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Quick Author’s note: The starred (*) part of the story is a DSA and takes place in the past

The next few days passed slowly and along with them came much healing between Sydney and Miss Parker. The breaking point for them came on the day before Catie’s big birthday party. It was around four o’clock in the afternoon and Jarod and Broots had decided to take Catie and Debbie to the beach to look for seashells while Miss Parker finished up the wrapping of Catie’s presents. Sydney had declined the men’s offer to join them on the account he had a little bit of wrapping to do himself. And so the two younger gentleman and their daughters left, excitement surrounding them like a cloak. From certain viewpoints within the house, the girls could be seen scampering along the private section of the beach with their attentive fathers following them closely.

Miss Parker had just finished wrapping her final gift in the living room when she noticed Sydney slip out onto the balcony. He seemed to be deep in his thoughts and moments later he walked down the balcony stairs onto the beach and began to walk along the shoreline. Catie spotted him immediately and rushed over to him. She latched onto his leg and even from Miss Parker’s point of view she could see him hug the four year old to his side and laugh. She got up to get another ribbon to curl from the decorations bag in her bedroom and was about to pull out a bright pink one when she noticed a DSA on top of her bed with a slip of paper containing a DSA code next to it. She approached it cautiously and lifted it up to the light. It reflected brilliantly and caused her to flinch when the light struck her eyes. She walked over to where she knew Jarod kept his DSA player and slid the small disk inside the DSA slot and typed in the code.

The screen came to life and almost immediately she recognized the little boy seated on a small cot much like the ones that were still in the deepest sub levels of the Centre. The DSA was set about a month after Jarod had been brought to the Centre and Sydney was trying to teach him the basics of a simulation they were about to do. Before they could start Catherine Parker appeared on the screen with a child, who looked like a slightly older version of Catie, clutching her hand tightly. Miss Parker recognized it as herself by the dress the child was wearing, remembering that it had been one of her favorites as a little girl. She watched, entranced, as the scene played out.

***
“Mrs. Parker?” Sydney exclaimed surprised. “What are you doing here? And with...Miss Parker.”

“Shh, Sydney I know. And don’t start with the Mrs. Parker again. It’s Catherine to you and it will always be Catherine to you.” Catherine Parker replied placing a placating hand on his arm. “I came to see how he is doing.”

“Well, I think Mr. Parker is pleased. As well as Dr. Raines and the Triumvirate.” Sydney said watching the little boy trace his hand along a seam in the cot.

The young Miss Parker suddenly let go of her mother’s hand and wandered over to where the young Jarod sat. She smiled tentatively at him and he smiled back at her shyly.

“Hi,” Miss Parker said to the boy, her head high in courage.

“Hi.” Jarod replied quietly.

“Wanna hear a joke?” the five year and a half old girl asked the six year old boy, seating herself down next to him on the bare cot.

“Okay,” the little boy shrugged and shifted closer to the small girl.

“Catherine,” Sydney said sounding alarmed.

“I know, Sydney. We shouldn’t let them even see each other, but look at them. I have never seen her make a friend so fast. Usually she is very shy with other children.” Catherine Parker said watching the children’s interaction carefully.

“And just look at Jarod. He is laughing. I haven’t seen him even smile since he was brought here.” Sydney said nodding along with his own words.

“Sydney, we need to talk.” Catherine looked directly up into the camera’s face and then leaned over to whisper in Sydney’s ear. They moved into the shadows, out of audio range of the camera and began talking furiously. Meanwhile the two children continued to have their own repartee and even laughed together a few times.

Sydney and Catherine Parker moved back into the camera’s focus and stopped when they caught sight of the two children. They had fallen asleep during the adult’s rendezvous and Jarod had his arm protectively draped over the young Miss Parker’s body. Catherine Parker gasped quietly and covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes tearing slightly. Sydney placed his hand on her shoulder and she covered it with her own, her head leaning towards his unconsciously. He did the same and they just stood there watching the two innocent children sleep peacefully for a few moments in time. Their heads were leaning against each other and Catherine Parker still had her hand over top of Sydney’s hand. Suddenly, as if they both remembered where they were, they jumped apart and Sydney cleared his throat. Catherine’s eyes darted over to his face, but he refused to look at her. He calmly walked over to the cot and lifted the young Miss Parker into his arms as if she weighed nothing at all. She snuggled closer into his chest and Sydney looked down at the young girl in his arms and smiled sadly.

Miss Parker awoke slightly and looked up into the young man’s face that unbeknownst to her was her father. A child should have been scared to have woken up in someone other than their parents’ arms, but Miss Parker just smiled and blinked innocently. Sydney couldn’t control himself and held the girl to him tightly in a hug, breathing in the scent of her. The DSA captured the anguish on his face and even some of the joy of being able to hold her. A door slammed and caused the young boy still asleep on the cot to jar awake and everyone else to go still.

A younger and very angry Mr. Parker entered the room and Catherine Parker immediately seemed to cower slightly in the presence of her husband. Mr. Parker looked over at her with a look of disgust then turned to the man holding his five year old “daughter”.

“Give her to me.” Mr. Parker growled slightly and practically ripped the young Miss Parker from Sydney’s grasp. The little girl protested and wiggled to get down.

“Mama.” she cried and reached out her arms for her mother.

Mr. Parker almost shoved the child to her mother who clutched the shaking girl to her body. He glowered at his wife and said menacingly, “Take her home and don’t ever let me catch you in here with them again.”

Catherine Parker backed out of the room, Miss Parker still on her hip, the little girl’s head buried in the safety of her mother’s neck. All of a sudden Jarod leapt up and yelled out.

“No, come back!” Jarod screamed out to the retreating females in desperation and moved forward.

The little girl raised her head and looked back at the frightened little boy that had become her friend. She stretched out her arm towards him, the other still wrapped around her mother’s neck in fear, and called out his name.

Catherine Parker seemed to hesitate, but only a glance at her husband’s face changed that and despite the plaintive pleas from both her daughter and the upset boy calling to her, she left the room. Mr. Parker waited until he was sure they had gone and turned towards Sydney and the boy who was now crying.

“If I ever see you hold my daughter or have her or her mother in here without my permission I will see to it that you are disciplined. Don’t ever forget that I can make you disappear, Sydney and know one would ever question that disappearance.” Mr. Parker said his face turning red with the anger in his voice. “Do you understand me, Sydney?”

“Of course, Mr. Parker.” Sydney said, strain evident in his voice. Jarod hadn’t stopped crying and Mr. Parker was staring to get angry at the sound.

“Can’t you shut that sniveling brat up for five minutes?” he yelled at Sydney. He turned to Jarod and yelled at him. “I said shut up, Kid!”

This only made Jarod cry harder and that was the last straw for Mr. Parker. He raised his hand as though to hit Jarod, but his wrist was caught by Sydney. Mr. Parker turned to the other man and the camera sure didn’t miss any of the anger that shone off of Sydney’s face.

“Don’t you ever raise your hand to that boy again,” Sydney said strongly and even though Mr. Parker glared at him for a few minutes, Sydney still didn’t back down or let go of his wrist. Finally Mr. Parker ripped his wrist out of Sydney’s grasp and stalked out of the dark room. Sydney put his hand on the top of Jarod’s head and drew him to his side. The boy stiffened and then relaxed into the man’s side.

Sydney looked at the camera that he knew had recorded every moment that had passed and sighed. Letting go of Jarod, he walked over to it and then after hesitating a moment his hand covered the lens and the screen went dark.

***

Back in the present, Miss Parker sat in her chair astonished at what she had just seen.

She had known Jarod before the staged simulation where she had placed her hand against a glass pane that separated her and the young boy. In fact it looked like they had been very close in those brief moments together. The image of herself wrapped in the little boy’s arms, so innocent and protected, gave her goose bumps and she rubbed her arms. Then the sad image of her in Sydney’s arms and his anguished face as he held her close and then her father’s angry threat struck her as well and she felt her heart skip a beat.

“I see you found it.” Sydney’s voice came from behind her and she whirled around, surprised. “The DSA I left you, I mean. I see you played it.”

“Yes.” Miss Parker said her voice quieter than she would have liked. She cleared her throat and repeated herself. “Yes, I did. Why don’t I remember any of it? Why doesn’t Jarod?”

“After an experience like that it isn’t uncommon to block out the memory. Especially for children in unhappy home environments. They tend to only want to remember the good things.” Sydney paused and looked at her meaningfully. Miss Parker knew he meant her and she thought about her memories of her home life as a child. True enough, she didn’t remember many good things from her childhood except for the times she had spent with her mother. A few with her “father” popped into her head, but not enough to meaningfully count.

Sydney continued, “As for Jarod, he did remember for a very long time, but eventually I convinced him it was a dream. It was better for all concerned that he believed what I told him and after a while he stopped talking about it. As for did he ever really forget? I doubt it.”

“Parker, I didn’t leave the DSA to make you feel guilty or pity towards me. I left it so you could see some of the truth. I believe you deserve at least that after all that the Centre has put you through. Someday I hope you can understand and maybe even forgive your mother and I for what we did.” Sydney said and turned to leave.

“Syd,” Miss Parker said after him. He turned back around and looked at her expectantly. “I’m not sure I understand completely or if I ever will, but I want you to know that I do forgive you.”

Sydney smiled. “Thank you, Parker. I just want us...our relationship...to be okay.”

With that he nodded to her then quietly slipped out of the room. Miss Parker watched the doorway where he had just stood and sighed deeply. The truth was harder to swallow, but somehow it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would. She smiled too and then grabbed the DSA from the machine. Slipping it into a small pocket in her suitcase she grabbed the ribbon she had originally came into the bedroom for and then went back to wrapping the gifts, feeling as though a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders.









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