Emily

Emily almost judo-flipped the mortal trying to wake her.

-Please don't punch me again! - he screamed covering his face. -Or something ah ... way more masculine than that. -

The girl rubbed her eyes and looked outside the window of her car: they were in the middle of nowhere, yellow grass until the edge of her vision.

She jumped out of her skin when a fist knocked in front of her face.

-Open up loser - said Jane. -I am NOT driving another eight hours with those two. -

Emily opened the door and Jane threw herself in. The girl could hear Andre and Isaac' screams from the car behind them. Andre was waving furiously at nothing, whilst the guy had tears streaming down his face.

-We should give them space. - she said out loud. Whatever problems her friends were having, that was a private conversation.

As if in answer to her statement, Andre got back into the car and gestured at Isaac to do the same. Her friend took his time and went to their car instead.

-Go talk to her - he said to her, his eyes red with tears, leaving no room for a denial. -We need to reach Chicago by tonight, we cannot stop now -

The girl did as he ordered and they switched places.

Emily took the wheel, despite her lack of experience with the 21st century cars. She remembered the first time she had ridden a horse with Guglielmo, the sense of freedom that that simple act had given her, the wind in her hair, the rush of adrenaline...

Driving a car had none of the perks and all of the fear.

Emily's body was crushed against the wheel, scared that any rush movement could make her lose control of the vehicle. Her eyes kept darting to the speed check on the front, never more than 100 km/h on an open road. She could almost hear Jane cursing from the other car.

She knew Andre would start talking without her asking.

-I didn't know I could ... you know ... get pregnant- she begun avoiding her gaze. Which was pretty pointless since her eyes were locked on the road. -I guess it makes sense since I still had periods and all but ... shit -

Andre never cursed.

-You don't have to have this baby - Emily said simply.

-I know I don't have to - Andre waved her statement away. -And I wasn't looking for it either, but now that it's here ... I want this baby. It's mine and Isaac's and we love each other and ... and I think this time it will be different. -

It took Emily a few seconds to absorb all the information.

This time.

Andre had already had a child, almost seven hundred years ago. A child that she was ordered to kill and for which she was exiled. A child that suffered from metal health issues and had died of old age.

Andre almost never talked about him, the pain of his loss too strong.

Until they met Isaac, Andre had revealed to her that she thought she could never love again. That that was the curse of the mist people for her.

-And Isaac doesn't want you to keep the baby? - she asked surprised. That was not something her friend would ever say.

Andre let out a sad laugh. -Oh no, he wants the baby as much as I do. - she said. -It's just ... my child was mortal, Emily. I have seen him grow old and die. His mother was also mortal so maybe that was why but ... there is a chance this baby could also suffer from a similar fate, and I don't think I could handle it. Not again. -

The girl wished she could help her friend, but she couldn't say she understood, that would have been a lie.

-So when the time comes, and my baby grows old, I will not watch them die. - she finished. - I will go with them. -

Emily's heart sunk. She stopped the car so abruptly her head almost bumped against the windshield. The sound of the beaks echoing in the empty field.

-You want to kill yourself? - she asked shocked.

Andre nodded, tears falling on her face. -I thought about it for a long time and yes, should the child be mortal, I will do it. -

-This is bull poop! No wonder Isaac was calling you out on it. And the dude NEVER screams without good reason, you know that. -

-I have made my decision - she ended the conversation.

-Easy for you to say! - the girl raged. -But what about our battle with the mist people, uhm? What about the babies disappearing? What about Isaac? And Jane? And ME? - she was now crying, and cursing the mist people for allowing her to feel that pain, the dread in the possibility of her friend gone forever.

-I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me - she replied coldly. - One day, when you will fall in love you will underst...-

-No I will not! - she blurted out. - The only person I have ever loved is long gone, and I never even got to say to him what I should have, but I am saying it to you now. -

The girl had never admitted the truth about Guglielmo to herself, not even in her darkest thoughts. Because admitting it would have meant to let go, and she had not been ready to do that just yet. But now, in front of the possibility of losing someone else she loved, she understood she had to.

-I love you, Andre. And Isaac. And even crazy annoying Jane. - she continued. - You are my family and you cannot give up on life just because of a momentary pain, you owe it to the pain itself. -

Andre seemed taken back by her raging honesty, too stunned to reply.

The girl blinked and a luminous thread appeared from Andre's heart. It was split in half, awaiting for a decision.

-I will think about it - she said simply.

A small victory, but she hadn't thought she could convince her with a single speech.

-Is that the city? - Andre said, clearly wanting to change topic.

But Chicago was really there, right at the edge of the horizon.