Thirty-One. Everything

*Hale Sokolov*

We sat there as she turned and began waking up.

She refused to let us leave her room last night. If we did she'd follow one of us into bed and complain that we left her.

So we stayed. All night.

Her right hand held Lore's pinky. Her left holding mine the entire night.

We slept, but also woke before she did.

And she still didn't speak of what made her so upset at metro.

We tried talking to Pa but he was in a bad mood.

So we left it alone.

She was opening her eyes, yawning as she turned her head in my direction.

"Good morning." I whispered and she pulled my hand down to her mouth, biting me.

I groaned, "Nora."

She let me go and shut her eyes again.

Lore scooted down, under the covers, pulling her back to his chest to spoon her.

And he could feel how easily she slipped back into a deep sleep in his arms.

So I did the same in scooting down, her arms wrapped around my own, and I shut my eyes.

-

I woke to the sound of the shower.

Opening my eyes and standing I look to see Nora in the shower, humming softly.

Lore was still asleep.

I knocked on the fogged glass.

"Oh shit." She cursed.

"Sorry baby. Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yeah I am."

"Do you mind if I step in?"

"Only if you wash my hair."

I undressed and opened the door, going inside and moving to stand behind her.

"... I don't want to go to metro without you both." She said gently.

"What happened?"

"I was brought into another... underground area. Deeper than the initial place. Andrei said it was trafficking but not his." She said and I paused.

"That's all that happened? You didn't get touched or anything yeah?" I asked.

"No. I left and called you guys." She said.

"Do you feel safe with our dad?" I asked, scrubbing her scalp with soap.

"I wish I did. I trust he can... help me, or save me. But he isn't you or Lore. He's... off. Intimating but scared to act." She said.

"Because he doesn't do his own dirty work, my love. We do it. He's hit people, but we've done more. We do what he can't."

"Which is what?"

"I hope this doesn't change anything but he can't kill people himself. He can't torture them. Harm them. He's... I don't know. But for what he does, he should have more of a backbone." She was rinsing her hair as I spoke.

"You and Lore have..."

"Yeah. When we make a call to him, he has his men do it. He just won't. The only time he had is when a man touched mama." I said.

"Mmm."

"But I had no idea about the place you saw. I hope to god he was honest in saying it wasn't his, Nora." I whispered.

She opened her eyes.

"You didn't know about it?"

"No. And you shouldn't have been there. You won't be going out with my father alone again. Do you understand?" I grabbed her chin.

"Yes."

I pulled her to me, hugging her bare body against my own.

"If anyone touches a hair on your head... I don't think anyone knows what hell on earth looks like until that happens. Thank you for calling us. I need you here. With me. With Lore. If you ever feel indifferent I need to know." I sighed, her cheek on my chest as she hugged me.

"I love your parents. But I don't like their lives or story." She whispered.

"I know."

"What if that trafficking thing is his?"

"I'm not sure if I'm being honest with you baby."

She pulled back and looked up at me.

"It was bad down there." She frowned.

"I'll get that figured out. Don't worry your beautiful head about it."

"Thank you for getting to me so fast."

"Not even god himself could keep me from you, my girl. I love you." I meant every goddamned word.

"I love you, Hale."

And everything was right in my world.