Scream Me a Dream

“Soya?!” Ville called as he walked into her flat, making sure to lock the door behind him and setting his backpack on the floor near the door before starting to strip off his jacket, noticing the sound of music floating around the flat.

“Bedroom!” Soya called back as Ville tossed his jacket on the couch, his lip quirking up when he caught sight of the stuffed fox which had been covered by one of Soya’s coats.

“How badly did that fox scare you when you walked in?” Ville asked leaning against the doorway, enjoying the vision Soya made. She sat on the floor in a pair of grey jersey shorts and a blue Julliard hoodie; surrounded by clothing and open boxes, she had apparently decided to unpack. Her hair had been tossed up into a messy bun, while loose pieces of hair framed her pale face. Her iPod was docked on the small stereo on her nightstand, which explained the music he had heard.

“Damn thing scared me half to death.” Soya grumbled. “I covered it after Josef laughed at me.” She played with one of the shirts in front of her as she watched him. “How was the studio?” She asked as he walked further into the room, toeing off his shoes before taking a seat behind her, resting against her bed and leaning in to give her a kiss, causing her to grin against his lips.

“It went very well.” Ville said. “But I’m starving; did you by chance make dinner enough for two?”

Soya frowned, causing Ville to backpedal, not wanting her to think he had expected her to make him dinner. “Not that you had to, I mean, I didn’t let you know when I’d come back, truthfully I didn’t know I’d be so long…” he was quickly shut up when Soya covered his mouth with her hand.

“What time is it?”

Ville frowned as she uncovered his mouth before answering. “Nearly eleven.”

“At night?!” She asked, her eyes wide, before turning towards the bay window which was covered by her curtains; she’d been working under the room light and not the outdoor light, so she hadn’t noticed how late it had gotten.

“What time did you think it was?” Ville asked with a chuckle.

“Earlier than eleven.” Soya laughed as she used his shoulder to lift herself up, she linked her fingers together and stretched, giving him a view of her flat belly when her sweater crept up. His fingers itching to touch, but kept them clenched by his leg as he turned away.

“You know you can look.” Soya teased, grabbing one of his hands and tugging his arm, motioning him to stand up. “And…I don’t mind if you touch.”

Ville looked up at her quickly, noting the soft reddening of her cheeks and her nibbling on the bottom of her lip. He wrapped his hand around hers and tugged her down capturing her lips in a kiss, his hands automatically finding their way underneath her sweater, softly running up and down her back, before settling on the groove at the small of her back. Her hands dove through his hair rubbing the back of his neck lightly while moving lower underneath his shirt causing him to groan.

Ville pulled away, ghosting his lips across her cheek nipping her earlobe causing him to smirk when he felt a shiver run down her spine.

“Trust me,” He whispered in her ear. “I will touch.”

Soya breathed against his neck, placing a kiss just above his jugular. “Good, because I want you too.”

Ville was about to respond when the grumble of a stomach cut him off causing him to chuckle. “Looks like I’m not the only one that’s hungry.”

Soya pulled away, surprised to find herself straddling his lap. “Come on; let’s see what I can find us to eat.” She said, standing up and grabbing his hands as she tugged him up.

“How did your meeting go?” Ville asked as he followed her out, stepping over clothing that was on the floor.

Soya grinned at him over her shoulder. “I got my building.”

“I told you you would.” Ville said with a roll of his eyes, before wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the side of her neck. “Still deserves a congratulations, I say we take another bath.”

Soya laughed, turning her head to kiss his lips. “Maybe later; food first.”

“Deal.” He said, letting her go as they entered the kitchen. Ville hopped up on the counter while Soya went to her pantry, a small room that was sectioned off in the corner of the kitchen between her refrigerator and the counter.

“I have soup!” Soya called from the pantry.

“That sounds good.” Ville said with a nod as she came out with a can of soup and a loaf of bread.

“I haven’t even looked to see what the guys got me for kitchen things; I have no idea if I have a can opener.” Soya said as she looked in her kitchen drawers. “Want to find a pot so I can warm the soup in?”

Ville nodded, hopping off the counter, looking through the bottom cabinets. “So, tell me about the meeting.” Ville said. “I want to know.”

Soya laughed as she finally found the can opener, while Ville moved around her looking for a pot. “I was so ready to assure Mr. Jolien that I didn’t want to change much, and what I did want to change had no effect on the students or employees, but the man beat me to it before I could even say a word.”

“Did he just want you to keep the employees?” Ville asked as he found the pot, turning on the stove to warm it.

“And to keep the students and to keep it a ballet studio, which had always been my plan.” Soya said, moving around Ville as she poured the soup from the can into the pot. “All I really want to do is expand it. Would you warm the bread?”

Ville nodded, “When do you want to expand?” He asked, opening the bag of bread, putting four slices into her toaster and pushing down the lever before putting the bread back into the pantry.

“Well, I haven’t signed yet, the papers are with my family lawyers to be looked at, I’ll probably get them sent here tomorrow and I’ll sign them. But I would want to expand next month, make the studios larger, and even add a few. Mr. Jolien, he has all this space and I’ve always wondered why he never made more rooms.”

“Did you ask?” Ville asked, looking over his shoulder at her, watching as she stirred the soup with a spoon, he turned back towards the cabinets to start the search for bowls.

“Yes, he said he wanted to keep it a small studio, which I understand. Originally when his grandfather opened it, it was just meant for twenty students, Mr. Jolien expanded it, but even now the studios are packed. There are about a hundred kids coming in and out during the week, but the rooms themselves only fit ten to fifteen children before they all start knocking into each other.” Soya said turning off the stove, turning to Ville and smiling when he held out a bowl to her. “Thank you.”

“How much room do you need between dancers before it gets to crowded?” Ville asked.

“About arms length.” Soya said with a shrug as she ladled the soup into the bowl. “But even that’s a bit tight, especially when you get into the advanced classes and jumps, it’s just you need room to move.”

“You’re excited about this.” Ville noted, hearing the excitement in her voice and the way her grey eyes widened as she spoke.

“I am! Originally this was just a way for me to get here legitimately without my parents finding out that I just wanted to see you and the guys.” She said with a grin, handing him his bowl. “But as I keep thinking about it, the more I want to do with the studio.”

“More than just expand?” Ville asked, putting the toasted bread that had popped out onto a plate, handing Soya the second bowl.

“There’s so much more to teach than ballet.” She said. “And right now that’s all Mr. Jolien has been teaching, there’s tap, and jazz and just so much more.”

“I thought you learned tap here.” Ville asked with a frown, following her into the living room, setting their plates on the coffee table, as Soya pulled the couch cushions from the couch and put them on the floor where they had taken to eating.

“I did,” Soya said. “at another school outside of Helsinki because Mr. Jolien didn’t offer it. Same with Elli and Inka, they both took tap at other studios and Inka took an alternative dance class when we were younger too.” Soya settled down next to Ville on the floor, “At the studio in New York we don’t even teach just dance, Josef offers a class for students who are interested in learning how to arrange dances, choreography you know? And a few of the girls and a couple of boys were interested in costume design so I would sit down with them and show them the programs I used.”

Ville blinked at her. “I never realized how much more you did at your studio, I just figured you taught dancing and that’s it.”

Soya shrugged. “Most of the kids who take the other classes with Josef and I are from the advanced classes, and it’s usually the students that plan on continuing on with a career involving dance or theater.”

“You want to give students here that chance?” Ville asked.

Soya nodded as she looked at him. “Or at least give some of them a chance to learn something other than ballet.”

“Well I think your studio here will do amazingly, especially with you running it.” Ville said, kissing her cheek. “Now, what are we doing tonight, TV, movie or book?”

Soya bit her lip as she thought about it. “Think you can read while you eat?”

“Of course I can, go pick a book.” Ville said as Soya stood up going towards her bookcases. “And nothing too depressing, I’d like to sleep with good dreams tonight.”

Soya looked over her shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow. “That, coming from you, is hilarious.”

Ville giggled as she turned back to her bookshelves. “Isn’t it?”

“Jane Austen?” Soya asked, looking over her shoulder at him, before looking at her bookshelves. “Ohh Emma! I haven’t read that one in a while.”

“Bring it over.” Ville nodded, patting her cushion.

Soya was about to sit down next to him, only to frown as she looked at her front door, which she noted was locked then back at Ville. “How did you get in?”

“Sorry?” Ville asked, blinking up at her.

“How did you get in?” Soya repeated looking down at her boyfriend. “I locked my flat when I got in because I didn’t know when you’d be coming over and I was going to be in my room unpacking.”

“Oh!” Ville laughed as he lifted his hips, reaching into his pocket, grinning when he showed her the shiny silver key. “Linde left his keys on the table earlier and I stole them.”

Soya laughed as she sat down and took the key from his fingers. “I’ll get you a copy tomorrow, you give this one back to Linde.”

“Oh! Want to take the key to the tower too, make yourself a copy?”

Soya nodded before laughing. “You know, in most relationships giving the key to your home to your significant other is a big step.”

“I just don’t want you sitting outside my tower waiting for me, especially if fans are outside as well, you might as well just go in. Plus, I trust you.”

Soya smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “Good, now start reading.”

“Fine, fine.” Ville laughed, taking the book from her hand and turning to the first page.

XxxxxxX

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Jonah walked up the steps to his daughter’s flat, deciding to talk to the building manager about getting that damn lift fixed. Finally reaching Soya’s floor with a huff, he walked to the door, prepared to knock only to pause when he heard Soya’s voice on the other end.

“Stop!” Soya laughed.

“Wait wait, one more!”

Jonah frowned when he heard a strange noise being emitted and what he assumed Ville laugh.

“No more Ville!”

“Fine, fine, I’ll put it away.”

“As you should have half an hour ago.” Soya reprimanded, there was silence for a couple of seconds only for the sound to be emitted again and Soya’s squeal.

“Ville!”

“All right! All right I’m done!” Ville laughed. “I have to go anyway.”

Jonah raised his hand to knock, only for the door to swing open, before his fist connected, startling Soya who was holding the door.

“Oh!” Soya laughed nervously looking at him. “Papa sorry, come in, did you knock before?”

“I just got here Soya, I was about to knock.” Jonah assured.

“Oh, all right,” Soya said smiling.

“Hey, Soya! Linde and Mige want to come over later, something about proposing a plan for the guest room, though I think they just want to see if you’ll cook for them since…” Ville trailed off as he caught sight of Jonah. “Hi.”

“Hello Ville.” Jonah smiled.

“I…uh… I was just leaving.” Ville stated walking to the couch and grabbing his backpack and Casio case. “Uh…” He looked over at Soya, then at Jonah, before leaning down and kissing her cheek. “I’ll call you later.”

Soya rolled her eyes as he nodded at Jonah before starting out the door. “Tell Linde and Mige it’s fine if they come over later, I know they’ve been rehearsing nearby, right?”

Ville nodded. “Yeah.”

“I’m not going to let them starve, tell them it’s fine and call me if you need a ride back from the studio.”

“I’ll tell them and don’t worry about it, I’ll grab a cab.” Ville winked at her, before closing the door behind him, causing Soya to shake her head.

“Sorry.” Soya said looking at her father as she stuck her hands in the pocket of her navy blue romper, having decided that since she was going to stay home and finish unpacking, she wanted to be comfortable, so the navy blue shorts with the suspenders and grey tee-shirt had worked perfectly.

“It’s fine. Where is Ville off too?”

“The studio, he left early this morning.” Soya said, gesturing her father to hand her his coat. “But he came back for lunch and he brought his blasted Casio with him.”

“Casio?” Jonah asked handing Soya his jacket as she draped it over the couch.

“It’s a keyboard, but it records a second of sound apparently. He’s been annoying with it, pressing the blasted buttons every time I leave or enter a room. I almost didn’t feed him.” Soya laughed, motioning him to follow her. She led him to the dining room and gestured for him to sit. “Have a seat at the counter; I’m almost done with lunch.”

Jonah nodded, looking around the dining room, when he’d last come the boys had been preparing to put up the wallpaper, now, seeing the finished product it was amazing to see how well they knew Soya, to have chosen out every piece of furniture and colors for the flat that Soya apparently had no problem with.

“So you like the way your friends decorated your home?” Jonah asked looking over at Soya as she moved around the kitchen preparing lunch.

“Love it.” Soya said smiling at him, she looked away and shrugged. “Though they cheated, would you like some tea?”

“Please, and how so?” Jonah asked as Soya set the kettle on the stove.

“They grilled Ville with questions about what I may like, and things I had in my room in New York and here.”

“Ville’s been to your room here?” Jonah asked with a frown.

“Once,” Soya admitted hesitantly as she looked over at her father. “I had to grab something from my room and I dragged him up so he wouldn’t be waiting for me.”

“It’s fine Soya, I know nothing happened.” Jonah assured.

Soya laughed. “No, nothing happened.”

“So if you fed Ville…how is it you’re still preparing lunch?” Jonah asked, still watching his daughter as she moved around the kitchen.

“I didn’t know he was coming back for lunch, so I just made him a sandwich.” Soya said with a shrug. “Our schedules have been all out of sorts during the day that if he’s able to make it back he will.”

Jonah tilted his head as he thought of something Soya had said minutes before. “But he left early this morning.”

“Mhmm.” Soya nodded.

“From…here?” Jonah hedged, causing Soya to freeze in her spot.

“Uh…”

Jonah chuckled. “Soya, you’re twenty-eight, I think you’re old enough to have sleep over’s with your boyfriend.”

Soya released a breath as she grabbed a mug from the cabinet. “Then, yes, he left from here.” Soya gave a small shrug. “All last week we were at his home and we barely saw each other, he was up in his studio and I was downstairs working on my presentation and just figuring out exactly what I wanted to do with the studio.” She bit her lip as she poured the steaming water into the mugs, before steeping the tea bags and handing one to her father as she leaned her hip on the counter to talk with him.

“Even at dinner, most nights he would be so engrossed with what he was doing that he would take it upstairs while I finished up downstairs.” She gave a light smile, “And somehow we ended up finding a way to come together at night and spend some time alone.”

“Oh?” Jonah asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Mmm.” Soya sipped on her tea, smiling lightly at her father. “Some nights we’ll sit in bed before going to sleep and we’ll take turns reading aloud from a book, or we’ll watch a bit of TV or a movie and just unwind, it’s nice, it’s quiet.” Soya sighed. “It’s normal.”

Jonah smiled. “What was it last night?”

Soya laughed. “He read Emma as we ate dinner, he came back late from the studio and I’d spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking. It was nice, just us.”

Jonah nodded. “Mmmm, I remember those moments with your mother.”

Soya bit her lip as she nodded, setting her mug down, before opening the pan she had on the stove letting the steam rise as she checked the chicken fillets.

“You don’t like talking about your mother.” Jonah noted.

“Not particularly, no.” Soya said not looking at him as she pushed the chicken around the pan.

“Soya,” Jonah started, only for Soya to sigh as she covered the pan again before going to the refrigerator and getting out the salad she had prepared.

“Can I speak freely?” Soya asked looking at him hesitantly.

“Of course.” Jonah said with a nod.

“I’m still…” Soya sighed again, running a hand through her hair, wincing when she remembered she’d put it up in a bun instead of leaving it loose. “I’m still getting used to this.” She said, motioning between them. “I still have issues to deal with, but at least you’re here dealing with them too.”

“Of course.” Jonah said with a nod.

Soya stared at him. “You can’t honestly believe that mamma would be willing to take the same position.”

“Well…” Jonah started.

“Oh, and you were doing so well.” Soya teased. “Don’t lie papa, I think that would hurt more than you telling me the truth.”

“Soya, your mother…”

“My mother…” Soya shook her head. “You weren’t there isi, you weren’t there to see how she was.” Jonah stared at her in disbelief while Soya tilted her head in question. “What?’

“…You called me isi.”

Soya blinked. “I did?”

“You’ve never once called me isi, Soya.” Jonah said with a grin. “Never, it’s always father or papa, never isi.”

Soya stared at him, before looking away and going back to the stove to get the chicken, not quite sure what had caused her to call her father ‘daddy’ or the fact that she really wasn’t bothered by the fact that she had called him that; it actually felt right.

“Soya, your mother…” Jonah sighed, letting the subject of her calling him ‘isi’ go, wanting her to make her own decision on the word usage. “She’s a complicated woman.”

Soya snorted as she put the warmed chicken on the cutting board, slicing it into strips. She bit her lip, thinking about what she wanted to say before actually speaking, not wanting to offend her father. “Had…” Soya shook her head.

“No, go on; say what you want to say.”

Soya put the sliced chicken into the salad bowl, setting it on the counter in front of her father before speaking again. “Had I been asked six months ago whether or not my father and mother made a good pair…I would have said yes, that you both deserved each other with the way you both acted.”

Jonah nodded silently. “And now?”

“Now…” Soya shrugged. “I wonder what you see in her.”

Jonah rubbed his forehead as Soya turned around. “Soya.”

“I’m sorry, I crossed a line. I shouldn’t have said anything.” She said grabbing two plates and forks before leaving the kitchen. Jonah waited for her to come around and watched as she set the two plates on the dining room table.

Jonah grabbed their mugs of tea as Soya grabbed the bowl and set it on the table. He sat next to her at the head of the table as Soya took a seat to his right, facing the French doors.

“I’m not going to get angry because you spoke your mind Soya.” Jonah assured. Actually, he couldn’t afford to anymore and he wanted to get to know his daughter, every thought and word she spoke, he wanted to know. “I…I think I know where you’re coming from.”

Soya shrugged as she served him salad with strips of chicken, before serving herself. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“And you weren’t.” Jonah said picking up his napkin, smiling slightly at its blue tint. “You really like blue don’t you?”

Soya smiled lightly. “I do.”

“Your mother wasn’t always like this.” Jonah said smoothing the napkin over his lap as he picked up his fork. “I didn’t fall in love with this Elizabeth; she was a lot like you when she was younger.”

Soya blinked at him. “What?”

“Oh! Your mother was painfully shy when she was younger, every time I spoke to her she would turn beat red and run in the other direction.” Jonah chuckled. “It wasn’t until she was about seventeen that she started speaking back to me, I fell head over heels in love with her you know.”

Soya nodded. “I know you married once you were both eighteen.”

“We did.” Jonah nodded. “Your mother came from, well, a different background than myself.”

“You mean poor?” Soya asked with a raised eyebrow.

Jonah sighed and nodded. “Yes, I mean poor. My father had a fit when he found out I was to marry her, but I loved her, very much, so we married the day after she turned eighteen.”

Soya bit her lip. “Then why did she change?”

Jonah winced, he knew the next part of the story would be hard for him to tell but even harder for Soya to hear, and it nearly killed him to tell her but she had to understand, he needed her to understand. “Your mother came from a very…abusive family; it’s why you or Aida have never met her side, or really know anything about them. When Elizabeth and I married, she cut all ties with them and with that came her vow to never have children.”

Soya dropped her fork as she stared at her father. “What?”

“She didn’t want children.” Jonah said carefully. “But I did.”

Soya gave a bitter laugh as she pushed her plate away having lost her appetite. “I’m sorry, she didn’t want children but you did?”

Jonah sighed, moving his salad around with his fork. “I thought that if your mother had a child that it might give her favor with my father.”

“So I was a pawn.” Soya said quietly. “Nothing more than you just wanting my mother to be in your father’s good graces; wow, just what every daughter wants to hear.”

“Soya.” Jonah sighed.

“You know, some parents do tell their children that they were made out of love, but they never admit that it was to play some twisted game.”

“Soya, you were made out of love, you have to believe that.”

“But she never wanted me.” Soya said staring at her father. “You just said she never wanted me.”

“At first…no, but she warmed to the idea of having a child, she warmed to the idea of having you. She does love you Soya.”

Soya snorted “She has some way of showing it.”

“She doesn’t know how Soya, she didn’t grow up in a loving environment.”

“And you think I did?” Soya asked in disbelief. “You and mamma never once told me you loved me, you never hugged me, once I turned five everything started to change. Did you know that until I was about ten I believed Niina was my mother?”

“Oh Soya.” Jonah said shaking his head, having never known that, and it literality hurt his heart to think about it.

“You can’t say that just because she didn’t grow up in a loving environment that automatically means a woman doesn’t know how to be nurturing or loving. I can honestly say that I love my goddaughter and my little sister with everything I have, and I didn’t grow up with love from you both.”

“Soya,”

“It’s not an excuse.” Soya said with a violent shake of her head. “I refuse to accept that as an excuse for her behavior.”

“And I’m not asking you to.” Jonah said quickly. “I was only hoping that with you knowing, it would explain a bit of why your mother is the way she is.”

“It doesn’t.” Soya said. “You said she warmed to the idea of having me, what happened?”

Jonah ran a hand through his graying hair. “My mother warmed to her, when she found out she was to have a grandchild, my mother was a…” Jonah chuckled. “A very strong woman, very opinionated and had my father under her thumb, so when she took to Elizabeth and the idea of a grandchild, my father took to her as well.”

Soya blinked. “But I thought my grandmother had passed before I was even born.”

“She did, a couple of months before.” Jonah nodded. “And that’s when my father turned on Elizabeth, without my mother to remind him why he liked her, he remembered all the reasons why he didn’t and it made their relationship tense. He adored you though.”

Soya bit her lip. “What happened?”

“He adored you so much, Soya, spoiled you rotten really.” Jonah smiled. “It’s because you look so much like my mother, and because my mother loved you so much even while in the womb, he took to you out of it. He named you, you know?”

Soya shook her head. “I didn’t know that.”

Jonah chuckled. “Soya after his mother, Eeva after my mother.”

“What happened?” Soya repeated.

Jonah shook his head. “Because my father was so taken with you and you were something of a peace treaty between him and your mother, your mother loved you just as much. He passed away when you were…”

“Five.” Soya said quietly, “When everything changed.”

“Your mother…”

“There was no reason for her to want me.” Soya said painfully as she stared at her father. “There was no more reason to love me.”

“That’s not it Soya.”

“Isn’t it?” Soya asked with wide eyes. “My grandfather died and that meant the my mother had no more reason to want me, I was just this child that apparently had no other reason to be. God, I don’t even want to think about the reason Aida was created.”

“I…” Jonah sighed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry I even told you this.”

“No, no, it’s good I know.” Soya said looking away and starting to pick at her food again, shaking her head as they both sat silently at the table eating their food. It wasn’t until Soya was nearly finished with her lunch that she looked back at her father. “Do you think she’ll ever want me again?”

Jonah sighed as he pushed his food around, not enjoying the tense and somber environment he had created. “I think your mother has changed a lot from when I first met her, I see bits of her from when we were younger, but she’s changed so much, Soya.”

“That’s a ‘no’.” she muttered, biting her bottom lip. “Do you still love her?”

Jonah nodded. “I do, very much so. Like I said, she’s not always the woman you see, I can still make her blush on occasion and it reminds me why I love her so damn much.”

The sound of a cell phone ringing broke their conversation as Soya was about to respond, since it wasn’t the chirping sound she had on her phone, she watched as her father dug out his own. “Sorry.” He said frowning at the screen, before he answered “Hello?...No, no, I hadn’t realized it was so late, I’ll be on my way shortly.” He hung up the phone and looked at Soya apologetically. “I have to go pikku tanssija, I’m late for an appointment.”

“All right.” Soya nodded.

“I’m sorry I brought down the mood for our lunch, it wasn’t my intention.”

“I know.” Soya nodded as her father stood.

“I want you to know I never regretted having you.” He said placing a soft hand on her cheek. “I’m sorry you felt that we never loved you, I do, very much so.”

“I know that.” Soya nodded with a small smile. “Now, and that’s all that matters, right?”

“Right.” Jonah nodded dropping his hand as Soya stood; he watched as his daughter bit her lip, before hugging him without having to ask. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back soothingly before kissing her temple. “I’ll talk to you later, all right.”

“All right isi, I’ll show you out.” Soya said letting him go and walking him to the door, Jonah decided to stay quiet of her use of ‘isi’, not wanting her to think too much of the word and also because he really did enjoy hearing it leave her lips.

“Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”

“I will,” Soya said with a small laugh. “I’m sure I’m going to spend the rest of it cooking for Linde and Mige when they come over.”

“Well, have fun.” Jonah nodded.

“Isi.” Soya said just as he walked out the door, Jonah turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes?”

“If you’d like, I’m not busy on Saturday, if you and Aida want to come over.”

“You don’t have plans with Ville?”

“Not as of yet.” Soya said with a shrug. “And even if I did, I don’t think he would mind.”

“I’ll speak to Aida and see what she says; though I’m sure you’ll see us bright and early on Saturday.”

“Good.” Soya said with a small smile, causing him to give her his own smile back before he turned and walked down the hall, disappearing down the stairs. Soya closed the door and walked back to the dining room, prepared to spend the rest of the afternoon unpacking and processing what her father had told her.

As she cleared the table, she started to pick up her father’s plate only to frown when she found it still full of food and barely touched, placing the plate on top of her empty one, she reached for his mug of tea, finding it cold and not even half finished.

Soya sat down on one of the chairs as she stared into the liquid in disbelief. Something was wrong, her father was telling her everything except for the one thing she wanted to hear and that was what he was hiding from her.