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“Do you remember me?” Her voice falls as she watches the burning planet spin below her, the radio clutched between her ivory fingers. There was comfort in the static. The hope his voice would break through and put her mind at ease, give her hope it all wasn’t lost. “Do you even know I made it? I’m sure if you did you’d--you’d say something, anything.” Her laugh echoes the sound of her broken heart, the one she barely nursed over the last six years. She met at the window, everyday calling out to them. Still there was nothing, but the sound of her hope slipping away. Many had given up on making contact, but she never stopped. She would steal the radio from Bellamy’s cabin, planting herself in the bay window, calling out every passing hour. Hours turned into days. But she never gave up, because when she did they’d be gone. And she can’t lose him, not him. “You aren’t quiet, I don’t think you ever could be.” Her finger falls from the button, aching to hear his voice break through the deafening silence that crewed at her soul. “Louis--I’m coming home. Tonight, I’m coming home to you. Please be alive, be there.” Her voice shatters as she looks upon the Earth, knowing she needed to let go. She needed to put on her suit and prepare for the fall. It slips from her grip with a loud crash, Bellamy’s voice calling for her to come along, but she stands there--letting the tears fall for the love she only got a taste of. “Remember me, Lou, please.” She breathes before she turns away. She was going home.
Hector smiled, nodding a little, figuring it was worth relenting on that. “I’d never let you be treated as a fancy lady.” he promise. His head lifted at her reminding him about the trip. he hummed a little, “Monroe mentioned something about that. Said I should see if I can get off and go. Take her spot. Might be fun.” he said softly, thinking it over. It would be fantastic to see his family, and nice to really get to know his hallmates. “I don’t know… Stories aren’t my best thing. I… My mom told us her favorite myths. I could tell you some of those.” he shrugged. “I have Perseus and Andromeda memoried practically.”
“Hector,” his name hangs upon her lips as she looks up at him, “You are too good to me. Even in hypothetical situations--thank you.” She knows that is how she is seen by those who still know her secret. Even if he doesn’t, the word will spread and while he lives in the dark, she will hold on to every word that tells her other wise. “You should, you could visit your family while we’re there! It would be nice. You could get to know us, see your family, it might be nice.” Odessa knows the trip won’t go well, but at least she can get out of the city and let her mind go off to that shore with a whiskey in hand. She lifts her head to look at him. “You should try,” she offers, letting her head fall back to his shoulder. “Tell me about Pereus and Andromeda What is their story? I don’t think I know it.”
She plays hard to get with @impcled // Continued from here
Long legs cross over each other, pearly whites bite back the aching smile that wants to break across her lips.She leans into the bar, her eyes never leaving him. “It’ll be a long night,” She twists her glass, “You waiting beside me isn’t going to change my mind.” But you just kissing me could. She thinks, but doesn’t say, he needed to figure it out himself. She sips her moonshine, letting the smile break. “You could, change my mind, if you know how.” This was dangerous, still in her cover he would know who she was quickly if she let him in and everything could end. He wasn’t worth it, but tonight, maybe he was. Jut for the night.
there was a list of people she needed to see, to apologize for leaving them… most importantly, the people she had left alone. in crisis. people she felt terrible about for leaving. && other than octavia, there was really only one other girl on the floor that would break harper’s spirit if she couldn’t find it in herself to forgive harper… odessa. harper needed to find her && fast, her feet moved automatically- seeking out the door of her friend && knocking quickly.
“ ‘dessa ? hey, it’s me… harper… can we talk ? ”
gv. starter / / @valleyborn
Odessa laid back on her bed, the credits of another episode of a show played on. She’d been putting over writing an article, the events of the last few weeks playing in her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. Tried to figure out how things got so misconstrued in the little world they had all created. But she’d gotten no where and now, she lay there completely at a loss when a familiar voice broke through the jingle of the show. The girl sits up fast, pausing it and throwing her legs over the bed. She hurries over to the door, and slowly opens it. She knew Harper had her own shit to deal with, but God, it was good to hear her voice.“That would depend,” her voice is soft as she tries to match Harper’s tone. “Can I get a hug first?”
“Hod op,” she pulls the blanket closer to her, burying her face into the pillow as she feels someone moving beside her. She never let herself drink much, but last night the young girl until her vision faded and she spilled away. Now, she was laying in a man’s bed, a bed she should never have found herself. His voice breaking through to her, even as hung over as she was. She slowly sits up hoping it is merely a trick of the ears. “Mr. Murp--Alex?” she runs the palms over her eyes as she turns her head towards him, trying her best to not panic. “i don’t remember. I can’t remember anything.” She pulls the sheet closer to her, only feeling the fabric of her bra cover her. “You tell me.”
“A woman can’t run from the things she’s done
When the weight’s got her on her knees.”
General →
Name: Odessa Graham
Age: Twenty One
District of Residency: Twelve
Victor Year: Seventieth
Residing Role: Mentor
Biography →
Children are taught to fear the monsters that lurk in the darkness of their rooms at night, in the depths of the forest, and what lurked outside the protection of the district walls. For Odessa Graham, she lived among the monsters. The men who paced her district with the white armor, guarding them or as her mother believed: they were keeping them within. Her mother spoke out against the powers at be and for that, Odessa lost her mother before the age of five. She recalls the guards shoving her away as they pull from their home and out. Her brother holds her back as they take her from the home, never to be seen again. And months later, on their way home from school the siblings witness a man begging for his life as they lash him. A fate that killed their mother. The poor girl broke from her brother, running home and hiding until her father found her crying in her in her room under her blankets. When he asked why she told him and he took her hands saying, “They will never hurt you if you let them. Be strong, be smart, and they will never hurt you.” And these words resonated with her and words she would learn to live by. With every passing game, this would be come her mantra as she watched a boy and a girl disappear to the capitol. Most never to return, years later she would learn why, but never fully understand.
Despite the nightmare they were in, Odessa enjoyed her life in the district. Her father was the blacksmith and while money was not great, it was enough to keep them warm and fed. Something she was thankful for. The little things made her happy and to her it was all she needed. She loved picking flowers, leaving them for her father to come home to after work. She once tried to the same for her friends at school, but was yelled at for getting dirt in the class room, but it didn’t stop her from leaving them from the boy with sad eyes and smiling heart. She would steal books from her school ,but quietly returning them when she was done. She would take them past the fence and read them among the trees until dusk when she would return with flowers in her hair and the book hidden under her shirt. It was the only time she was happy. She felt at home among the trees and loved the feeling of the grass between her toes. It was her paradise among the darkness. She was kind to everyone she met, but she never fully let anyone in. Her brother was the only one who was ever able to see past her walls. The only one she would tell her fears of him getting reaped or even her as the time got closer for her to come of age. And how she would curse the games and the ones who commanded this. Her brother only agreed and told her to keep quiet for their father’s sake. But with every passing year, her anger only festered.
The change was small, but incredibly loud. She never full noticed the affect of the games until her classes grew smaller each year. Some where old enough to go work in the mines while others were merely pawns in a losing game. Two desk would remain empty every year and only the echoes of that child in her memory would remain. Reality had settled in and she built her walls higher. Her brother had been in the reaping for as long as she could recall, but his name was never called. She never worried for him, but those around her seemed to be pulled away by the men in white and friends were never seen again. It was better to keep herself from having any, saving her heart from breaking anymore. But try as she might, Hector always found his way back to her. He never took to her rejection. Childhood friend who she kept at arms length, pushing away him further every year. But he never let up and she found it almost endearing as she did annoying. But it was the day of his reaping that changed that. When his name was called and the closet thing she never had to a best friend chosen to die--something inside her broke. Before he was placed on the train, she slipped into the room where the goodbyes of past tributes would echo for centuries. She let her walls fall, leaving the rumble behind her as she walked to him. She made him swear he would come back, that he wasn’t allowed to die. And with what composure she had left, she kissed him. And for a moment, she tasted what freedom would feel like.
She watched the games intensely, following every report, every hour--needing to make sure he came home or if she needed to grieve for the best friend she never got to love. And when he won, she couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face. She hated the games with a burning passion, she knew her best friend would never return--not the way he once was. But she would still love the man who came back to her. And for a moment, she felt at peace and everything seemed right. But what she’d forgotten was her name was still in the bowl and her life still waited on a line.
At the dawn of the Seventieth, Odessa felt peace almost having hope she would be spared once again. She could return to her life, go back to training with the doctor and continuing to learn to be a physician. That morning she awoke early to watch the sunrise and begin cleaning herself up for the reaping. But as the Capitol Escort took the stage, a haunting feeling fell upon her. Something deep within her stomach boiled, a warning. And as the man reached in, taking out the girl’s name, Odessa felt her knees go weak as her name rang out. Her father’s screams echoed behind her as the guards took hold of her and dragged her to the stage. This was the last she believed she would ever see of her District, of her family, of the life she knew. Now, she would be a pawn in the a game that was never her’s to play. And the boy who was chosen was only fourteen, the only son of a mother who had already lost a child to the games. Odessa knew then, just what evil they lived under and how she would die fight believing in this was not the life they deserved.
Despite the fire burning inside of her, Odessa played the game that was set out in front of her. She hung on every word of advice her escort gave her and adding the charm that she’d buried deep down.She became the girl she wished she could have been, the one she had killed to survive and save herself a broken heart. For the first time in her life, she was herself and in a few days, she would die.
In the arena, Odessa was clever and let natural selection have it’s fun. She was able to steal a knife before she scurried into the treeline and above the others. She moved tree to tree, with only a few minor cuts from her time at the bloodbath. Many had died the first night, the rest she would let kill each other or awaited the game-makers to have their turn. She moved, even daring to camp above a few of the careers before dropping poisoned berries into their food while they slept and stealing a weapon or two. She would go deeper into the forest only to hear the canons fire as each died. She wasn’t strong, not like the others, but she had wit. Training had helped, but even so--she relied on her mind rather than her combat skills. Until the end, while she was able to only have minor interactions, able to take out those who tried to kill her, she still found herself face to face with a man who was born for this. And with his mind gone from the game driving him further into madness, Odessa was outmatched and would stare death in the face as she approached him with machete raised. He came at her wildly with an ax and as he swung for her head, her left forearm caught it. Allowing her to drive the machete into his throat, cutting the carotid artery and killing him. But as he fell, she did too. She fell to her knees, screaming to the sky as the ax remained in her arm. She had survived, but she paid greatly for it in the end.
She would awake days later in the hospital, alive and a victor. Her arm had been lost due to the injury and in it’s place was a metal one. One that they had connected to her nerves, one that would with time she could control like the one she lot. To her this did not mean much for the girl she once was had died out there. Instead a woman filled with hatred and pain for the capitol came home, but her broken heart still ached to love those who had been awaiting her. They would help her regain the piece of herself she could salvage, but she would never fully come home. Her arm was only a reminder of that hate and what she lost. It would drive her to want to break free--revolt and never sure how to set the fire.
It has been four years since her games, but the memories still burn and torment hers as violently as they did in when she first awoke. For two years now, she had been a mentor working along side the man who guided her and the man who came back to her. It was all she could for now, to help these kids come home and live another year. It was all she could do to spit in the face of the Capitol, making kids stronger and more valiant than the last. Her own quiet rebellion and one day, maybe just maybe it would be enough to create a spark. Odessa played the game until then and would be seen as just another victor. But with the dawn of the Seventy Fourth on its way, she could feel a change in the air and what lay a head for them.
Hector clanged over at her, snorting a bit. “I think you’re definitely more the captain here. I’m just the lowly medic who’s constantly concerned with the trouble I see the crew getting up to.” he shook his head. his brow pulled together, wanting to assure her the world wasn’t ending. Assure her they’d walk outside in the morning and the sun woudl be there, and there may be some mess but nothing will be too horribly wrong, and that he’d make sure that nothing bad that happened would happen to her. It was a lofty promise, but it felt true in every inch of him. He bit the words back, though, knowing it wasn’t the time. Wasn’t the person. Wasn’t the context. He couldn’t say something like that and not mean it, and he was pretty sure her boyfriend wouldn’t appreciate it. “Florida is fantastic. I mean… It’s a garbage state, but there’s lots to love there.” He laughed, an arm curling around her. “You’ll have to visit sometime.” He decided with a nod. “My family would just love you, jesus. My mom would eat you up. She’s incredible. The most wonderful woman you’ve ever met. put up with all of my bullshit in high school too which was more than anyone should have done.” he laughed a little, the sound shaking through his chest. “And my sister is… she’s something else. It’s hard to explain the sort of person she is She’s awesome, seriously, and I’m so proud to be her brother but… She’s something else.”
“You’d be a good one, Hec.” She nudges his ribs with the ball of her elbow. She couldn’t help letting a bit of the truth come out, given history and her own. It was hard to deny. “You say to a woman who would be seen as a fancy lady and likely used as such. I would love to be a Captain, but first mate is a title I accept. I’m not a captain yet.” She knew the world wasn’t ending, but in a way her’s ended everyday or it did for so long. Every new day felt like a new life, one she treated as such. But now, she found herself embracing her life even if it was not the one she wanted. Today, she felt the world was ending, closing in on her--then he stopped it and it waited around them. It waited to fall, waited to rebuild and when the storm would pass then it would decide. For now, she embraced the comfort of her friend and clung to his words for dear life. “I have never been.” Her voice is breaking a whisper as she leans further into him, letting her eyes fall shut. She let her mind pull her off to a distant shore of a state she’d never seen. “I’m supposed to go to Miami soon, but I rather see Orlando--Disney, I’ve never been. I want to go, so bad.” Odessa can’t help the laugh at his excitement, while appreciated it was strange to think of meeting someone’s family. Most of her friends didn't have family for her to meet or even visit, but she wouldn’t tell him no. If anything she might enjoy seeing a real family or lose herself in the thought of the one she lost. She felt herself choke up a little as he speaks of them, the thoughts of her mother returning. Her stern grace, her bright and loving smile, and her merciful ways. Then her brother, how he was so much like the boy she laid on. How he was so valiant even for his age. And how she ached to see them again, to love them again. “They sound lovely, Hector. I bet they miss you.” She clears her throat, trying to not to let herself focus on it. “You got any more stories worth telling?” It distracted her, put her at ease even if it broke her heart. He needed to keep talking. “Or do you know a story, one your sister loved to hear?”
“Nah, I couldn’t rock the dress as well.” He said, shifting to swing the jacket in his hand around her shoulders. “You’ll need to get changed out of that soon though.” Keeping cold wet clothes on could lead to a list of illnesses. He listed them off in his head while, going to brush her hair off her neck, making it lay on the outside of the jacket instead. “Keep it as long as you want.” He reached and picked up her jacket, shaking it out and hanging it over the banister next to them. “Look at that. It’s like we’re pirates, our sail battered and soaked from the rain.” he joked, turning to drop down next to her. “In Florida we get storms every day.” he said, trying to keep her distracted. “Not like this. I get hating storms like this.” he leaned back one hand on the floor behind her. “but little five minute storms are normal. To the extent that my sister use to carry around a pair of rainboots. she loved splashing in puddles once the sun came back out.”
“Maybe with the right shoes,” she pondered jokingly, trying to keep him from worrying any further. She would be fine now she wasn’t alone and the storm seemed to be only that--a storm. Her fear still ate away, but she wasn’t facing it alone anymore. It was enough to ease her for that time. She lets her head fall as he wraps the coat around her, her hands pulling the two halves together, trying to cacoon herself within it, feeling warmer already. She flinches as he moves her hair, quick to cover it with a laugh she says, “Cold hands, you really must be a doctor.” But even the slight of things can trigger memories when she’s panicked, even ones she had drowned. “I might keep it, you shouldn’t say things like that.” Her words fall with a playful warning, of course she;d return it in a few days. But for tonight it was her new safety net to keep her safe from the storm outside and within her mind. “I can’t imagine how they dealt with storms like this--probably couldn’t survive. But we did.’ She turns to look at him, playing into the gesture. “Does this make me your first mate, Captain Hector?” The idea slips from her lips as she scoots closer to him. It was silly, but so much of her life had become so serious that she needed this. She needed to laugh and feel like the child she never got to be. It allowed her to be happy, to feel sane, even if they were talking nonsense. “I’ve never been to Florida, but I wouldn’t mind that. A little storm everyday.” She smiles at the thought, as she leans into him. Her head falling against his shoulder. “I used to love the rain, but hurricanes--I can’t. I think it’s because when my first hit my brother told me the world was ending and I believed him. And it still feels like it.” She lets the thought slip away, the memory still as vibrate as she can recall from all the years before. “What other stories do you have? About them, your family. What are they like?”
“It’s not stupid.” Hector shook his head. “Hey, look at me alright? Nothing you’re feeling is stupid. If I know anything I know that no pain is invalid.” He promises softly, leaning a knee on a step closer to her. “Like, for example, I’m a little hurt you don’t think I could rock that jacket.” He teased, reaching to tug at the collar. “Anyway, Odessa, we’re inside. We’ll make it upstairs eventually and I’ve got plenty of other jackets to wear.” He had one other jacket, a worn one he’d kept from his father’s clothes. It had been too big on him until he was 15. Still, he had another jacket, and it was the right thing to help her. “Take that off and put my jacket on.”
She lifts her head, her eyes watering as she fights back her initial reaction to tell him he’s wrong. She aches to fight it, tell him how weak she is for feeling this way. Instead, she nods, not able to form the words to even speak. The words she needed to hear years too late to each her guarded heart. But her laugh rings out as he makes a joke, it’s light and her smile lingers after the sound fades. “You might look better in it than I do.” She sniffs, pulling at the sleeves of her jacket, her breathes becoming easier. “I don’t plan on stealing it. I’ll wash it before I return it, swear on it.” She assures him, knowing that might not settle well with Jasper, but she wondered if he would even notice. She wondered that more than she should. Would he notice she never made it back or did the chemicals take over and leave him in a state of peace she could never bring him to. She pulls her hands back, slowly pulling off her soaked coat. “You’re not going to ask for my dress too?” She pokes at him as she turns, pulling the clingy, sopping fabric off her skin. “It’s not your color and the scrubs aren’t mine.” The jacket fall to the landing with a thud, her eyes going back to him.
Something in him caught at the sound of his name in her voice. He lowered the light, the floor bouncing it around them, giving them enough for sight. He stepped up a few of the stairs between them, stopping just as eye level. Concern painted his face as he realized how distraught she looked, sitting on the cold steps alone.
“It gave a little attempt. I think I caught the last cab from the hospital.” He shed his jacket, the lined leather much thicker and warmer than anything she had on. “Take that jacket off, and trade me.” she said, setting his phone, light up, on the stair. “You alright? You’re not hurt, are you?” He reached to pull the glow stick from her hands, his fingers finding hers cold. He kept one hand, warm from being tucked in his pocket, folded over hers as he set the glow stick aside, but had enough of his wits about him to remember her mention of a boyfriend, remember he shouldn’t linger too long. “What’s wrong?”
The warm light embraced them, taking hold of the darkness that had engulfed the small concrete world around them.Ocean like eyes watched him as he wrestled with is jacket, a relieved smile breaking through the cascading tears covering her skin.She had never been so happy to see a complete stranger who in the same paradox was a friend.
“Probably the last cab in the city,” it would be shutting down, with the water rising, it wasn’t safe and she knew they were in a way, trapped. “Hector,” she sniffed, pulling at the sleeves of her own. “It’s soaked--keep yours. You need it. It’s too small for you.” But he was right, she couldn’t stay in hers despite the fight she was barely putting up. His hands encased hers, taking her safety net with it. His arm spreading through her body, sending a shiver down her spine as she shook her head.”No, no I’m not--I’m okay.” Her eyes raging as the storm on the sea just miles away, but never meeting his. Her chest tightens as she forces herself to admit her weakness, to let her wall fall--crumble around her flats and covering the stairs. “I had a panic attack. I don’t like storms--hurricanes. Since I was a kid I got so scared of them. i thought I’d be home in time--beat it. But I was caught in the storm and I thought--” Her hands clutch his lightly,trying to ground herself as they were suspended on the stairs. “I thought I could make it. But I could and my car almost crashed because a stop sign blew into the street, it skid. And my phone died when I finally got here and--” she hyperventilates, her eyes going to him. “The power went and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go up. It’s so stupid. I’m so stupid. I’m sorry.”
Hector’d just gotten off a very long shift. He wanted to stay at hospital. He wanted to help with the inevitable flood of people they’d get from the hurricane moving in. He wanted to do something. But tragically, the administrator who’d set the schedule had noticed him work two 15 hour shifts two days in a row, and was not having it. She chased him out with a clipboard in hand, making him promise not to come back till his next scheduled shift. After he’d secured a car, he checked the time and the weather, hoping to get back to the apartment before the worst of the storm hit.
The rain was pouring as he got out of the cab, forcing him to book it the few feet from the curb to the door to keep from getting soaked. He shook his hair out in the very dark lobby and headed towards the stairs. The stairwell was dark too. He furrowed his brow and glanced around, looking under doors to see if this was more than coincidental. At the sinking realization the power was out, he slumped in on himself, pulling his phone from his pocket for a light. He squinted in the dim light and made it up a few flights, and then, suddenly, there was someone in his way. Her sudden presence, curled at the top of the flight of stairs he’d just started on with a dim glow stick in hand, made him jump.
“Odessa? That you?” He asked, a hand reaching to brush his hair back.
A shiver ran down her spine, the water pooling around her feet from her sopping wet clothes. Her arms wrap tightly around herself as she clung to the glow stick she had found in her purse trying to stifle the sob as it rose in her chest. The storm had taken hold of the building, shaking it violently as it’s rage brewed. Her phone died, as she pulled into her parking spot and the lights following suit as the panicked woman climbed the stairs. A fear from being a child only worsened as the years passed, irrational, but crippling. She barely made it to the stop of a flight when she sat down, giving in to her panic attack and frantic hands searching her purse in the dark, pulling out a small glow stick she got from the club months ago. She cracks it and silently prays as she holds it against her chest, the thunder rolling outside and bearing down her on. She needed to get upstairs, to her apartment, to her friends--instead she stayed paralyzed, tears streaming down her face as she waited for someone to find her or the lights to return, whatever happened first.
But to her surprise, another unfortunate soul was climbing the stairs, flashlight in hand and making their way up. Odessa pulled her knees to her chest, shivering as she watched the light make its way to her. When the man came into view she barely recognized him. She’d only seen him in passing, a picture or two, but now--here he stood and his voice gave her hope. “Hector?” She breathed, still frozen in her position. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you.” Her voice is breaking as she speaks as she looks up at him with tear filled eyes. “The storm tried to drown you too?”
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Delphie smiled, nodding a little. “Good.” She agreed.
Hector spun into the room like a tornado, black apron tied around his waist. “Delphie, clear your drawing away, then come get plates. O, would you mind setting silverware out?”
“Happy to,” she offers him as smile as she looks to Dephie. She gives the girl a wink before she gets up from the table and follows the whirlwind of a boyfriend back into the kitchen. “You should have listened to her,” she teases, taking a jab at him for taking his time before starting dinner. “She knows more than you think for a kid.” She heads over to the drawer, opening it. “But thank you for inviting me tonight. I love getting the chance to have nights in with you.”
“No, he has to figure it out himself. If I tell him it’s cheating.” She explained, reaching for another crayon. She het her head tilt, considering Odessa’s suggestion. “That’d be cool.” she agreed. “We’d go swimming, and I’ll show you how to talk to mermaids.” She smiled over at Odessa. “but I can’t tell him. It wouldn’t be fair.”
“Okay, I promise not to tell. Cheating isn’t fun, even if it leads to good things.” She nodded in agreement. It was cute and with things still being so early, him figuring it out was what she wanted. Maybe then she’d figure it out too. “Oh? I’d love to learn. I don’t speak mermaid yet, but I’m not too bad at dolphin. Maybe we can go this weekend, that’d be fun.” Odessa placed her finger to her mouth, zipping it shut. “Tell him what?” She joked, picked up a crayon--needing something to mess with. “You can help me plan it, when it happens--if you want to.”
Delphie snorted, picking up an orange crayon. “He doesn’t know he’s going to ask you yet. He will though.” she lifted her eyes across to Odessa, squinting. “I’m right about this. He’s gonna do it in some dumb way, though.” she moved her eyes back to the paper, drawing little diamonds for the leaves. “He’s gonna be a doctor someday, too.” She pressed her lips. “He had to quit that to take care of me, but he likes working in the ambulance, I think. He’ll go back when I’m bigger though and be a doctor.”
“Are you going to tell him to? Just so he can know sooner?” She plays along, almost encouraging it. She knew this was new. All in the beginning of a thing that could be something. It was too soon to even think of marriage, but for a little girl it’s been forever and a day since this started. “Oh I don’t doubt it. It’s Hec, he likes to do cute dumb things for me. I think I’d love too.” Odessa rests her chin on her hand, tilting her head at the next sentence. “I didn’t know that. I knew he wanted to go, but I didn’t know he quit.” Odessa bites the inside of her lips before speaking again. “You know, if he married me he could go back sooner. I could worry about taking care of you and he could become a doctor. I’m almost done with school so it’d be okay. Would that be fun? Me and you hanging out everyday after school and I could take you every morning too. ”
“Do you wanna have a spring wedding or a fall wedding?” Delphie didn’t bother looking up from the drawing she was looking at to ask. She and Odessa had been left at the dining room table together, the 7 year old’s feet swinging just inches off the ground. She could hear her brother pad around in the kitchen where he’d retreated to shortly after Odessa arrived, promising to ‘just be a few minutes’ nearly half an hour before. Delphie had promised Odessa that she’d told him to start cooking earlier than he had, but he’d been fussing with his hair. “When you and my brother get married, I mean. I need to know if I should draw flowers or trees.”
“Fall, the trees are prettier in the fall.” The answer comes with a soft smile after the initial shock passed. She almost choked on her water she was drinking when she was asked. She’s seven, what did she know? She probably wanted her brother to have that true love. She couldn’t blame her. She adored Delphie, so being left with her was great--not to mention Odessa is great with children. But part of her ached for Hector to join them. Dinner smelt amazing, but she craved his smile and loving eyes more. Besides, she loved the girl talk and the fact she was really the only adult female figures in Dephie’s life--she wanted to be present, there for her. “I didn’t know you were already planning it. He hasn’t asked me yet or do you have a little secret?” She giggles, knowing it’s probably just her being young and hopeful. But still, Odessa didn’t mind the idea.
