Loving Ashlynn (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 11 - Trainwreck (Kalenah Conrad POV)Pt. 2

Okay, so those of you that saw the facebook post with the last names... Walsh's last name is POMME so he is not on the list. If you have no idea what this even means... nevermind :) 

A/n: Not Thoroughly Edited. 

Chapter 11 – Trainwreck (Kalenah Conrad POV) Pt. 2

Each moment Faith has spent with us inside our home, her home - or at least I'd like to think she thought it was her home but I knew that it was unlikely - I saw first-hand signs of just how troubled her captor had made her with his brainwashing. Her lack of eating, nervousness, social cues and jokes that she just didn't get. I saw it all, I knew that she was fighting her own nature.

 Respecting that she hadn't wanted anyone to know the truth, keeping it inside as though she had some shame to carry and hide, Ansel and I had yet to divulge details. Telling them even less than Walsh and Patricia had told the school, they all seemed receptive to the idea of her coming to live with us since the dorm was destroyed.

It was hard to watch, painful for me to see her second-guessing everything, isolating herself, because being around others was difficult - paralyzing for her even. Then because the burn wasn't enough, she injured her foot as well, an accident but nonetheless she ran and the next morning, I learn she was injured - and badly so - requiring stitches.

Now, though, after a few calm days, waiting for the plumber to fix our pipes my mind was only on Faith.

It had only been a few days so I was in no way giving up or discouraged by her lack of trust in us, I knew it wouldn't be easy but the more I observed her, the more I realized how crippling her fear was. I found myself hugging myself, hugging my children, showing my love to them, for them, and Faith left and right. I couldn't show her the love I wanted, a mother's unconditional love. I knew for sure that it would only frighten her and leave her suspicious of my motives but I continued being kind, being consistent, open and direct.

Ordering take-out, I ordered soup for Faith and Talia, while getting Pizza for the rest of us, Ansel bringing it home. Entering with our children, when Samson was heading to change up in his room, I requested that he tell Faith to come down for some soup, having sent her many texts - none being replied too, I was sure she was probably asleep.

I was wrong.

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Samson Conrad POV

Distracted I sat during lunch with Thaddeus, Devin, Taylor, Caterina, Harleigh, Paige and Javier, my mind now solely focused on our new houseguest.

Although house-guest wasn't exactly how Harleigh, Paige, Caterina, Talia, Thaddeus, Brennan and my parents saw Fatima, her title ran from little sister to new daughter. Yet there was something odd that I could not understand, she was a total enigma to me actually. The way she was just as opened as she was closed off. She seemed to have isolated herself, coming out during the night when she believed us all to be sleeping, and a part of me wondered if I was the cause.

I hadn't meant to snap at her that first day in class, it was that day, though. The same day as when we lost Silas, but now I guess it was the day that we thankfully hadn't lost Talia as well and for that a cloud of guilt and shame followed me like a rain cloud.