Chapter 60: A spark
Dinner had been a moment out of time, a peaceful island in the midst of the storm that had become Isaac’s life. Léna had prepared a simple but warm, comforting meal: a golden roast chicken, fragrant with thyme and rosemary, accompanied by potatoes that were crispy on the outside and melt-in-the-mouth on the inside. Isaac had watched the light steam rise from the dish, his sister smiling gently as she served him his plate.
- You know, you really do look bad," Léna gave him a concerned stare, setting the spatula down on the table with a little snap. "Frankly, you should really stop these raids, Isaac... It’s too dangerous. Look at you: you look like a ghost!"
Isaac slowly looked away, needing his piercing gaze. He knew that Léna was right. But how could he explain to her everything he was going through? How could he tell her about this hellish double life, this ordeal that awaited him every time he closed his eyes?
- I know," he murmured simply, his voice barely audible. "But you understand, I don’t really have a choice..."
She frowned, obviously displeased with this evasive answer.
- She wasn’t. Always a choice, Isaac. Always has. Her voice trembled slightly, laden with restrained emotion. "Do you realize the state I find you in every time? This time I thought I’d lost you, do you understand that?"
Isaac inhaled slowly, feeling a painful lump form in the back of his throat.
- I’m sorry, Léna... I’m really sorry. But I’m doing all this for us. I just want us to be safe, never to be afraid again...
Léna looked at him silently for a moment, a deep sadness passing through her eyes before she looked down at her plate.
- I know you want to protect us," she said finally, her voice low and trembling. "But I’d rather live with you in fear than have to learn one day that you’re never coming back."
Isaac felt his heart clench painfully at these words. The silence that followed was heavy, filled with restrained emotions, each person remaining immersed in their own dark thoughts, while cutlery clinked softly against plates.