Hearing Shanley''s words, much of Juniper''s exhaustion melted away.
What a silly man, she thought.
Her room was right next door. They were in the same house anyway, so what difference did it make where he stayed?!
"Oh." Juniper had to admit she was touched. She wanted to say something sweet and thankful, but after a moment of hesitation, she only managed to awkwardly get out a "Thanks."
"You''re wee, Juniper."
Shanley gently ruffled the top of her hair, his voice soft. "You''ve been up all night. Why don''t you go back and get some sleep?"
"I can''t walk."
Juniper nodded, then stepped forward and ce her hand in Shanley''s. "Carry me." Shanley bent down slightly and effortlessly scooped the girl into his arms.
They chatted as they walked toward the bedroom.
Harold was about to step out to ask about Ebony Fox when he opened the door just a crack. He happened to see the two of them heading back to a room together. The same room, no less.
Were they living together now?
Uneptable.
Hold on. Harold gripped the doorknob, ready to intervene, but an image of his sister scolding him shed through his mind.
She could be really fierce.
Then he remembered how Shanley had stood up for him.
He hesitated for a few seconds before finally pulling his hand back and letting out a quiet sigh into the air.
Forget it.
They were going to end up together eventually, so whether they shared a room or not wasn''t that important.
As long as they didn''t go making a baby.
The next day, Cloudscape Community was bustling with activity.
Jimmie, Harold, Melvin Steele, and his wife, Celine Sherwin, had all gathered.
Everyone was worried about Ebony Fox''s condition, and their grim faces were drained of all energy. Anyone who didn''t know they were there for a meal might have thought they were attending a wake.
Soon, the phone rang. It was the research institute.
Ebony Fox had made it through the 48-hour critical period.
Blood tests showed that the toxins in her system were gradually breaking down. With three months of proper rest, the toxins would be fully metabolized by her body.
"Phew-"
Having sessfully saved two of her sisters, the tension finally drained from Juniper''s body, and she copsed onto the sofa in relief. She stared at the ceiling and
murmured wearily "Please just f
ourst missing sister be safe and healthy."
She was a miracle doctor, not a god. She couldn''t cure everything.
"You will," Jimmie said, unable to help but chuckle. He thoughtfully peeled an orange for Juniper and ced it in her hand. "Let''s hope our other sister and our parents can be reunited with us soon."
At the mention of this, the others exchanged nces.
It was true. Five of the siblings had found each other, but their sixth sister and their parents were still missing.
"Do any of you remember what our parents looked like?" Juniper asked casually.
Ebony Fox and Celine shook their heads; they couldn''t remember a thing.
Hold and Melvin only recalled their general outlines, and their childhood memories were all fragmented.
"I do."
Jimmie set down his ss, his tone turning serious. "All five of us siblings survived that shipwreck. I have to believe our little sister and our parents made it out okay, too."
"What if..."
Jimmie paused for a moment before continuing, "What if we found a good sketch artist? I could describe what our parents fooked like, and we could use the drawing to search for them. Wouldn''t that be faster?"
"That''s a good idea."
Melvin was the first to agree, but then he frowned. "A reliable artist won''t be easy to
find."
"I''ll find one," Shanley offered proactively. "I''ll contact you once I do."
Without her parents'' blessing, Juniper''s life would always feel iplete. He
dreamed of the day of their wedding, when Juniper''s father could walk her down the aisle.
"Alright," Jimmie agreed without hesitation.
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