Her hand entwined with nothing. A smile was plastered to her face, a real smile. She felt his warmth when no one else could. "I love you." She whispered and it was taken off with the wind. The dew on the grass dampened her socks, the smell of farm animals came to her from the neighbors yard. She was finally home. The holes in her arm hadn't gone away though. The sting was still felt. But with this love there was nothing that was going to make her feel down. Nothing at all. They couldn’t say anything that would make her stop believing in him. She could feel him, see him, touch him.

Her mother stood on the steps to their double-wide trailer, chubby arms crossed over her chest, sighing. "She still talking to him?" A man asked through the open door, sitting on the stain covered couch. A silent nod came from the mother. The sky was covered with thick ebony clouds, threatening. Always threatening. Odilia. That was the girl's name. Lia for short, but only her mother called her that. Or she did, Before they had taken Lia away. Now she was Odilia.

"Gabriel," She spoke lovingly, "Tomorrow we'll go to the lake." She said. A silent response was given, whispered in her ear. She turned to see her mother watching her, and she frowned, "They're trying to take you away from me Gabriel." She bit her lip hard, "They've already tried. But they can never pry us apart." She turned from her mother abruptly, angrily. She starred out to the cows, chewing their curd in boredom. Her hands twisted into fists. "Shh." The wind whispered, "I'll always be here. Forever."

For some reason that scared Lia. Her heart beat faster. But she wanted him there forever, right? Why would that scare her? Shouldn't it have made her heart leap? "Forever." She stated, to herself. She nodded assuringly, "Forever." She said to Gabriel. Her brain unraveled from it’s many underlying thoughts, Gabriel brought pain. But Gabriel brought love. Gabriel couldn't be real, for he started with a hope. "But you are real…" She muttered aloud. "Of course." He hissed. "And you are good. Forever." She smiled again.

She smiled through the memories of the needles. She smiled through the memories of the isolated rooms. She smiled through the times when Gabriel was ripped from her. She was not crazy. Gabriel, he was there…But was he what Lia thought him to be? Her love? Her hope? Nobody knows, so they fill her full of medication, stuff her full of things that she doesn't need. They put her in a place alone, to face frightening things.

No matter what they tell her, no matter what her doubts, she loves Gabriel. Loves him more than life.