting worried." She stated.
"Oh, yes, she's fine. She's just missing her.. boyfriend, that's all." I muttered, unsure of what to say.
"She has a boyfriend? I didn't realise, she's never spoken about him."
"Yes, I do. His name is Kai and I'll be leaving soon to go and live with him." Daisy chimed, walking into the kitchen with a smile.
I was relieved when she appeared, taking control of Samantha's questions so that I didn't have to struggle with on the spot lies about her and Kai.
"You're leaving?" Samantha screeched with wide eyes.
"Yes, in a few weeks, quite far away too." Daisy chortled, looking over at me with a grin.
"Where are you moving to? Make sure you stay in touch, I've loved getting to know you these last few weeks. Aww, it's a shame he isn't moving here instead."
Daisy looked stumped, lost for words and I wracked my brains to think of something to say, but my mind was blank as we stood there in silence.
"Emrys will still be here." Daisy finally spoke and I almost choked on my breath at the thought of spending some time alone with Samantha.
She had really grown on me since meeting her, more than I would like to admit, but Daisy wasn't stupid, she knew how I felt and I was grateful that she didn't force me to open up.
"That's a relief." Samantha smiled, blushing slightly as she looked down at her hands.
"I'm glad that you think that, Samantha. Having you around will make leaving him here a little easier."
Daisy's words were just what I needed, confirmation that she wouldn't worry once she left me.
I knew that I'd never see her again when the zaviours took her home, so meeting Samantha was a blessing in disguise.
"Aww, that's sweet. I'll make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." She chuckled.
After a while, Samantha left, leaving Daisy and I to figure out what to do for the rest of the day.
DAISY'S POV
Knowing that Samantha would likely stick around after I'd gone gave me hope that Emrys would manage on his own.
Since she found out that I was leaving, she seemed to spend alot of her spare time texting him and coming to our house in the evenings.
I could see something blossoming between them, sharing sweet glances at one another but they were both reluctant to make the first move so I devised a plan to give them a little shove in the right direction.
"Emrys?" I called him into the living room.
"Yes?"
He walked in with two mugs of coffee and placed them on the table before sitting down beside me.
"I'm going away for a night. Will you be alright without me until I get back?"
"I.. Um.. Yes, I'll be fine but, if you don't mind me asking, where are you going?" He wondered.
I took a sip of my coffee before clearing my throat. "I've only got three more weeks before I leave and I wanted to go and visit my parent's grave one last time." I spoke softly.
I had thought about them alot recently and I felt guilty for taking so long to actually make plans to go and visit them.
"Will you be alright going on your own? I completely understand if you don't want me there but I can imagine you'll be emotional and I worry that you won't have anyone there to support you." He stated, sympathy in his eyes.
I smiled at his thoughtfulness but shook my head. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, but because I worry about you.. I've asked Samantha to stay the night and keep you company.. And she said yes."
A grin formed on my face as his eye widened at my words.
"What? Samantha is staying here overnight? What are we supposed to talk about? What should we do?" He panicked.
I laughed at his reaction but it did nothing to stop him flapping around.
"Emrys, relax. I'm sure you'll be fine, you just need to play it cool. Do some baking or something and then when it gets dark, suggest watching a movie and get cozy on the sofa." I chuckled.
"I don't know how to bake." He mumbled, running his hand through his hair.
"It's a good job the local baker is staying over then, isn't it?" I smiled.
"No, Daisy, please. You can't do this to me." He whined.
"Yes, yes I can and you'll be absolutely fine."
"But I don't know how to act around her without you."
"Think of it as a learning curve and use all of your skills to make it a successful evening. You never know, you might even get lucky." I winked, before laughing out loud.
"You're such a divvy." He laughed, playfully throwing a sofa cushion at my face.
The following afternoon, Samantha arrived as I finished packing a bag before my six hour drive.
Emrys was upstairs, showering and making himself presentable so I stayed with Samantha until he was ready.
"He's extremely nervous about you staying overnight." I informed her.
"Can I ask you something?" She mumbled, face serious as she looked over at me.
"Sure."
"Does he like anyone?" She asked shyly.
"As in like, like?" I grinned.
She nodded her head, blushing slightly. "Mhm."
"I think so."
The look of disappointment on her face made me feel like I'd kicked a puppy.
"She's very pretty, around five foot six, blue eyes, short dark hair and a little bit shy around Emrys." I smiled.
The cogs were turning in her mind but she still wasn't sure that I was describing her.
"Her name rhymes with a pantha and she's actually staying over tonight." I stated the obvious.
Her lips curled up into a grin before a bashful smile appeared on her face.
"Please don't tell him I told you." I muttered.
"I won't." She whispered, a glint in her eyes as the man himself came walking into the living room.
"Ahh, Emrys, do you mind helping me carry my bag to the car?"
"Yeah, no problem." He smiled, picking up my bag as I followed behind.
I put my thumbs up at Samantha, grinning as I walked past her and she shook her head as she stifled a laugh.
"Thank you." I smiled, getting into the car, winding down my window.
"Drive carefully and let me know when you get there so I know that you're alright." Emrys stated.
"I will. Oh, and between you and me.. Samantha likes you." I stated, starting the engine.
Driving away, I snorted a laugh, amused by the look on Emrys' face.
The drive to my parent's graves was long and tiresome but I was grateful for the bright summer evenings as I pulled up to the cemetery at almost seven thirty.
I took a minute to compose myself before getting out of the car and my legs seemed to develop their own form of autopilot, retracing the steps that I used to take, seven days a week.
Upon reaching the graves, a lump formed in my throat, gripped with guilt as I looked at the dried flowers that hadn't been changed since I was last here.
Casting my mind back, I hadn't visited for at least a year prior to my abduction and a tear grazed my cheek as I sat down on the ground.
"Hi Mum, hi Dad." I sniffed. "I'm sorry it's taken me so long to visit. Being abducted by aliens is the excuse I'm giving you whether you choose to believe it or not."
I laughed lightly, looking around while wiping my tears away, making sure that no one was around to hear my story.
I told them everything, starting with my abduction, then with my rescue, meeting Kai, right through to sitting by their graves with tear stained cheeks.
Saying everything out loud was crazy. My life was something that you'd see in the movies, watching it on a screen, never imagining that something so far-fetched could infact be someone's reality.
"I miss you both so much and it breaks my heart knowing that I'll never get to see you again. I wish that I could come here and visit but being on a different planet will make it virtually impossible.. I hope you understand?"
If my parents were alive, they'd probably pack a bag and join me on Zandara. I knew without a doubt that they would fall in love with the planet and the people, just like I did, happy to live out their days surrounded by nothing but tranquility and beauty.
After spending over an hour and a half with my parents, I decided to find the hotel that I found online.
"I'll come back tomorrow. I love you both so much, sleep well guys." I sniffed as I stood to my feet.
Taking one last look at their graves, I had another vision.
Kai was lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as tears poured from his eyes.
It wasn't the first vision that I'd had like that and no matter how many times I'd seen him broken, it never got any easier, and my heart broke at the sight.
I sighed, walking back to my car and a warm breeze surrounded me as I turned back to glance at my parent's graves.
A calm washed over me, which was extremely unusual and I knew in my heart that my parent's were with me.
I smiled softly, feeling their presence and I knew in that moment that everything was going to be ok.
After reaching the hotel, I checked myself in and found my room.
It wasn't anything special but it was just what I needed, a cute little room with an ensuite and snacks on the coffee table. What more could a girl need?
I was exhausted from the long drive and shedding so many tears so I changed into my pyjamas and went to freshen up before climbing into bed and turning on the T.V.
The silence was unnerving. Being alone at night made me afraid to go to sleep, worried that I'd have a nightmare, and have no one there to comfort me and reassure me that I was alright.
Not having Emrys in the room made my anxiety worse and as I closed my eyes, I prayed that I would sleep through the night without having any nightmares.
When morning came around, I felt refreshed and full of energy. I couldn't believe that I had managed to have a restful sleep without waking up once.
The morning sun shone through the gap in the curtains and I knew that it was going to be a hot day.
Stretching out my limbs, I peeled the covers back from my hot, sweaty body and climbed out of bed heading straight for the shower.
My chest wasn't as heavy as it usually was and I was grateful for the respite as I took in a deep breath.
While I was in the shower, a thought crossed my mind.
If I was having visions of Kai, would that mean that he was having visions of me?
I quickly finished in the shower, and dried myself off before running to my bag and pulling out a white t-shirt that I planned on wearing.
I searched through the draws on the side table, desperate to find a pen or something that I could write with.
My luck was in, squealing when I found a black marker and I instantly got to work on my t-shirt.
In big writing, I penned the words, 'I Love You Kai', right across the middle before getting dressed and drying my hair.
My idea was that if Kai had a vision of me, he'd see my message and hopefully cotton on and respond in some way.
The thought of communicating with him had me very excited and I couldn't wait to have another vision to see if it worked.
As soon as I was ready, I checked out of the hotel and got in my car before making my way to a local flower shop.
I wanted to leave some fresh flowers on my mum and dad's graves, and knowing that it would be my final visit, I had to make sure that they were extra special.
I took my time, choosing two large bunches consisting of tulips, carnations and roses.
I also purchased some daffodil bulbs in two large pots, satisfied that there would be fresh flowers sprouting each year even though I wouldn't be able to visit.
After loading the car, I went straight to the cemetery and began cleaning up the headstones and placing the flowers.
Taking a picture on my phone, I made a mental note to print it off and laminate it before going back to Zandara.
"I felt your presence last night so I know you guys heard me." I smiled, talking out loud.
"I hope you don't mind that I'm moving away, but I know that if you had the chance to meet Kai, you would have loved him. He's incredibly protective and would literally do anything for me. I think you'd approve Dad, and I can definitely see you sqeezing his cheeks and calling him son, Mum." I chuckled.
Wholeheartedly believing that they could hear me, it was nice to just sit and talk to them.
After sitting there for a few hours, I was desperate for a drink and was beginning to feel hungry.
Placing my hands on the ground, I stared at the head stones that lay before me, eyes glazing over as I prepared to say my final goodbyes.
"So, this is it guys. I want you to know that no matter where I am, you will always be in my heart and I will never, ever forget you. Thank you for being the most incredible parents in the universe. Thank you for giving me the best start in life and showering me with nothing but love. Thank you for the memories of a wonderful childhood, I will look back on them fondly and if I ever have children of my own, I'll make sure that they know you just as well as I did. I'll see you again, Mum and Dad, one day we'll be reunited and I will fill you in on how my life turned out."
My tears were falling fast, soaking my cheeks as I stood to my feet.
"I love you, Mum. I love you, Dad." I blew them a kiss before whispering the words, 'bye guys', and walking away.
I sat in the car, wiping my eyes with a tissue and blowing out a deep breath.
I grabbed a bottle of slightly warm water from my bag, reluctantly gulping it down.
My appetite had diminished and all I wanted to do was go back to the farmhouse and see Emrys.
I didn't want to face anyone, strangers included, so instead of buying some freezing cold dinks, I opted to drive back knowing that my last two bottles of warm water would have to tide me over until I got there.
Starting the engine, I was about to drive off but a vision invaded my sight, stopping me in my tracks.
Kai was on the porch, looking out into the distance and I noticed that the snow had melted, the snowmen along with it.
I was a little disappointed to see Kai dressed in a hoodie. There was nothing to suggest that he had tried to send a message, but I remained optimistic. Maybe he hadn't had a vision yet?
Once my eyes had adjusted, I began my long journey back to the farmhouse.
The drive back was pretty easy. No traffic and the roads were quiet so I put my foot down, air con on, music blaring and enjoyed myself.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I got back.
I hoped that I wasn't about to walk in to see Emrys and Samantha getting intimate but I snorted a laugh at the thought.
With how shy they both were around each other, they were probably still sneaking glances and blushing each time their eyes connected.
I made a noisy entrance walking into the house, making my presence known to avoid anything embarrassing.
I closed the door loudly before making my way through the kitchen and into the living room.
To my surprise, they were watching a movie, sitting fairly close to one another looking very relaxed.
"You're back?" Emrys smiled, looking up at me.
"I am. How did your night go?" I wondered, sitting down on the spare sofa.
"We made cookies." Emrys stated.
"And watched movies." Samantha added.
I looked at Samantha with a smile. "Was you comfortable in my bed? I find it a little lumpy so I worried you wouldn't sleep well."
Her eyes darted around the room and Emrys squirmed under my gaze.
I take it my bed wasn't needed after all? I thought, stifling a laugh.
"Umm.. How was your trip?" Emrys changed the subject. "And more importantly, did you manage to get some sleep last night?"
"I slept like a baby. I'm sure my parents were watching over me. I felt their presence, they must have kept the nightmares away."
"Nightmares?" Samantha interrupted.
"Yeah.. I have them most nights." I muttered.
"Sound terrible." She spoke softly.
"Mhm, it's not fun. Anyway, what did you two watch last night?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.
"We watched Paul." Samantha smiled. "I love that little guy."
"Paul? Is that the one with the alien?" I asked, casting a glance at Emrys.
"Yeah, that's the one." He smiled awkwardly.
"You like aliens then?" I looked at Samantha, but she looked down at her hand as if something was wrong.
"Hey, are you alright?" Emrys asked, placing his hand on her knee, taking me by surprise.
"Um, yeah, I'm fine. I better go anyway, my mum will need some help preparing the cakes for tomorrow." She stated, standing to her feet.
Emrys saw her to the door and I sat back on the sofa, wondering what the hell just happened.
_______________________________________
So, Daisy may have figured out a way to communicate with Kai.
Any thoughts on what's got Samantha in a spin?
Hope you enjoyed this chapter 😊