Hmm Hot Chocolate

Owen hands a mug of hot chocolate to me, and sits down next to me. I face him, curled up on the couch, my knees tucked underneath my chin.

“Thank-you.” Owen nods at me and searches my face, an unasked question upon his lips. I hug my mug and look down at the creamy drink. Hot chocolate is a delicacy. I’m surprised Owen even has any.

“Iryssia.” The use of my full name forces me to look Owen in the eyes. “We need to discuss what happened back there.”

“I have no idea what happened back there.” I mumble, and look back down.

“Were they–” Owen stops, unsure how to continue. After a moment of silence, “Were they talking about your dad?” He asks cautiously.

I have never seen Owen so unsure of himself before. I can feel his worried eyes on me. It has been ten years since my dad passed away. I don’t know exactly what he did for a living, some sort of businessman. He did a lot of travelling and I didn’t see him much. When he came home, though, he spent nearly every moment with me. I was his world, and he was practically a celebrity in my eyes. I would count down the days until he came home again. He showed me everything I know about the city. Every morning he would take me out of the city, which was the only time I ever left the city walls, to see the sun rising. I would laugh as he spun me around and around, the sun coming from behind the city wall and glowing orange in the distance, spreading out beyond the horizon from every direction. I remember his face so clearly in those moments. His booming laugh, his deep laugh lines, and his bright grey eyes. His smile spread across his entire face, framed by his brown beard with specks of grey. I remember the light of the rising sun behind his face, making each of my favourite features of his stand out. I felt so safe in his arms. It was us against the dangerous world that lay beyond the wall.