Chapter 10
Zinnia slept until evening. While she was out, the Shaw family came looking for her, but Sofia turned them away, furious. She made it clear Zinnia wasnโt going anywhere until the Shaws straightened themselves out.
The Shaws had accused Zinnia of wrongdoing over a ridiculous misunderstanding and actually considered banishing her. The thought of Zinnia hearing those hurtful words twisted Sofiaโs stomach.
Maelis bore the brunt of Sofiaโs fury. Sofia couldnโt comprehend how her own daughter could be so blind to what was right. When Maelis finally left with red-rimmed eyes, promising to check on Zinnia later, Sofia turned away without acknowledgment.
The irony tasted like ash in Sofiaโs mouth. โZinniaโs her own flesh and blood. If sheโd truly cared, she wouldโve at least looked back before leaving. But no, sheโs too wrapped up in coddling Betty while being ready to throw Zinnia away. What kind of mother does that?โ she thought.
โYouโre awake?โ Charlie entered with medicine, immediately moving to help as Zinnia struggled upright.
Zinnia blinked at the unfamiliar room, her thoughts sluggish, until a kind-eyed man leaned into view. For one dizzy moment, she thought it was her masterโalways so gentle, always there when she woke up sick.
Without thinking, she leaned into Charlie. โMasterโฆโ Her voice came out soft, rough, and aching.
Charlie froze, unprepared for her unexpected closeness and immediate trust.
Charlie looked down at Zinnia leaning on him, confused. A strange warm feeling grew in his chestโheโd never had someone depend on him like this before.
The Lynn family had no girls in Charlieโs generation, and Charlie, like the rest, couldnโt stand Betty. When Zinnia leaned into him, trusting and warm, he froze, his hands stiff on her shoulders, and his mind blank.
Charlie leaned closer, but Zinniaโs whisper was too faint to catch. โHey,โ he said, keeping his voice soft, โIโll take care of you. No more pain.โ
Her whisper cut deeper than it should. Remembering his coworkersโ words about how to comfort little sisters, he gave an awkward pat between her shoulders.
Her frail body, all sharp edges and hollow curves, twisted something inside him. โWhoever was supposed to care for her has failed. Badly. The fever has to be tearing her apart. People always say little girls are fragileโno way she can handle this much pain on her own,โ he thought to himself.
Zinnia blinked back to awareness at the sound of Charlieโs soothing voice. She looked up to see his kind faceโsoft features, warm eyes, pale pink lips. His hand, clumsy at first, slowly settled into a steady rhythm against her back.
Zinnia pulled away from Charlieโs arms as she realized the man holding her wasnโt her master.
Her master would smile gentlyโuntil she woke. Then his face would darken with that familiar scolding tone. โYou never let me stop worrying,โ heโd sigh. โHow will you take care of yourself when Iโm gone?โ
Heโd repeated the story endlesslyโhow heโd found her as a baby, dumped in the trash and barely breathing, her tiny body bruised head to toe. The fact sheโd survived at all had shocked him.
Even now, the slightest chill sent her into a fever. A decade of his care had strengthened her, but never truly fixed what had been broken.
Zinnia had been fragile as a childโdelicate as porcelain. Whenever her master went herb-gathering in the mountains, heโd leave her with someone in their town, too worried to leave her alone.
Eventually, he found her biological parents and sent her back to the Shaw residence.
The freezing pool water there still haunted Zinnia. When sheโd been pushed in, sheโd thrashed helplessly. Without swimming lessons from her master, she had no idea what to do. Cold water rushed into her nose and mouth, making it impossible to breathe.
She shivered, watching Howard dive for Betty without hesitation. The familiarity of it prickled her skinโthat same abandonment sheโd felt when her master left.
Lucy and the others finally pulled her out, but the icy chill had already seeped into her bones.
She could already feel the illness coming on. Normally, sheโd make her own remedy, but sheโd used all her herbs on Lucy and the others. When she tried to go purchase more, Howard dragged her to the hospital instead.
As she pulled away, the warmth vanished, leaving behind an unexpected chill. That hollow feeling surprised him.
Heโd never met Zinnia beforeโtoo buried in lab work to notice her return. Even yesterdayโs visit with their grandparents hadnโt crossed their paths.
Meeting Zinnia properly for the first time, Charlie found she matched every image heโd ever held of an ideal sisterโdelicate beauty and gentle grace. His heart softened at once.
Zinnia murmured, โIโm fine now, thank you.โ Her gaze took in the unfamiliar surroundingsโneither the Shaw residence nor the hospital. Recalling Jacksonโs mention of taking her to the Lynn residence, she concluded this must be their home.
Charlie wasnโt much of a talker, and Zinnia was even quieter. Before long, the room went silent.
The door swung open softly as Sofia entered, her face lighting up. โThereโs my girl! Feeling better now? Donโt worry about your mother. I already gave her a piece of my mind. She got confused and made a bad call.โ
She smoothed the sheets and continued, โYouโll stay with me for a while. I really need some proper time with my sweet girl.โ
Zinnia looked at Sofia, her blank expression oddly endearing.
โThis is a true Lynn,โ Sofia thought, her heart melting. โMy Zinnia belongs here with us. Not like Bettyโฆ After all these years, that girl still feels like a stranger. Nothing of Maelis in her face. Nothing of the Shaw family either.
Sofia had even asked Maelis privately if thereโd been a hospital mix-up, but Maelis had brushed it off as โjust one of those genetic quirks.โ
โTypical Maelis, always sticking up for the wrong ones,โ Sofia thought. โNow we know the truth. There was indeed a mix-up. All those yearsโฆmy poor Zinnia out there all aloneโฆโ
โGrandma.โ Zinniaโs quiet voice pulled Sofia from her thoughts.
Sofia was just as kind as Zinnia rememberedโher smile as warm as the people she knew back in the town.
โIโm here, Zinnia. Darling, you must be starving,โ Sofia said with a smile, her voice gentle. โI had the cook make something really nice. Letโs go downstairs, okay?โ
โOkay.โ Zinnia nodded quietly. The nap had helped, and now her stomach growled insistently.
โIโll go get Grandpa and Jackson,โ Charlie said. He couldnโt help noticing how easily his grandmother connected with Zinnia, while the girl still kept him at armโs length. The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He wished heโd gone with Sofia to meet Zinnia when she first came home. Maybe then she wouldnโt be so distant with him now. But there was no point dwelling on it.