Alistair stood at the corner of the block, afraid to go further. From where he was, he could spot the three-storey orphanage in the fork of the road, the curtains in all the windows drawn. Alistair squinted at the house, looking for some sort of life through the windows, but saw none.

After receiving the call from Emmy and his embarrassing breakdown, he had rushed over to the street Emmy lived on, leaving a confused and worried Everett holding an ice pack to his head. 

Despite his rush to get to the orphanage, Alistair couldn't seem to be able to leave the crouch he was currently in, and rush to Emmy's side. Perhaps it was because Emmy had always been the strong one between the two of them. Never him.

Never him.

Emmy had been the one to run a brush through Alistair's unruly hair with smooth, long strokes of her hand every morning before school, ensuring that he looked 'presentable', and would sigh every time he messed it up again. 

Emmy had been the one to dry his tears whenever he had nightmares or bad thoughts that crawled into his mind at 3 am. It was her nurturing smile and her gentle touch that brought Alistair back to his bed and into the covers, the one place where his confidence shattered.

Emmy had been the one that taught him about the basics of interaction and play, with her spirited laugh and her beckoning hand, something the Rockwoods never had the thought to teach. 

Emmy had been the one to take his heart, with its frayed edges, holes and scratches, and sew it back together. 

And now Alistair needed to be that person for Emmy, the tear-drier, the care-taker, the sew-er of hearts, but he didn't know how.

Alistair stood up, with great effort on his part, and started the torturous walk to the orphanage. He sucked in his cheeks and willed himself to smile. 

Smile. Don't cry. Emmy needs you.

By the time he reached the sidewalk in front of the orphanage, his cheeks were hurting, and so was his chest.

There, seated on the steps, was Emmy, shoulders hunched. Her hair covered her face, but her shoulders were shaking, and Alistair felt his heart shatter.

Why had he waited so long to go?

The children seated around her wore sombre but confused expressions, with Renold holding a small cup of coffee in his chubby hands, the only thing Emmy drunk in the mornings.

They parted like the red sea when Alistair scrambled to her. He pushed the hair away from her eyes, placing it gently behind her ear.

 She looked up at him with brown eyes so much like the rocks that waves relentlessly crashed on, and asked, "Where were you?"

Alistair mumbled intelligibility, rushing out a 'sorry' before embracing her. Between them, Alistair could feel Emmy's hands fidgeting, and the sound of a paper crumpling. He pulled away, snatching the paper from her and holding it up to the light.

Emma Kesmeti, 

We regret to inform you that even after a month's notice, you still have not come up with the sum we have requested of you. And thus, we must act upon our warning. We will be coming this Sunday with a new client that would like to use this residence. Please clear up your belongings by then.

Wishing you all the best in your future endeavours,

Ronald Desmond  & Co.

Approved by: Rockwood Residences and Mr O'Hamington.

Alistair let out a loud curse, his voice cracking at the end, crumpling the notice in one hand. From the corner of his eye, Alistair saw Renold's eyes widen, looking at Emmy with anticipation.

With a quivering bottom lip, like a baby pushed past endurance, Emmy murmured, "Don't swear in fr- front of the children."

There was a chorus of grumbles from the kids behind her, who glared at Ali accusingly.

"Sorry. Emmy, I'm so so sorry. For swearing. For my inability to get the money on time. For my lack of care towards you. For everything. I'm so sorry."

Emmy glanced up at him, eyebrows furrowed, "You tried. I tried. It wasn't enough. It-" Emmy let out a shaky breath, "-it's okay. Life moves on. At least they wished me all the best."

"I swear Emmy, I'm going to fu-" Alistair paused, "I will get the money. By Sunday. He wouldn't be able to refuse. I know how much you love this house Em. I don't want you to lose it."

Emmy cleared her throat and demanded the children to go inside. They all got up from where they were seated behind Emmy, albeit quite reluctantly, and disappeared behind the door.

Emmy waited for a beat before turning to Alistair.

"Ali I, I really am very grateful for what you're doing for me, but your methods and-" she halted, smiling sadly, "Maybe its time to let go, Ali."

Her tears a never-ending stream on her face, she wiped them away, continuing, "I have to let go of Mum. Fuck, she wasn't even my real mum. But I have to, and you have to too. I'm just worried, where will we stay?"

Alistair shook his head stubbornly, "No Em, I will get the money for you. End of story."

"Alistair, I said its time to let go. We can find a new house."

"In this economy, in these times? Are you fucking insane? No, I will get the money and you will continue staying here. And I have let go. I have. We can do this Em, I believe in you."

Emmy reached up and swept her thumb under his eye, placing her palm against his cheek. Alistair leaned into it with a sigh.

"Ali, even if you don't manage to get it, I'll still love you. I still don't approve of what you fo though. I'm just v-very stressed. The children are worried, there are overdue bills, this fucking thing looming over my head, Ali, I don't want to spiral again but I might.

"I'm scared, Ali."

Alistair looked down on her helplessly, feeling as if every comforting gesture and words he had given her hadn't made an impact at all, and he was just grasping at smoke in the air. A lost cause.

"Emmy, look. We have a week. I'm stubborn, you're strong, I'm sure we can get the money. Please Em, have faith in us. Have faith in me."

Emmy's eyes flitted to his, and Alistair offered her an encouraging smile.

For the first time that day, Emmy smiled a genuine one, full of her usual cheer and playfulness and nodded. Alistair wiped away the wet trails of the tears Emmy had shed, and grabbed her hand, both of theirs sticky but warm.

Maybe he could be the tear-drier, the care-taker and the sew-er of hearts. 

And as the pair set together, sunlight beaming down on them, a sliver of peace crept into the centre of Alistair's heart, a small something, a feeling that stirred up his insides. It was a light in his spirit that was missing before. It was that strong optimism that gripped him and deposited ideas of happily-ever-afters in his mind. It was a feeling he hadn't had in so long that it felt as foreign as it was welcome.

Hope.

- - -

a/n: ahh, I'm so sorry for the late update, things have been pretty hectic lately, I'm so sorry! but I hope you guys liked this one, even though it was a pain to write. I've clearly never been very good at writing sad shit. I should work on that. And LMAO I've strayed so far from my outline and it's too late to go back.

another thing JUST A HEADS UP I have deleted theonit as a character because he is useless. 

anyway, thanks for reading! if you see any mistakes please point them out! I love y'all so much it hurts. and I cannot stress this enough. yall mean the world and more to me. frick, why am I like this-

and lastly, any thoughts to share on this chapter? was anything too rushed?

sky