Lost in the Never Woods(106)

“Shh, my darling,” her mom said quietly into her ear. Her voice was somber and edged with pain, but tender nonetheless. She held Wendy close, continuing to rub her back as she stroked her hair with the other hand. “This is not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

Relief and sorrow crashed through Wendy. She curled up against her mom. She had put so much energy and care into not letting herself cry for fear of never stopping. But now, the anguished cries shuddered through her body, and she let them.

“I’m so sorry, Wendy…”

Wendy wanted to argue, to say that her mom had no reason to be sorry, she was the one to blame for John’s and Michael’s deaths.

“We were trying to protect you, but we let you down,” Mrs. Darling said. Wendy could only shake her head. She felt the sigh lift her mom’s chest. “We let our own mourning distract us from taking care of you. You are so brave, Wendy Darling.” Her mom gave her a small squeeze.

Mrs. Darling leaned back. Wendy felt her hands, cool against her flushed skin, cup her cheeks. Wendy hiccupped as she blinked through tears. She felt the weight on the couch shift. Her dad lowered himself next to them. One of his heavy hands settled on her back.

“You’ve been haunted by this for so long,” her mom told her, thumbs sweeping away her tears. Mrs. Darling’s smile was small but hopeful. “I want you to live, Wendy, not just endure.”

It was more than Wendy could take, so she let herself give in to it. She huddled against her mom, who continued to rub her back. Her dad’s steady hand didn’t leave.

“You found them, Wendy,” her mom murmured against the top of her head. “They’re safe.”

They stayed there for a long while, Wendy pressed between her mom and dad, letting them hold her close. She felt like she was teetering on the edge of a black pit that threatened to swallow her whole, but every time she felt as though she was about to fall in headfirst, she closed her eyes and remembered John and Michael.

Wendy appreciated her parents’ comfort, but after a while, it started to feel suffocating. She was overheated and thirsty. Her lips tasted like salt. She needed some space, some fresh air, and some sleep.

She gently untangled herself from her parents’ arms and got up off the couch. “I’m going to go to sleep,” she said through sniffles, wiping at her runny nose. “In my old room.”

Her mom and dad exchanged looks.

“I’m okay,” Wendy told them, and this time it wasn’t a lie. She inhaled a deep breath and managed a small smile. “Really.”

Her dad finally nodded and her mom gave her hand a small squeeze before Wendy went upstairs.

The unlocked door swung open easily. Wendy crept over to the bay window and crawled onto the bench. The sky was turning a periwinkle blue, creeping toward sunrise. Wendy leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She hooked her thumb around the leather cord around her neck and squeezed the acorn in her palm.

A cool breeze rolled in from the woods, carrying with it the smell of honeysuckle. A warm and tentative hand cupped her cheek. Wendy sighed and a smile curled her mouth. When she opened her eyes, Peter sat next to her, his legs dangling out the window. The first ray of sun washed over his skin. His shadow spilled across the bedroom floor next to Wendy’s.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Every bit of his brilliance had returned, but that worried line between his brows was still there.

“Yeah,” Wendy said. She paused and then shook her head. “I mean no, not really, but yes, I will be,” she corrected herself. She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.

Peter’s thumb brushed the corner of her lips before his hand dropped to his side. “And your parents?”

“About the same, I’d say.” She leaned closer. “Did you see what happened?”

Peter nodded. He watched her, eyes thoughtful and full of stars.

Wendy looked up into his face, trying to drink him in and memorize every inch of him. The upward curve of his nose. The faint point to his ears. The swirl of his auburn hair. The splash of freckles across his cheeks. She knew their time was running out, that he would have to leave and go back to Neverland. She desperately wanted to savor him for every last moment.

Wendy reached out and brushed her thumb against the crease in Peter’s brow. His blue eyes blinked slowly. “When’s all of this going to go back to normal?” she asked, bumping her knee against his arm.

Peter gave her a small grin. “Soon,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll go back to my normal shape and size when I get to Neverland.”

Wendy shifted to lean against him. “I wish I could remember it,” Wendy said. “Neverland, I mean. I still have that whole chunk of my memory missing. I wish I could remember what it was like, being there with my brothers…”

“Maybe you’ll start getting the memories back now,” Peter said with a small lift of his shoulders. “Maybe now that you’ve unlocked them, more will follow. Good ones. Happy ones.”

“Maybe.”

“Or…” Peter’s grin quirked to a mischievous angle. He leaned in conspiratorially. “You could just come back with me to Neverland.”

With that glint in his eye, it was hard for her to tell if he was being serious. Against all logic, hope jumped in her chest. “I could stay with you?”