"Hmm." Chris had listened intently as Gunter shared his story.
"I didn't expect that this would change your feelings towards him, but I figured since you asked, it was at least somewhat beneficial to tell you." Both Chris and Gunter had stopped their previous movements while Gunter had talked, and now they found themselves entirely too still.
The time had flown by and it was now almost midday. Gunter excused himself and stood up from the bar stool he had come to sit on. "Hungry?" he said as he moved back to the kitchen. He opened the pot he had previously filled that morning and gave it a good stir with the wooden spoon that was resting beside it. Chris didn't answer aloud, instead she nodded her head and then returned her brow to the furrowed position as she tried to make sense of all that Gunter had told her.
He grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and ladled some of the soup into it. Gesturing for Chris to move down to the table he placed it carefully at her spot. She moved wordlessly as directed, sitting at the table in the same seat she had yesterday. Absentmindedly she stirred the soup, still trying to process the information overload. Looking up, she saw that Gunter had also grabbed himself a bowl and was in the middle of filling it. Chris used her foot to nudge the chair on her left out just enough for Gunter to slip into. They shared a silent acknowledgement and he resigned himself to the seat.
Lunch was quiet, both Chris and Gunter enjoyed the rare silence without Zeven in the house. And every so often when Gunter would glance at Chris he would catch her with a soft, relaxed expression that made him smile. Gunter wondered who she would have been if not for her upbringing. what sort of woman would she have grown into? It was hard for him to imagine her being any different from the person she was currently, but he did like to think she would have smiled more if she had been raised as a girl.
Her hair was still pulled back in the knot from earlier, but now a few strands framed her face and danced alongside her cheeks. She looked like a glass doll, fragile and small in her quiet, relaxed moments. But Gunter knew better than to think that she would shatter easily, anyone who could spend as much time with Zeven and retain their sanity was a strong person in his book. Gunter smiled again when he thought about Zeven. Zeven was like a son to him, and it had been a while since he had seen the passion behind his eyes. Like it or not, Zeven and Chris could be good for each other; they balanced out nicely. And even Gunter could see that if these two could overcome their differences, they would be an unstoppable force.
Lunch passed quietly and Chris and Gunter ate, and soon midday had passed. It was well into the afternoon before Chris had wandered off around the house. Gunter decided there was no longer a need to keep such a close eye on her, so he left her to do what she liked. He figured as long as she stayed away from any high windows, she would probably be fine.
Chris wandered around the bottom floor of the house. She let her fingertips brush the furniture and walls as she passed them. She kept looking for something she didn't find in Zeven's actual bedroom- memories. For the most part the house looked unused or like only a ghost had lived there. Making her way to the far side, away from the stairs, she saw an old upright piano. It felt like ages since Chris had seen one. She immediately thought of her mother, but remembered no more than a feeling and the song her mother would play for her. Even though the piano had no trace of dust, it was apparent that it had gone without being played for a long time. The wood and its hinges creaked as Chris lifted the key cover. Delicately she trapsed her fingertips over the white and black keys, careful not to press hard enough to make any sound.
The front door flew open aggressively and Zeven, who marched through it, didn't pay attention to it not closing all the way. He swung into the kitchen immediately upon entry. It was clear that he was extremely frustrated, and that piqued her interest. Maybe if she found out what irritated him she could use it against him. She remained concealed on the other side of the wall, but leaned as close to the opening as possible. Zeven and Gunter were sharing quick, rushed words, the gruff tone that Zeven's voice held made it harder to understand. She could make out words like, "letters" and "king" and a few others but it wasn't until she peered her head around the corner. "He's not coming for her. What kind of shitty father doesn't come for their kid?" Zeven was angry, but Chris felt nothing.
She moved away silently, but at the same time Zeven turned around to where she was standing. The look on her face told him that she had heard something she shouldn't have. He took a step towards her as she took a step away. Gunter's hand on his shoulder kept him from chasing after her. She disappeared from his line of sight. Gunter felt Zeven's shoulders slump forward slightly.
And then Zeven heard the front door click. Instantly he lurched forward out of Gunter's reach. Not wasting a second he grabbed the coat he had previously sloughed off and threw it on as he made for the door. She had a good head start, but he was almost certain he could catch her if he left now.