cycleofages | 01 | Saying Goodbye Is Never Easy

Grace was running towards the arrival bay the moment she heard that more people were appearing on the platform. She didn’t know if her father might be there but she hoped. He would be there and she’d be there to greet him with a smile. She didn’t know why or how he had left. She woke up one morning and found him gone.

He would never leave without saying goodbye. Grace was sure of it.

She can be found at the arrival platform for the next few days. She took up a post by the door wearing a new dress but the same red hood. Depending on the time of day she can be found sleeping in the same spot and after a few days she’s trying her best not to cry. Her father wouldn’t want her to cry but she missed him so much.

He’d been here, for a few weeks, they had been together and they were happy. Was she a bad girl? Why would he keep leaving? Did something happen to him? Was he okay? Why couldn’t she protect him? Was she too weak? She was only just a child.

As the arrivals stopped appearing she realized that her father was really gone and she was alone again. She curled up on the floor and cried on that final day not caring who saw her.

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Graced looked up at Allen, her bright hazel eyes puffy and red. She sniffled once before looking more like herself. She wasn't close to smiling but she felt more comfortable as the conversation veered away from the reasons that she's smiling.

"Your friend? Do you miss them?"

He was quick to simply nodded, there was no need to think of the answer after all. He was worried, he had wanted to fight along them but instead he had found himself here and wondering if they were doing okay. But he really had no way of knowing that answer.

"Of course, it wouldn't be normal I don't think if I didn't. Or I wouldn't be a good friend at least."

“If you don’t think if you didn’t?”

Grace was confused by the way he said it but she got the overall point. She carefully considered a few of his words before turning to look back up at him.

“If I didn’t miss papa, would I be a bad daughter?” Is that why he left? Grace would give anything to be able to see him again.

"It didn't make much sense did it?" He couldn't help but laugh at himself as he scratched his cheek. He looked away slightly, pausing. He didn't want to say something wrong and honestly, he would never know what the good idea was.

"I don't know, I mean if you have a belief they'll be back, then not really because deep down you do think they will return. I guess if it's anything else... Maybe, but that sounds horrible to say."

Grace understood what Allen meant and she knew in her heart that her father wouldn't just leave this place without saying goodbye. However he had left before when all she wanted was to have him close. She knew that there was something strong enough to keep them apart and that fact alone twists painfully in her chest.

She put on a brave face and nodded her head once. As if encouraged by her movements her stomach growled angrily. She'd been brought food by a few people but having not moved for a week means that she hasn't had a full meal.

"Excuse me." Grace felt her cheeks flush a little, now feeling awkward.

He couldn't help but laugh slightly. It was at least a sound he was awfully familiar with. "It's fine. It just means you need to eat something and I know I need to soon. So why don't we get soemthing to eat. It won't be long."

A good ten minutes maybe at best really.

Grace bobbed her head in a quick nod. She had been denying her stomach to long and she knew that it wasn’t a very good thing for her to do. She stepped up next to Allen and slipped her hand within his. She felt her cheeks blush slightly but ignored it.

“Can we walk like this?”

She didn’t want to feel alone anymore but she also didn’t know if he approved of the physical contact.

"If that is what you want. I won't say no." If it helped a little bit, he really didn't mind at all. After all she was sad.

once he started to walk, he looked over slightly "So what will you have?"

Grace looked up feeling unsure. "It depends what Gus has on the menu for today." She didn't like doing special orders and generally Gus introduced her to types of food that she might not have otherwise tried.

"A few days ago he gave me a hotdog." It was good.

"I guess that is true." Considering he worked there a few hours a day he figured he should learn to memorize the menu quickly. But he wondered if that just would make him hungry quickly or something.

"Ah, a hog dog huh. How good or bad was it for you?"

Grace made sure to think about the question before replying. "It was very good." She certainly looked to be feeling better though it probably helped that she wasn't alone right now.

"I'm glad. I mean there are many good foods. Maybe here you can try more you might not have before. Don't you think that will be fun."

He was thinking about food, but it was because they were going to get it, but yet at the same time he just simply liked good. Even going as far as thinking of what was going to be served over the next few days.

Grace nodded her head with a determined motion. "Yes. Everyone here is really nice too." She liked food and trying new foods.

"What's your favorite thing to eat?"

"My favourite food is mitarashi dango which is a japanese dumpling covered in soy sauce. It's really delicious." He liked food in general but that was his top favourite. As for why he couldn't honestly say.

Never the less he smiled as he talked about it.

"That sounds really yummy." Graced continued to work on keeping a light smile on her face.

"I like tea."

"That is because it is. Maybe someday we can get it here or something." or if he actually found it in the city. He wondered if he should explore some more or something.

"Tea... I must admit I have not drunk much tea in my life." Or at least the life he can remember from a certain point anyway.

"You should have some."

Grace was thinking of having a tea party... maybe that would make her dad come back? He was always there for tea.

"I might try just now, now I have a lot of free time." When not working in the cafeteria anyway. He enjoyed working for the most part though.

"Would you ever have any recommendations for types?"

"There are a lot of types. I want to have a tea party..." The thought makes Grace's smile fall. "When I do I'll make you some I think you'll like. If that's okay."

"That should be fine." He probably would not end up overly picky, even though it wasn't food. "I'll look forward to it." He said with a smile as he saw they were at the cafeteria.

"I'll leave you here, unless you don't want that?"

"I'll be fine from here." She bowed her head. "Thank you."

01 | Saying Goodbye Is Never Easy | Aug 27th – 31st

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