ALWAYS AND FOREVER - PART TWO

PREVIOUSLY

Opening the door of the car, she turned back to look at Todd and Starr, their backs to her, holding hands in front of the grave of a woman that had affected all of their lives so profoundly. A woman who had a connection, a bond, with both Starr and Todd, that went way beyond anything physical.
And one which Tea didn't think she'd ever understand.

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Part 2: Glimmer

"What's happened to her, Todd?" Tea whispered as they sat on either side of Starr's bed, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she slept.

In slumber Starr's face regained the peaceful, childish look that had been taken from her during her obviously difficult year at the boarding school. In slumber she looked so much like the little girl they used to know that it was easy to forget the stranger that had been living with them for close to a week.

Todd leaned forward and gently brushed the errant strands of curly brown hair out of his daughter's eyes.

God, I've missed her. he thought, pangs of anger and regret causing his heart to ache.

"Her mother just died, Tea. You can't expect her to bounce back and be her normal self right away. These things take time."

"I agree, but this is different!" She said, her voice rising slightly in pitch. "She's only six years old but she's acting like an adult! It's almost as if..." Tea trailed off, afraid to voice her suspicions in front of a man who had already drawn his own conclusions. She knew his conclusions only barely scratched the surface of what was really wrong with Starr.

"What, Tea? Say what you were going to say."

Glancing once more at the sleeping Starr, she continued, "It's almost as if she's been taught to act this way. To act grown up. Haven't you noticed, Todd, how she hasn't cried once since Blair died?"

Todd rose from the bed, making his way out of the room.

Following closely behind him, Tea took one last look at Starr before she closed the door.

"Todd, please, just hear me out!"

He stopped in his tracks, placing his hands on his hips and staring at the floor.

"There have been other signs! She won't speak unless she's spoken to. She doesn't play with toys anymore." She paused, waiting for a response. Sensing she was losing him, she hurriedly persisted.

"Have you noticed how she acts at dinner? She puts her napkin on her lap, sits painfully straight through the entire meal. And she won't have dessert unless it's offered to her."

"So they taught her manners, Delgado! There's nothing wrong with that."

"But it's more than manners! Haven't you seen the way she looks at us? This afternoon I saw her looking out of the window, her fingers pressed against the glass. She heard me coming and quickly pulled her fingers away. She looked at me with fear in her eyes, as if she was afraid I was going to punish her! She is pale and thin and it's scaring me! Don't you realize what's happening? The fire, the life is gone out of that little girl's eyes! They broke her spirit, Todd, and we need to do something to fix it!"

Todd drew in a long, deep breath, standing very still for several minutes.

"You're right," He said at last. "I-I've noticed stuff like that too but I just told myself that it was just her way of....of grieving for her mother."

He looked up at her and Tea was surprised to see fresh tears glistening in his eyes.

She put a hand on his arm, a silent comfort.

"I want my kid back, Delgado. I want Starr back. I've already lost Blair....losing Starr'll kill me. Help me bring her back. Help me snap her out of this....this thing she's in."

"It'll take some time, Todd, " Tea warned, "But I will do everything in my power to help that little girl. Our little girl."

She folded him into her arms, wishing she never had to let go.

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Todd awoke the next morning with an empty stomach and an aching heart. He had been so bitter towards Blair after she had taken Starr from him but now that she was gone, he felt guilty about ever having these feelings, as if his ill will toward her was what compelled the man who killed her to drink before driving.

He glanced at his watch, shocked when it told him it was well past noon.

Yawning widely, he contorted into a long, satisfying stretch and was not surprised to see that Tea's side of the bed was vacant.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and shoved his arms into the sleeves of a dark blue robe, following the tempting smell of pancakes and making his way downstairs.

Entering the kitchen, he saw Tea and Starr standing at the stove. Both wore aprons and both were smeared with flour and pancake batter.

They turned when Todd pulled out a chair at the table, and Tea greeted him with a "Good morning, sweetheart." and a kiss.

Todd's heart leapt when he noticed the colour beginning to return to Starr's cheeks.

"Breakfast is served," Tea said, placing a plate in front of him and stacking it high with pancakes.

"More like lunch," Todd remarked as he smothered them with syrup and strawberry sauce.

Starr sat at the table next to Todd.

"How many pancakes would you like, Starr?" Tea asked. Starr shrugged, looking down at her plate.

"How about four?" Tea asked, grinning.

Starr's gaze quickly turned to Tea, her face lighting up. "If there's enough," she said softly.

"Of course there's enough, Shorty. You can have as many you want," Todd answered.

Tea scooped four pancakes onto Starr's plate and Starr began to pour the syrup on, eager to dig in.

The handle of the syrup bottle, sticky from use, was slippery and just as she was setting it on the table, it slid out of her hand and hit the floor, the cap rolling across the floor as the syrup gurgled and oozed onto the white tile.

Tea knelt to the floor and picked up the bottle, and as Todd moved past Starr to get a mop to clean up the mess, she flinched as if she were afraid he was going to hit her.

"I'm sorry, Daddy!" she cried, hopping off the chair. "I'll clean it up right now."

Todd stood there, mouth agape, and Tea came quickly forward.

"Don't worry about that, Starr. It wasn't your fault. I'll clean it up. You sit there and enjoy your pancakes, okay?"

Starr looked up at Tea, her eyes exhibiting the first real emotion she'd shown since coming home. Tears trembled on her lashes and despite her efforts to restrain herself, one slipped down her cheek. She wiped it hastily away and sat at the table.

Todd knelt beside his daughter. "Listen, Starr. No matter what you do or say, Tea and I are going to love you. We want you to be happy, okay? So you do whatever you want to do. If you feel like crying, then cry. If you feel mad enough to break something, check with me or Tea first and we'll give you a piece of china or something." He grinned widely as he saw the corners of Starr's mouth turn up. "And if you want to laugh or yell or talk or jump up and down on your bed, you don't have to have special permission. Just do it. Understand?"

Starr nodded and broke into in the first real smile Todd and Tea had seen on their daughter's face in over a year.

And to them, it was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.

TO BE CONTINUED

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