***Cyan***
Cy and Cole were standing by his front door.
"You really want to go home? Are you sure you're ready?" he asked.
"My fever is gone. You'd know if I threw up," she said.
He narrowed his eyes. "Am I really supposed to believe that? If I hadn't caught you, you would have tried to go camping."
"Ame and Collin are coming back tomorrow. I want to make sure that the house is presentable for them."
"And you won't be exerting yourself by doing that?"
"It would still need to get done."
"If that's what you really want to do, I could help you with it."
Cyan's cheeks flushed. "You don't have to do that! You've already done more than enough for me these last couple days!"
"Are you kidding me? What am I going to do next time you get sick? It's not like you'll let me take care of you at your house. Nor would I want to be there when that Key Keeper is there. He might hurt me like he did my friends." He shook his head. "Whether Collin would be able to care for you or not, you would never let him do that."
Her eyes widened, but she didn't reply.
"I'm serious." He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "What if you were to get sick again?"
She glanced down. She looked away from him as if trying to avoid being caught in her feelings.
"Let. Me. Help. You." He took his hands in hers. "I'm not asking. I'm tell you."
Her cheeks flushed. "Cole..."
"That's my condition. Let me help clean the house."
"Why do you want to do this?"
"Can't a guy just care about someone? Anyway, let's get going. I understand that you don't want that kid and his caretaker to come home to a mess."
"Alright... If you insist..."
The pair held hands to take the terminal back to the house.
Cyan blinked. Was the house this clean when she left?
Cole gestured to the coffee table.
Cyan picked up the note. Dear, Cyan- I had to fix the floor due to a small kitchen incident. I also took the time to clean up. Please get some rest.
She shivered and looked around. "Feels as if she's watching me..."
Cole nodded. "Yeah, but the lady makes a valid point."
Her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
He smiled. "You really were only looking for an excuse to come back here. Well, at least you don't have to do any work. Go get some rest like the lady of the house told you to."
"Alright but stop treating me like a kid!" She ran over to the stairs and on the third step, her stomach growled.
Cole chuckled. "I'll make you something while you nap."
Cy went to open her mouth.
"You were saying?"
She sighed. "Fine, you win."
Cyan went upstairs and entered her room.
She gasped. Why did Ame go out of her way to change the sheets?
She sighed again before climbing into bed and laying down. Exhaustion she didn't realize she had swept over her.
***
Cyan opened the door to her house.
Her mom was on the couch, sobbing. "W-why can't I get pregnant again, Castin?"
Why did she have to ask for a sibling during her last birthday? What was she thinking? She bit her lip. Castin was the one who gave them emotions. Did he laugh when they were sad? Cry when their hearts broke? Would he cry now? Maybe he had no emotion because he wasn't human. And even if he did feel something... would he understand how she felt? Or would he think she was just making a big deal out of nothing? She didn't want to burden him. He was working so hard for them.
"Mom, I'm home," Cyan whispered.
Her mother looked up. Her hair was disheveled. Tears streamed down her face. "Oh, thank Castin, Cyan-girl!"
"Mom-"
"How long have you been home?"
"I-I just got home."
Cyan's mother smiled at her. "Welcome home, dear." She pushed her messy hair back. "Ah, sorry for the mess. I haven't had time to clean up."
Cyan took out her comb from her backpack and started combing her mom's hair. "Okay. I'll have you and the house looking all nice and pretty in a bit."
"Thank you, honey, but you shouldn't have."
Cy smiled. "It's okay! I don't mind. My friends and I like combing each other's hair."
Her mom smiled. "Then I'll do yours after."
Cyan smiled. "Okay!"
A year passed and Castin had finally answered their prayers. A second baby girl was born to Cy's parents. But, she was born early and was sickly.
Cyan could still remember the day she went to the hospital. She was so tiny that she could fit in their dad's hand.
"Daddy, why does the baby have those things in her nose?"
"The doctors just want to be careful. She wasn't supposed to be out just yet. She needed more time to bake in the oven."
"Mommy's tummy?"
Her dad nodded. "She'll come home with us once she's bigger and stronger."
Cy smiled as she held his hand.
***
Cyan opened her eyes and wiped the sweat from her brow. Why did she have to dream about those things of all things?
Maybe she should call home? When was the last time she took the time to do that?
Cyan picked up her terminal and dialed.
A screen popped out of the terminal.
"Cy!" Berry was sitting on her compress couch with a blanket and pillow. She smiled. "Did you call because of the surgery?"
"Surgery?"
Berry nodded. "I'm gonna get more surgery on Thursday."
"For your legs?"
"Yeah."
Cy furrowed her brow. Why hadn't her mom or dad told her a thing about it? Although, it wasn't like she had called them often. She didn't like them worrying about her. Maybe it was the same with them not wanting her to worry about Berry...
"I'll be praying at it all goes well!"