Chapter 4

My mother turned back to the window with more worry in her face.

"We said a few words to her and she took offense and won't come home..." My mother lowered her head and took the pendant.

My grandmother said nothing. She turned her head slowly toward my father, who had just come in.

"What did you two do to Neve?"

He went still. "Neve... she kept making a scene, demanding we sit with her. I had her put out."

"What! You put Neve out?" My grandmother's eyes went dark as they moved between them.

"Do you understand that this was the last chance those two girls had to see each other!"

My mother saw the anger in her face and said weakly, "She knew perfectly well it was her sister's last day and she still made trouble..."

My grandmother rounded on her and shouted, "Neve is your daughter too. You know exactly how hard her life has been. On the last day you still treat her like that!"

My mother pressed her lips together and said nothing.

My grandmother's voice shook. She stared straight at my parents.

"Aurora was still a child when a witch said she would die. I know you were afraid of hurting her, that you wanted to give her the best of everything so she could go without regrets."

Her voice climbed higher. Tears fell to the floor.

"And Neve? Did either of you ever truly care for her? All she ever got growing up was what her sister didn't want. When she wanted something of her own, you used her sister as the reason to refuse.

"I know you may have told yourselves you were toughening her up. You went too far. You call yourselves parents and act nothing like them. You owe Neve far more than you ever owed Aurora!"

My mother twisted the hem of her dress in both hands, shaking all over, and said nothing.

My grandmother said hoarsely, "Aurora is leaving and she can't even see her own sister. Do you want her to go with that hanging over her?"

My father was quiet for a moment. Then he called for the guards and said in a low voice, "Bring Neve back."

My grandmother watched all of it and said, "Go and rest. Tomorrow it will be over..."

My mother shook her head. "I can't sleep."

My father nodded as well and went to stand beside her.

My grandmother sighed. "Come on, then. We'll wait together."

I watched the three of them walk to Aurora's door.

My grandmother looked at the door and said softly, "Aurora, Grandma is here with you too. Don't be afraid. When you wake up everything will be fine."

Beside them my tears came again and scattered into the air.

"Grandma... I've missed you so much."

Time slid by under their worried eyes, and far off the sky began to turn white.

When the first thread of sunlight came through the window, the snow that had fallen all night finally stopped.

My parents hovered outside her door for a long time, hands raised to knock and not daring to.

My mother hesitated for a long time, then knocked lightly and called through the door, "Aurora? Are you awake?"

They stared at the door as if they could see a scrap of hope in it.

After a moment there was a rustling inside.

Aurora opened the door.

"Dad, Mom, Grandma... I'm fine." Her voice was a little rough, and she gave them a small smile.

My mother put out both trembling arms and pulled her in hard. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes as she patted her daughter's back.

"Thank God, thank God. The prophecy is broken. My Aurora didn't die."

The knot in my father's brow finally loosened, and his face softened as he watched the two of them.

My grandmother watched, and then it hit her.

"Neve! Has she still not come back?"

Her voice rang out loud. "Guards, guards!"

Only then did my parents snap out of it, and they turned to the guards in a rush.

"You still haven't found Neve?"

The guard shook his head again.

The whole family hurried out of the castle, trying to find some trace of me in that endless white.

There was nothing to see. The snow had covered all of it.

My father stopped mid-step. His foot had come down on something.

He lifted it slowly, looked at what lay underneath, and his whole face changed.

He dropped to his knees and shoved the snow away with shaking hands, over and over, his voice shaking too as he cried out, "No. No, this can't be happening!"