(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

26. Aftermath (part 2)

Again, it's a lengthy *2,4k words* chapter, but it is the last one for Roots part 1! Part Two will follow Dead Ending in the same book!

The day was uneventful after the argument on the highway. They arrived at Freecore Tech, clocked in at the front desk and headed to Micheal's office where the graying man greeted them. They ordered food from the café in the lounge area and ate it near the fountain as usual.

Paid visits to Freecore were always calm days away from Oakwood. It allowed Lauren to see another city and breathe. Come nightfall, she loved to go out for a stroll. At the latest hours of dusk, when less people roamed the streets, she would scale buildings and jump over rooftops just for the view and the altitude. Compared to Oakwood's still and fresh nights over the surrounding valleys, the phosphorescent lights and traffic felt like a different world. 

Raymond would let her free as long as she texted him every hour. She knew he didn't want to follow her around when he liked going about his own hobbies. He was a protective guy, no doubt, but not a babysitter.

Lauren sat on a wicker chair from the hotel's sun-bathed balcony, sketching in her notepad. She finished working today and would wake up to return tomorrow. Her feet were propped against the glass table, her damp hair form the shower flowing with the breeze. 

This was a great opportunity let her spirit lead her hand into scheming whichever came to mind.  It was for the hell of it, really.  This afternoon, it turned out to be a robotic arm. She'd seen a commercial with an AI--which she didn't trust--moving in one of the scenes and the arm had held her interest. She imagined the way it would work if she created such a thing.

Her pencil stilled and she gazed down at the bustling square garden underneath. On such a nice day, people left work to enjoy the weather, stroll around or sit on a bench. Lauren felt at peace with this ambiance. She wondered what is was like to have a serene life based on a simple routine.

Wake up. Go to work. Come home to your family. Enjoy your free time. Feel safe. Call your parents and let them know you love them. Rinse and repeat.

She was aware it was a rough depiction and not everybody fit that mold. But despite imperfections, many of them resumed to that. Well, maybe not the part where people called their parents every evening part, but that was because they didn't appreciate what they had.

Lauren closed her eyes and asked herself why she thought of that. She hated how grief just sprouted at the undesirable times. It was never a good time regardless, and the feeling was never welcome. Grief didn't care, though. It barged in and poked to remind you it was there and that something fundamental was missing.

She dropped her pencil on the table and laid her sketchpad next to it. Her hand flew to the golden bird necklace under her shirt. It was always hidden to most people yet she couldn't sleep without this tiny piece of jewelry. It belonged to her Mom. She'd given it to Lauren the day she died while promising she'd find her later. She never did.

It's been almost six years now.

Lauren blinked several times and left the balcony, silently chiding herself for making it worse. Swallowing against the lump in her throat, she bounced on her mattress and hugged a pillow. She dialed her brother's number.

"Hey," he said. "Doing alright in Columbus?"

"Yeah. I'm in my hotel room, now. What's up?"

"I visited the tykes earlier to check on them. I'm now at Heather's chilling with Ethan and Maia." Luc designated the younger kids--under ten--as tykes. There weren't many of them, but elder kids and teenagers had the responsibility to watch over them. It was a continuous circle. Luc put her on speaker and Ethan and Maia said hi.