Page 86 of Dawn Caravan
She probably wouldn’t find much, but she’d ask Gavin, who might give him more. He gave her the names and tasks to keep her busy and to make her feel like she was helping.
Chloe did help. She helped every time she called him Benny or teased him or reminded him he wasn’t the monster he saw in the mirror anytime he could bear to look at his reflection. She helped every time she prodded Ben and Tenzin to figure things out.
“You offered your love to me, then you demanded that I watch you die.”
Tenzin was right.
And she was wrong.
She was both those things at exactly the same time, and how did he reconcile that? How did he forgive a human impulse when the results were eternal?
He checked the time in Los Angeles and called Sadia.
Dema answered the video request. “It’s you.”
“Yes, it’s me. Is she there?”
“It’s almost dinnertime.”
“I won’t keep her on the screen too long.”
Dema nodded and stepped away. “Sadia, Ben is on the screen for you!”
Ben heard the thunder of miniature elephants; then Sadia was leaning on the little desk where her screen lived. “Ben!”
“Ciao, sorellina.”
“Ciao bello.”She rested her chubby little chin on her hand. “Where are you?”
“I don’t know exactly, but I’m very safe, so don’t worry.”
“Are you coming home soon? Baba said you were going to Rome. We can go to Rome and see you there if you want.”
He touched her flyaway hair on the screen, but just like with Chloe, the picture wobbled. “I’m working for the next three weeks.”
“Three weeks is long.”
“I know. I didn’t think it would be so long either. After that, I’ll try to come for a visit, okay?”
She sighed. “Okay. Is Tenzin with you?”
“Yeah, actually she is.”
“Where?” Sadia’s eyes lit up. “She didn’t call me back, but I sent her a picture of me on my bike.”
“She’s not here, here, but—”
“Can you get her?” Sadia stood and danced at her desk. “I want to see her.”
Of course you do.
“Okay,” he said. “How about tomorrow night? Would that work?”
She nodded, then looked over her shoulder. “I have to go.”
“Dinnertime?”
She threw her head back and groaned. “I think I smell broccoli.”
