“What are you reading?” Jorden asked. Lisa looked up.
“Just the news.” She smiled. "More interviews with people. Mind Forming, isn't it fascinating! Had you ever heard about it, Jorden?"
“Nope. This is my very first time hearing of it. I guess it is something unique to half Formas.” He sat down next to her on the couch.
“I really can’t wait to see how things go from here. Perhaps I’m being too optimistic, but I do hope this will help prevent war,” Lisa said.
“It might. We can’t see the future.”
“They’ve done something amazing! All those sisters had to do was think, and things became better. But it does make me a little sad, reading some of these interviews. There are so many hollow people in the world who turn to fighting as a way of finding meaning. People have no clue what a peaceful life looks like,” Lisa whispered.
“Maybe that is why the girl’s dream had such an effect on them. People never considered peace as an option. They just didn’t know what it felt like,” said Jorden. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. But it made perfect sense to Lisa. If revenge and suffering were all that people had ever known, of course they would find the idea of peace compelling. There would always be broken people, and there would always be cruel people. Lisa knew this. But perhaps this would give a little bit of hope to some people.
“Let’s just hope that this makes life easier for the humans. We have so much damage to undo,” Lisa whispered.
“Lisa, you aren’t the one who has to pay. I don’t care if that is what humans have told you. It just isn’t true. Riley and Sally would have died if it weren’t for you.”
“I-I know…” Lisa trailed off.
“Are you thinking about the sanctuary?” Jorden asked. Lisa nodded. His mind-reading seemed to be getting better. “You didn’t hurt those people. You aren’t responsible for the world’s cruelty. I know you want to help people, and that is good. But you can’t fix everything. You can’t control everyone, and there’s probably a reason for that.”
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“Yeah… I should know that by now. My main focus for the next little while will be taking care of the girls. After all that they had been through, they deserve a peaceful life,” Lisa said. She could hear the sisters. They were playing outside. It had been a long day, but they still seemed to have a lot of energy. Their laughs and squeals were filled with joy. A smile spread across Lisa’s face. She didn’t know what was to come. She couldn’t control the future. But at least she had people in her life who she could trust. Things finally seemed to be getting better. For the first time in years and years, Lisa allowed herself to hope. The door swung open, and an excited Riley came skipping into the room, dragging Sally by the hand.
“There you two are! You seem to be right at home here,” said Lisa.
“Speaking of home, when can we go back?” Riley asked. Lisa froze. She had no idea where the girls had been born.
“What do you mean?” Lisa asked.
“You know, home. Jorden’s house! He already told us that we could stay there if we wanted to,” Riley answered. Lisa glanced over at Jorden.
“Yeah,” he said. “Unless you had something else in mind, of course. I could really use Sally’s help with the garden.” He smiled. Lisa didn’t know what to say. A thousand words to express her gratitude filled her mind. But none of them did her joy justice.
“Thank you,” she whispered. This was exactly what the girls needed. She owed Jorden. She owed a lot of people. Sally flopped down on the couch and curled up next to Lisa.
“We can leave as soon as everyone is ready,” Jorden said. Riley looked at Lisa expectantly. Lisa couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m ready to go whenever.” A wave of joy washed over her. Things were going to be okay. They were all going to be okay. Lisa couldn’t remember the last time that she had felt this happy. She didn’t know what to do with all the happiness that was pulsing through her. She flung her arms around the girls and pulled them close to her. She would give them the peaceful life they needed. She would care for them the way that she had always wanted to be cared for. She would do anything and everything she could do to make them happy. Lisa just hoped that she would be able to give back to them a tiny shred of the light and meaning they had brought into her life.
They left for home later that day. The group could now travel without fear. They were no longer wanted criminals, although a handful of people did seem to recognize their faces. The sisters got a lot of stares from strangers. But nobody ever talked to them. Lisa just wanted to get home as soon as possible. The journey itself was short, but to Lisa it felt like it took them a thousand years. At last, they reached Jorden’s home. Excited shouts and cheers escaped the sisters. The children tumbled out of the car and bolted for the garden. Lisa closed her eyes and just let the good feelings wash over her. This was where she was meant to be. This was what she was meant to do. For now, that was all that mattered.