*POV* Cassy Iris Aleera
"Not like that." I looked to my mother for guidance in how a baby's diaper was supposed to be pinned. I tried my best not to get annoyed as I looked down at the odd bunch I had created.
"It's like this." She expertly folded and layed the cloth, when she finished she wrapped her in her blanket and placed her in my arms.
The child I held was the sweetest child I had ever met in my life. Her name was Sophie. My mother followed me from the back room.
The dugout home was just as I remembered it, small but reliable. My father sat at the table in the corner talking to Vivian. She watched us enter and jumped up to offer to take Sophie, I avoided her and went to the rug in front of the fire.
Vivian followed me with a laugh, she settled on the floor beside me. "You must be so happy?" She said to me in my mind. I gave her a small smile, it felt different now. Home didn't quite feel like home to me anymore.
I played absolutely with Sophie's small fingers as I listened to my parents talking from the kitchen. I could see that my mother had changed, she was less caring and the house suffered for it.
I saw over the past day how much losing me had changed her. "Cassy?" My mother called me from the kitchen, handing Sophie to Vivian, I stood and made my way into the kitchen.
My father had already left. I could see him leaving down the grassy path through the dirty window. "Where is he going?" I asked her, she sighed. "He is going to talk to the village leaders."
"Why?" I questioned myself. "Take this over to Aria's mother when you go over there." She handed me a basket. "Oh, sure." My mother had been stunned when we first arrived, now it was just kinda awkward.
I took the basket from her and made my way towards the door. The old door stuck as usual with a jerk I opened it, the village busted with life as others moved to and from their homes.
I walked across the deep grass to Aria's mother's dugout, it was only a couple down from ours. I gave a quick knock and waited. The door opened I looked up at the slim figure of Mrs. Dew looking sternly down at me.
"Oh it's you, welcome back to the village dear." She took the basket I held out. "You know the children find it funny to knock on my door and run.." she looked into the basket and gave me a smile. "Tell your mother thanks for me." With a nod I left her and headed farther through the village.
At Aria's door I knocked loudly, the door was flung open. "Thank heavens you're here! Get in here!" She pulled me in. "I have been trying for the life of me to remember the bun recipe, please help me." I gave her an odd look.
"You're trying to cook!?" She sighed. "Yes, though I see now why you never ate anything I made. I am more of a garden person." I smiled, her kitchen was a mess. I took a look into the large wooden bowl that was set in the middle of the mess of flour, eggs, and other questionable substances.
"What have you put in already?" She rushed towards the stone and set a pot off the heat. "I don't remember! You know my memory is mud."
She came over to stare at the bowl with me.
"Okay maybe we should start over?" Aria agreed with a laugh. 25 minutes later we had a nice batch of buns laid on trays fresh out of the oven.
"Thank you. You are a lifesaver." She gave me a hug. "I am soooo glad you are back." She whispered to me. "Cassy?" Aira pulled back and we both turned to see Fred and his best friend Evan watching us.
Aira moved in front of me. "I didn't think you guys would be back until evening." Aira said. "Actually we decided not to go till tomorrow." Fred smiled walking into his kitchen to grab one of the buns of the cloth and take a bite.
My eyebrows furrowed. "Definitely different from what you imagined." Aira smacked at my arm. "Do you want me to grab the butter?" Fred nodded, Evan also took a place at the center counter.
"I heard that you had returned Cassy, must have been some adventure huh?" Evan said, eyeing me. "Actually it was." I said to his mind, he jumped, Aira smirked in satisfaction. "She can talk to people through their minds now, cool right." She glared at Evan.
Aira knew about my water now, but I hadn't told anyone about Monique. "Bet you wish you had been taken now too." Evan laughed. "Not really. But if I had been here they wouldn't have taken anyone."
'Wow, his ego hasn't changed." I thought. The door flew open and it was followed by yelling until two heads piled with curls entered the room. "Cassy!!!!" They both shouted.
The everdell twins rushed to hug me. I stumbled back a couple steps. "Whoa, their girls." They grinned up at me. "We are so glad you are back, when Aira told us that you could read minds we were so happy."
"It's not reading minds!" Aira put a palm to her forehead. "She can talk to people through their mind." The twin stared at her. "Oh, anyway that is so cool.! We are so glad you are back!" Faylie smiled.
"You children should knock." Both the girls turned to glare at Fred. "Leave them be." Aria told Fred which had them locking eyes in a silent argument.
My heart filled with a warm feeling, I was happy to be around people I once knew. But still deep down I knew it would have been better if my other friends were here too.