Lisa attempted to call Jorden once again before work. No answer. Was he alright? Had something happened? He had wanted to tell her something important. With shaking hands, she slipped her phone back into her pocket. I should have listened to him, Lisa thought to herself for the millionth time that week. It was far too late now. Lisa knew this. But she still felt guilt. There was so much work to do. The sisters needed her now more than ever. They were finally getting better. She had to be there for them.
A soft sigh escaped Lisa. There was nothing to do but hope and pray that he was alright and nothing bad had happened to him. Or was there something else she could do? Was there a way for her to care for the girls and look for him? No, he could be anywhere. The girls needed her, and she needed to prioritize them. Dead leaves crunched under Lisa’s feet as she quickened her pace. The sun was just beginning to set when she finally arrived home.
Recently, the sunsets had been incredibly beautiful. This one was no exception. The world was no longer grey and brown. It was alive and glowing with a hundred different shades of red and gold and purple. Lisa could hear the shouts and squeals of the sisters as they played. Were they still hanging out in the garden? They had been spending more and more time there. After all, the weather had been lovely. It was probably good for them to get lots of sunlight and fresh air.
Lisa paused at the top of the hill and looked down at the garden. For a moment she just watched them, enjoying the heartwarming sight. The sisters were covered with dirt and dust from head to toe. In the middle of the garden stood a very tall and rather elaborately decorated stack of stones. Lisa was actually quite impressed by this creation. It must have taken them quite a long time to build; even though she wasn’t really sure what it was supposed to be. But it did look very cool. The girls were chasing each other round and round in circles right next to their sculpture.
Lisa couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. It was going to take her forever to wash all that dirt out of their hair. But at least they were having fun and actually acting like kids. She also spotted a stack of plates and silverware lying in the corner. They must have eaten lunch out here.
“Girls! I’m back! Are you two hungry? I can start on dinner right away if you like,” Lisa called to them. The sisters came flying up the path towards her. Sally was the first to reach her. Lisa stooped to the ground as the girl flung her arm around her neck, buried her face in her shoulder and uttered several cheerful noises. Riley came shortly after her.
“Yay! You’re back, Miss Lisa! We spent all day outside. It was so much fun! We had a picnic and played all day,” said Riley. Both of the children’s faces were flushed and happy. Their beautiful golden eyes glittered like dazzling stars in the darkness.
“I like the tower that you built,” Lisa said. She pointed to the rock pile.
“Sally was actually the one who built that.” Riley laughed. “I don’t know what it is, but she did an amazing job, don’t you think?”
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“She really did!” Lisa ruffled Sally’s messy hair. “I bet you girls are hungry after all that running around,” Lisa said.
“I sure am!” Riley exclaimed, skipping towards the house. Sally followed behind, more slowly, holding Lisa’s hand tightly in hers.
Lisa started on dinner while the girls washed up. They ate in silence. But it was a peaceful, warm kind of silence. Not a cold, awkward kind of silence. Hopefully the girls had worn themselves out and would sleep very soundly. The fire filled the room with a golden, warm glow. Lisa relaxed her face and closed her eyes for a moment. Her heart was full of a wonderful feeling. She missed her old work. She missed Jorden. She missed many things. But this feeling, this sense of warmth she felt when she looked at the girls’ smiling faces was a new thing. And it was a thing that she wouldn’t trade for anything in the whole world.
Lisa gently tucked the sisters in and sang them a song. The song was actually an old human song that had later been rewritten by the Formas. But she sang the original. Lisa wasn’t sure why that came to her mind. But she sang it until the children’s eyes closed and they snored softly. Soft, relaxed smiles appeared on their faces. Lisa sighed.
“If only they could be this happy all the time,” she whispered.
Lying alone in her own bed, Lisa’s joy began to fade. She was too tired to sleep and there was nothing to distract her from her own spiraling thoughts. It started with the usual worries and concerns. Was she doing the right thing for the girls? Were they secretly afraid of her? Was she doing a bad job taking care of them? Did she worry too much? What if she had deserved to lose her job? But they would always circle back to Jorden. That would bring up memories. Then those memories would fill Lisa with the feeling of guilt.
“Lisa!” Jorden’s voice echoed through the halls. It was impossible for her to pretend as if she hadn’t heard him. She turned to see him running towards her. He looked even more disgruntled than the last time she had seen him. A twinge of pity shot through her. “Please, I really need your help with this project,” he said.
“I’m sorry. But I already told you I can’t!” That tone sounded much harsher than she had meant it to sound. She took a deep breath and softened her voice. “You aren’t even supposed to be here. You know that. I wish I could help you; I really do. But if this has something to do with the humans, I simply can’t be a part of it.”
Jorden had always found humans very interesting. But his interest had deepened and consumed much more of his time recently.
“I know I sound crazy. But if you would just let me show you the things that I have discovered, you’ll understand. They aren’t like what we thought at all!”
“I’m sorry.” was all Lisa said. “I can’t help you.”
“Everything they’ve told us about humans is a lie!” he burst out. She turned away.
She had turned her back on him when he had needed her most. What kind of friend was she? That was the last time that she ever saw him.
“They’re watching you, Lisa, all the time!” he had called to her as she left. That had frightened her. She still had no idea what he meant by it. Now she would never know. Who were they? Were they watching her now?
Lisa slipped out of bed. It wasn’t healthy to think like that. The fear had turned to guilt. She felt the sudden need to check on the girls and make sure that they were alright. She raced down the stairs and flung the door to their room open. She relaxed as soon as her eyes landed on the two sleeping figures. She didn’t know why she had been so worried. They were safe. She was going to make sure it stayed that way. She wasn’t going to turn her back on anyone in need ever again. And these girls, she realized, meant more to her than anything she had had in her old life.