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Liberty walked under the apple trees and shut everything out of her mind. She listened to the birds singing and just took in the beauty of her surroundings.
This was where Golden found her.
“Are you certain you have to leave today?” Golden slipped her hand through Liberty’s arm and fell into step beside her.
“Yes. I need to keep Father’s regular schedule. People depend on us.”
Liberty stopped, leaned against a trunk and drew in a deep breath. “It’s what Father would have wanted me to do. I need to try and make him proud.”
Golden smiled. “He was always proud of you.” She looked around her orchard before settling her gaze back onto Liberty. “I wish you would stay here for a while longer. I worry about you being out there by yourself. I don’t think your father would have wanted you to be alone. It’s too dangerous.”
“That’s very sweet of you but I feel safer on Airus and in the sky. It’s my home. There’s safety in the sky. No one can hurt me there.”
Liberty drew in a deep breath. The truth was she had no idea what she was going to do with her life. She had always thought her father would be with her for many more years to come.
“If you ever change your mind, my offer stands.” Golden hugged Liberty before heading back to her cabin.
Liberty looked around once more at the peaceful grove of trees now heavy with fruit, but refused to look over at her father’s grave. For just a little while longer she wanted to pretend he was on board Airus, waiting for her to return. To dwell on her bleak future was too disheartening. In time she would decide how she was going to go on without Father, but for the moment it was enough to remember the tales he’d told her about how he had found her out by Big Lake. How thankful she was for his decision to make her his daughter. He had given her the gift of his love, even though it had been unspoken, and he had also given her the gift of the skies. So the best thing she could do would be to take those gifts and cherish them, and so she would.
The End