Tears For Fears

As the girl huddles against the wall, shakily telling the stranger that she doesn’t think he can help, the much bigger male slowly approaches. His posture is relaxed, his head hung low in a attempt to be nonthreatening and Haydée immediately loves the man. Everything about this rough, older male speaks to a softer nature as he tries to be gentle and smaller for the small girl and she cannot help with feel a connection with him. When he gently directs her to tell him about her father, the girl gives a small sniffle and allows her eyes to move up to his face, noting the soft creases and warmth that radiates from him.

Without a word, she suddenly unfolds her smaller form and stands, moving boldly up the stranger whose name she doesn’t even know to press herself into his broad chest. Tears wet the dark fur that is underneath her face as she gently curls into him, the need to be held and protected overriding any sense of danger that might have been there. A soft sob fills the air as she closes her eyes and allows the memories of Gavroche to surface while she burrows into the warm chest of the complete stranger.

Small form quakes as the tears continue to slide free and, when her voice finally appears, Every word is strangled with emotion, “He was… small. Smaller than me. But he had the biggest heart of anyone I know. He freely gave what he had to others… and he was the best daddy around.” Haydée feels like a pup again as she speaks and realizes just how much she truly misses her father. They say time heals all wounds but, as the months continue to stack up between her and the event that stole Gav, Hay continues to find the flush of emotions that had bombarded her when she found his mutilated corpse. A loud sob rips free as she buries herself further into the stranger.

Oh, what a sorry sight she is.


"Haydée Kedieo"