Page 54 of A Winter Awakening
“I love you,” Orteo said, just because he wanted to hear the words aloud again. “I love you, Gael.”
A smile stretched across Gael’s face. “I love you too.” He laughed, a light, bubbly sound.
From the corner of his eye, Orteo saw someone approach.
His hand spasmed in Gael’s.
Ori.
They stopped walking. Gael glanced back and forth between Ori and Orteo.
“I need to talk to you,” Ori said, face serious. “It’ll just take a minute.”
Orteo nodded.
“Maybe later, Ori,” Gael said. “He’s a little—”
“It’s all right.” Orteo squeezed his hand. “Ori and I should talk. I’ll meet you back at the cabin.”
“Are you sure?” Gael asked.
“I’m sure.”
Gael’s gaze flicked between them once more. He leaned up and kissed Orteo on the cheek. Then he walked away.
Ori waited until Gael had left before he spoke. “What did you mean when you talked about letting me, Liney, and Mother down?”
Orteo forced himself to meet Ori’s gaze, so similar to Letira’s. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there after your mother died. I should have been there for you and Liney, but instead, I left you. I abandoned you. I’m so sorry.” He rushed on. “And I’m not asking for your forgiveness. You have every right to hate me. What I did was inexcusable. I’m sorry.”
Ori’s brows drew down. “Have you been carrying this all these years?”
“What do you mean?”
“This guilt?” Ori made a noise. “I’ve assumed you’re weird around me because I remind you of Mother.”
“You do. You look so much like her.”
“But that isn’t why you avoid me or Liney.” Ori didn’t sound angry. He sounded perplexed. “You do it because of guilt.”
“Why aren’t you angry?” Orteo asked.
“I didn’t know I should be,” Ori said. “My parents died. I was broken because of that. You being there or not wouldn’t have fixed that.”
“But I still should have been there,” Orteo said.
“Maybe. I don’t know.” Ori shrugged. “Would it have been nice if you were around? Probably. But at first, I was so wrapped up in my own grief and Liney that I didn’t think about you. And then you didn’t live in the valley. We barely saw you, so you weren’t in my mind.”
Orteo couldn’t speak. He’d always imagined Ori and Liney’s fury and hatred. Not this indifference.
“And to be honest, I always just felt sorry for you,” Ori said. “You always were so alone, living away from us all. You were like a shadow of grief and pain. I didn’t know it was because you felt guilty. If I did, I would have told you you didn’t need to feel that way.”
Orteo blinked rapidly. Agitated, he swallowed. He placed his hands on his hips. He stared up at the sky. A flock of birds flew high above.
He’d held on to so much guilt for so long. Had he needed to? It seemed no one held his actions against him.
“I never thought you’d need my forgiveness, Uncle,” Ori said. “Liney and I have never held a grudge against you. But if you need my forgiveness, you have it.”
Was it really that easy? How could it be so easy after so many years of suffering?
