Page 60 of Severance

“I think you and Domino both had a good ride,” Paul says, lightly grabbing her shoulder. “How about we get him back into the barn? Maybe Kai and Dahlia would like to help you.”

Mia’s soft brown eyes shine at us as she looks up at us, grabbing the reins from Paul.

“We would love to.”

Her eyes light up even more and her smile takes over her face as she leads Domino out of the arena and we follow her up to the barn.

Kai

Watching the two of them together feels surreal and it’s as if I’m caught up in a dream. Dahlia and Mia connected instantly and they work together, laughing and smiling with such ease. Together, they strip Domino of his tack and groom him as if it’s something they do all the time.

Bonnie and Paul stand silently beside me, witnessing the same undeniable connection in amazement. I know they can feel it too and I’m not the only one that is shook to the core from it.

Nothing between Dahlia and our daughter is forced or strained. It’s completely organic and natural and a part of me breaks inside, knowing that this is all we’ll ever have. But my heart swells, seeing them together and I can’t stifle the grin that refuses to leave my face.

As they finish grooming Domino, the brush slips from Mia’s hand as she unties his lead rope. She hands the rope to Dahlia with a smile as she crouches down to grab the brush. Mia’s body sways as she quickly stands back up and Dahlia reaches out to steady her.

Dahlia’s eyes mix with concern with her eyes on Mia, watching her wipe her nose with her hand. From across the aisle, I can see the blood smeared on her hand and Dahlia’s eyes widen in shock. Bonnie gasps as she sees the blood dripping from Mia’s nose.

“Oh, honey,” Bonnie rushes over to Mia, quickly pulling her to her side. “Let’s get you inside and cleaned up so you can rest.”

Dahlia and I stare after them, feeling the aftershock, as Bonnie ushers her into the house. It was a simple nosebleed, but they treated her as if she were broken.

“We think they’re stress related,” Paul explains from behind us as he closes the stall door. “The nosebleeds and her getting tired easily.”

“Bonnie said she’s a happy kid,” I scoff, partially in disbelief. “What kind of stress could she possibly have?”

“Mia is a gentle soul, but there’s a fire inside of her that she holds onto tightly. She’s very competitive and she tends to get anxious when she has a big show coming up.”

My eyes follow him harshly as he stops beside us. “Why the fuck would you let her keep doing it then?”

Paul shrugs lightly and purses his lips. “Because it’s something she enjoys doing.” Turning his back to us, Paul follows the same path that Bonnie did, back to the house. “Are you two coming?” he calls out over his shoulder.

Dahlia glances at me with a small frown and her eyebrows pinch together. Grabbing her hand, I can feel the anxiety vibrating off her. I give her a small squeeze, in an effort to calm her nerves and we follow Paul back into the house.

Paul is filled with pride as he rambles about how well behaved Mia is and how well she does in school. Dahlia and I listen to him silently, taking in everything he says as we try to curb our own anxiety.

After a short while, Bonnie comes down the stairs and sits down at their kitchen table. Her face is weary as her eyes slide between the two of us. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but Mia is feeling pretty tired and should rest for a little while.”

“That’s perfectly fine.” Dahlia offers her a warm smile. “We don’t want to intrude any more than we already have.”

“Nonsense,” Paul says as he sits down next to Bonnie who gives him a sideways glance. “Mia seemed very happy to meet the two of you.”

She met us, but only as Dahlia and Kai. She doesn’t know who we really are.

“Mia asked if the two of you would come say goodbye to her before you left,” Bonnie says quietly. “Her room is the first door on the left.”

Dahlia’s eyes shift to mine briefly before turning back to Bonnie and Paul, nodding lightly. “Of course. We’ll go see her now.”

Grabbing my hand, Dahlia leads me up the stairs but her footsteps fall short as we stop in front of Mia’s bedroom door. “This is it,” she says solemnly as a wave of sadness passes through her eyes as they search mine.

Reaching up, I lightly stroke the side of her face. “You know we can’t take her with us,bambolina.”

“I know,” she admits quietly. “She has a good life here… it’s what is best for her.”

“We’re doing the right thing,” I assure her, squeezing her other hand gently.

Dahlia nods and gives me a small smile. “Let’s go say our goodbyes.”