Shattered Bonds (continued)

Lorelei walked through the darkened compounds, back toward the house that she shared with her mother. After sitting with Sean, it always took her some time to realign to the reality around her. She tried to remember what day it was and whether her mother would be there when she arrived.

The time she had spent away at Sean’s side had been a welcome respite from her mother’s constant proselytizing. Lorelei had been surprised, though, to discover what comfort some of her mother’s words had been during the first days when it was unknown whether or not Sean would survive. She still believed her mother’s Bible to be full of historically questionable events and ridiculously improbable metaphors, but she had begun to wonder whether there might not be something of value in it.

She caught herself in mid-thought, dismissing the notion as a symptom of hunger and fatigue. Sleep, she knew she was lacking. She could not, however, remember when she had eaten last. There were vague memories of a breakfast. She recalled Georgia asking her about a sandwich, but she had no memory of whether or not she had eaten it. Even if she had, Lorelei realized, she had definitely not eaten much that day.

I need to remember to bring snacks or something.

Doing so, she thought, might help make Sean’s grandfather feel that her visits were less of an imposition. Although his demeanor toward her had thawed over the past few weeks, it was no spring thaw. It was, however, no longer the glacial iciness with which he had once regarded her. Georgia had something to do with that, Lorelei was certain, although she did not know exactly what. Lorelei remembered Georgia all but dragging Trenton away during her first visit with Sean.

She must have said something to him . . .

Lorelei could not imagine what it was. She had no special relationship with the old woman. Nor did she believe that Georgia knew anything about her—apart from the common rumors around the colony about her behavior.

Why would she stand up for me then? I used Sean for sex and then dumped him.

Which led her, once again, to the matter of why she would willingly spend her time sitting by Sean’s bedside. It was a question that, even during all of their silent hours together, that she had been reluctant to explore.