The days passed in a mind numbing blur. Life went on, as it always did, but the whole world was cast in shadow for Allie. She moved through the motions of daily expectation without thinking or feeling. The house on most days seemed so big and empty, and she still expected to see her mother around every corner and just past every door.
The drudgery seemed endless, but somewhere in the darkness of shadow, there was a spark.
Some days she found herself laughing, even, like today. Corbin liked to sit and read her the funniest bits out of the Sim Times as she prepared breakfast.
It was a pleasant routine, and Allie liked it more than she ever could have imagined. Things were so easy with Corbin, where everything with Weldon had seemed so hard.
They were falling into other routines as well. Allie would steal glances at Corbin’s Tai Chi practice, or catch glimpses of his daily writings on the computer.
He would harumph and turn the screen away, but Allie could tell it was only in fun. He was an Adventurer, he said, and though Allie didn’t quite know what to make of that, she knew it was the most interesting way to make money she’d ever heard of.
In fact, everything about him was interesting.
So, when he peeked into her room to see if she was alright, Allie didn’t protest.
And when he sat down, and put one hand on her arm, she didn’t protest again.
And when he leaned in to take her in his arms, Allie leaned in too.