Part 56 (1/2)
”We're all orphans now-you, me, Kingsley,” she said, and she didn't know why. ”I wonder what that means.”
”It means we must love each other even more because all we have is each other.”
”I'm sorry I missed our anniversary, sir.”
She broke on the sir and cried into the phone.
”You shouldn't be alone right now,” S0ren said. ”I hate that you're alone.”
”I'm okay, I promise.”
”When's your flight home?” he asked.
”I don't have one. I bought a one-way ticket.”
S0ren went silent on the other end.
”Eleanor,” he finally said, ”you are coming back, aren't you?”
”I'm coming back. I always come back to you. Eventually. And you know how much trouble I get into in Europe anyway. Better get out before I do something I regret.”
”I don't think you've ever regretted anything you've ever done in your entire life, Little One. And that is why I love you so much.”
”Will you love me if I stay here a little while longer?”
”What's keeping you in Germany?”
”Nothing,” she said truthfully. ”Nothing at all.”
”Is something keeping you in France?”
Although his words were as neutral as his tone, she knew that he knew. He might not know she and Nico had spent the night together, but he knew what they were to each other. She could hide nothing in her heart from S0ren.
”It is beautiful there,” she said.
”You've been through so much in the past few months. Take all the time you need. But know I will miss you every moment until you come home to me.”
”I love you, sir.”
”I love you, too, Little One. And you should know, your mother loved you, too. She told me that in the days before I became the enemy. She told me how much she loved you.”
”I miss her, S0ren. I didn't think I would miss her this much.”
”You miss her so much because you lost her twenty years ago, and only now are you letting yourself grieve.”
”She turned her back on me the night you sent me away.”
”I came back for you.”
”She didn't,” Nora said.
”That was her loss, and my eternal gain.”
Nora didn't speak. And into the silent void of her pain, S0ren prayed aloud over the phone.
”'Therefore once for all this short command is given to you-love and do what you will. If you keep silent, keep silent by love, if you speak, speak by love, if you correct, correct by love, if you pardon, pardon by love-let love be rooted in you, and from the root nothing but good can grow.'”
”Amen,” Nora said. ”That's beautiful. Whose prayer is that?”
”Saint Augustine's.”
Eleanor smiled. ”Monica's sinner son.”