My dad carries Autumn in through the door. Her eyes are open and looking around, but she’s slumped against him.

“Where do you want her?” He asks.

“Just put her in the bedroom. I’ll sleep on the couch for now.” I tell him.

He nods and carries her into the bedroom. Mom walks in behind him and looks around. Her brows furrow and she looks at me.

“Stuff is missing. Why is stuff missing?” She asks me.

I look around. A lot of the decorations were Eileen’s. I remember last night and look away.

“Eileen left.” I say.

Mom doesn’t ask why. Most likely she knows why. Instead she pulls me into a hug.

“I’m sorry honey.” She whispers, pulling away and smiling at me.

I shrug, not wanting to talk about it. By the time I got up this morning she was gone. Her stuff was packed and she was out of my life. My throat tightens and I try to clear it. Letting her go was the right thing to do. As much as I loved her, it was Autumn that I felt I was meant to be with. It would have been cruel to keep Eileen here.

I walk into the bedroom where dad and Autumn are. She sits on the bed looking confused. When she looks at me her eyes focus. In the darkness they glow, reminding me she’s a vampire. Disappointment fills me. I let this happen to her. If I had only been more diligent in protecting her, she wouldn’t be a vampire. I shudder, thinking of how painful the transition had to have been.

“Levi?” She whispers, looking confused.

I smile and sit next to her. “Hey, it’s good you’re recognizing me.” I say, taking her hand in mine. The nails that were once sharpened to points are filed down now.

“What’s going on?” She asks.

“You’re sick right now.” I tell her. “You were starved when the patrol found you in the mountains. It’s made your mind confused. What do you remember?”

“I…” She pauses, thinking hard. “I left because…I don’t know. I left and I was underground for a long time. Then, then I met someone, someone that scared me. After that…The next thing I remember I was a vampire. And then…and then they decided to let me go, but they stopped giving me blood bags…” She shakes her head. “I can’t remember.”

“That’s okay. It’ll come back in time. Just rest right now okay?” I say, leaning over and kissing her forehead.

She nods and closes her eyes, curling up into a ball. I pull the blankets over her and walk out of the room with my parents.

“How long would they have had to starve her for her to get like this?” I ask them after I shut the door.

Dad shrugs. “I have no clue. It had to be a while. I’ve never seen this before.”

I clench my fists and nod. I can only imagine the horrors they put her through while she was there with them.

“Just take care of her, make sure she gets blood often, and tell her stories of you, your friend’s, her life. It’ll help her remember.” My mom says.

“Love her, son. Love her and she’ll get better. Don’t hide it anymore.” He smiles and rests his hand on my shoulder.

I nod and walk my parents out, shutting the door. When I turn around I look at my seemingly empty house. Eileen is gone, but Autumn is back. Both Eileen’s and my father’s words to love Autumn echo through my mind. I smile and head towards the bedroom to watch over her. She’ll be loved, and I won’t ever hide it from her again.