Chapter 4

 

No one was at the house when Truth finally left Drake's room. The only thing that was different was the table, on which a small pile of clothes laid. She tiptoed across the cool floorboards to the clothing, holding the first piece up, a large shirt, much like the one was wearing. She promptly switched the two, glad that the new one did not smell of sweat and mud. Bringing the clean fabric to her nose, she took in Drake's rich aroma. The cold draft that tickled her bare legs reminded her of the other clothes, a pair of pants that were much too large for her. Unsure of what to do, she simply held them up with her hands. Laughter from outside turned Truth's attention to the window, where she could see a young girl and a man walking hand-in-hand to the house. She couldn't help but to smile at the little girl's enthusiasm, and the laughter warmed her aching heart. She had remembered Drake telling her about his sister, but for the life of her she could not remember her name. She recognized the large man right away. So often had she heard of him, so many years ago...

Then the two were out of sight and the door swung open, the girl skipping in. She stopped abruptly as she saw Truth, her eyes growing even larger and her mouth hung slightly open. Truth greeted her with a warm smile. “Hello,” she said.

The girl stood there gaping, but then suddenly her face brightened and she took a deep breath. “Hi! I'm Cassie! What's your name? Where are you from? Are you okay?”

Truth laughed, the first in a long time. “My name is Truth.”

“That's a pretty name.”

“Thank you.”

“So...” Cassie glanced timidly at the floor, then back up to Truth. “Are you okay?”

“I've been better, but I'll live.”

Cassie was confused by her answer, but took the “better” as a good sign. “Good! You know, Papa didn't want to help you at first, but I told him that you were a very special lady and you needed our help and now I can tell that you really are special because you're really nice and your voice sounds like an angel. Do you sing? You should because it would sound really good with your voice. Leanne, that's Drake's girlfriend (don't tell him I said that), well she sings too but I bet you sing much better than her!”

Before Truth could say anything, the large man walked in behind Cassie. He too smiled at the sigh of Truth. “Well good afternoon, Miss. Are you feeling any better?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, “Truth replied with a certain obedience that was unnatural for her.

Cassie tugged at her father's arm. “Her name is Truth, Papa. Isn't she pretty? I told her that she should be a singer like Leanne.”

He smiled down at his daughter. “Did you now? Perhaps she already is a singer.” He closed the door behind him.

“Are you?” Cassie chirped to Truth.

“Not professionally, but I do enjoy it. Hymns are my favorite.”

“Mine too!”

Truth smiled at this because she knew no eight-year-old cared about such songs, but was flattered none the less.

“Well, I'm glad you're doing well, Miss Truth. Sorry if you were alone very long, Cassie and I were just out on a walk.”

Here, Cassie chimes in, “It's a beautiful day, you should come outside!”

“Drake isn't here at the moment, as you can see, but he should be home soon. He went out on a walk as well, I believe. It really is a nice day. The rain last night took the heat out of the air, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. It would actually be a perfect time to go get you some clothes. Unfortunately, in a house full of men and little girls, dresses aren't too common. In your size, anyway,” he added at Cassie's reproaching look.

“That is very kind of you. I will admit that these clothes are a bit too large. Drake, is it? Your son?” asked Truth, remembering that their meeting last night was unknown to others.

The man chuckled. “Oh, do forgive me. Drake is indeed my son. Good boy. About your age, in fact.”

“I should like to meet him,” she commented with a whisper, but her remark went unnoticed by the excited family.

A bell tinkled as Drake's father opened the door to the tailor's shop, holding it open and allowing Truth and Cassie to enter before him. The bell ran again as it swung closed after the man. “Just a moment!” a meek voice cried. Truth felt that she recognized the voice, and before she could think of a name, Leanne walked up to them, a long dress draped over her arms. She smiled cheerfully at Cassie, but when she noticed Truth, her smile turned instantly to a frown, only to be replaced with an obviously fake grin. “How may I help you?” she asked.

Drake's father, apparently sensing the tension, said, “We need a few dresses for this young lady.”

“I don't think I've seen you around here before. What's your name?”

Truth did not even attempt to sound kind. “Truth. I just got here last night, but I don't remember anything before this morning, so I'm not quite sure why I'm here.”

Cassie looked up at Truth. “You don't?”

“No, I'm afraid not....” Truth tried to look as innocent as possible. It was rather true though. She had no memories on this planet to remember, let alone tell of.

The man said, “You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you need to get back on your feet. It will be nice to have a lady around the house again.”

Truth finally smiled. “Thank you. I don't mean to burden you, though.”

“I doubt that is possible, Miss. But now you need a dress. Miss Leanne, do you think you can assist her with that?” The man smiled, holding out his hand in proposition of the idea.

Leanne nodded her head. “Of course. Right this way.”

Throughout the fitting process, neither said anything to the other except what was necessary to keep the job going. Both had their impressions and thoughts of the other, and neither could be swayed. Truth smirked as Leanne bent down to hem the end of Truth's dress, noting her cleavage pouring out of her own low dress. No wonder Drake fancies her, she thought to herself. Meanwhile, Leanne had similar thoughts. What happened between them last night? If she's not hard to look at, she's probably not hard to...either.

After several hours of trying on different dresses and fixing them to her size, Truth ended up with three, the deep blue one being the most beautiful. The other two were not quite as fancy, but the simplicity suited Truth well, for her flowing hair and piercing eyes were almost too beautiful for anything to compare. Agreeing with Cassie, she decided to wear the black one for the day, which was spent in the city. Drake's father showed her around the many shops and other buildings, while Cassie enthusiastically introduced her to everyone she knew, which was quite a lot of people. It seemed that the small family was rather popular in Eldor. Truth couldn't help but to notice the many raised eyebrows at the mention of her living arrangements, but Cassie eased the tension and the day ran rather smoothly.

That night while eating dinner for the first time with the small family in the small house that was just perfect for them, Drake had still not returned. The man, however, was not worried. “Drake usually stays out late.”

“What does he do?”

“Beats me, but it doesn't matter as long as he is safe. Drake is a virtuous boy and I trust him. How could I not? He's an adult. He's got to have some freedom. Besides, I got my little Cassie to worry about.”

“I'm fine, Papa! Not even a sniffle,” she said proudly.

“I don't understand,” commented Truth.

The man sighed. “Cassie gets sick very easily, unfortunately, so I spend half of my time taking care of her, and the other half working as a carpenter.”

Truth nodded. “I noticed your tools outside. Does Drake carry the profession as well?”

“No, but he is handy with a knife, in fighting and carving.”

“Is that so? How interesting.” Yawning, Truth added, “I find myself rather tired...”

Cassie jumped in her seat. “You can sleep in my room!”

Her father gave her a warning look. “Truth is a grown woman, she needs her own space, Cassie. Drake will sleep with you again, and she can take his room.”

The angel smiled. “Good night.”

Author's Note

Lack of indentation once again...

Reviews

[Autumn]

"Truth smiled at this because she knew no eight-year-old cared about such songs, but was flattered none the less." I love, love, LOVE your story (: However, you forgot to change her age here, it says she's still 8, so proofreading and making the full age correction may help. I've seen a few errors, but I won't bother to fix them, as you say, it's kinda like my writing. Authors all have errors, only because we have to quickly write down what the story is playing out in our mind. If we have to stop and think up the best way to write something, we lose our rhythm. Can't wait to read more!