Generation 8 - Chapter 7

There was a noticeable lightness in the mood of the house after June's visit. It wasn't unusual to hear Elgon humming or singing to himself as he puttered around the house. Brenton was seeing his new girlfriend every chance he got and Wind was actually smiling again. Now that Fatima could roam the house she would get into, well, everything. This kept Wind very busy when she wasn't designing in her studio or meeting with clients. Ephriam and his wife visited nearly everyday to help out with childcare. Cherish had started school. It had been rough at first. The teachers often sent home notes complaining that she wouldn't participate and never made eye contact. Once they even threatened to put her in the 'special' class and label her with a learning disability. That ended after Wind and Elgon stormed the school and set them right. After that the staff had a little more sympathy for her and had to admit that even though she was terribly shy, she had the highest grades in her level. 

The little puppy that somehow moved with them from HV was no longer little 

And June had been right about never being alone....

Wilson and Jonas had taken up arguing over kitchen rights 

Candace had started a bedtime routine of tucking Cherish in 

....and eating all the cake 

Wind worried how seeing her parents' ghost would affect her but Cherish seemed to believe this was normal. 

"They've come to visit me at night for as long as I can remember GG. They love me!" 

June had told her they would be around. Still. It worried her.

Wind seems to have picked up a stalker. This little fellow showed up every time she went out to meet with clients or see to a delivery

She had never really considered herself a horse person, but she played with the idea of catching him and taking him home. He'd let her get close enough for a sniff before running away again. 

When the death of Elgon came, Wind had felt herself pretty insulated against the shock and pain of it all. 

She had made the mistake of assuming that Cherish, seeing her dead parents on a regular basis, would make the death of her grandfather easy to accept. But she was very wrong 

She screamed and cried and lashed out in a fit of rage Wind had no idea she was capable of. 

"It's. Not. Fair! It's not fair!" 

"I know it doesn't seem fair Cherish, but I'm sure he'll come visit you. Just like your parent do." 

"It's not the same. They can only come at night when I'm tired or asleep and it feels cold when they touch me. They can't take me to school or take me out for ice cream. He can't-" and she sobbed and sobbed 

"I am so sorry Cher. You still have me. And Brenton and Fatima, right? Lets go inside and I'll make you a hot chocolate, okay?" 

From that night on, the dog never left her side except when she was away at school. It was like she poured all the affection she had had for Elgon into the dog.