Lemo Sylvester watched as Dr. Sophia descended the stairs—her figure shattered and fragile. The grief etched into her face and body had reduced the once-strong woman, solid as stone, into someone so brittle that even a gentle breeze might knock her over. Her face, bruised and swollen, bore the evidence of trauma so deep it seemed almost unreal.
"If you're hungry, there's hot mushroom soup on the table," Lemo said as he closed his copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau, a green hardcover, and set it down on the table. Rising from his large leather armchair, he added, "I'll make you some coffee."
"Thank you. Where is everyone?" Sophia asked as she slowly lowered herself into a chair at the dining table. It was only because she had her period that she was spared the worst of Red's abuse—but the perverted sadist had still left her face a mess. Her bruises were plain to see.
"They've gone out to scavenge," Lemo explained. "Kantsuke radioed in. They'll be back soon."
"You look better," Sophia said, noting the brightness in Lemo's expression. Despite all she'd been through, the observant instincts of a doctor hadn't left her.
"Should I take that as a professional diagnosis?" Lemo grinned, handing her a warm ceramic cup of coffee. She was still trembling like a rain-drenched bird. His small joke earned him a faint smile.
"Thank you," she murmured, wrapping the white knitted sleeve of her sweater around the cup, holding it like a hot water bottle. She blew gently and took a sip.
"You're welcome to stay with us, you know," Lemo said. Sophia, her hands cupped around the mug, looked up slowly.
"I mean it—stay with us, as family."He had searched for a better word to describe his relationship with Kantsuke and the girls, but "family" seemed the most fitting.
"Won't I just be a burden?" she asked. In her mind, she blamed herself for Jonathan's death—believing that she had been the dead weight that cost him his life.
"We all weigh each other down in some ways—and help lift each other up. This world is brutal, Sophia. You can't make it alone."Lemo's words warmed her more than the coffee. If there was a sun in the night of her life, it was this man.
"They're back," Lemo said, glancing out the window. A smile of relief touched his lips. The mountain air was cold and crisp, and his breath turned to mist. Turning back to her, he saw the faint color returning to her face—the spark in her eyes hinted at something unspoken, something he recognized.
"Come on, Doc. Let's go help the kids unload the supplies." He smiled and opened the door.
Sophia sat still for a moment. Then she lifted her cup, drank the last of the warm coffee, and stood up.
Surrounded by the highlands, the pine forest, and the cheerful laughter of the young people stepping out of the vehicle, Sophia was reminded of a phrase she and Jonathan had once carved into a wooden plaque in their RV living room:
"Travel to discover each other.Every feeling is a story.That is the meaning of life."
That message had inspired them to convert a school bus into a camper van and explore Ether together.
The memory of Jonathan made tears stream down her cheeks before she even realized it.
I'll join you soon, Jonathan... but not just yet.
The thought made her lips curl into a bittersweet smile. She wiped her tears with the sleeve of her wool sweater, then stepped onto the green lawn and joined Kantsuke and the girls in carrying supplies.