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But Valarie would have to learn that it was only through the healing of one’s wounds and by eventually letting go and forgiving the wrongdoers, and herself, that would allow her to move on, go forward and truly love, truly live again. But the process would not spare her, it would not take any short cuts and if she was not careful, it could easily kill her, fling her right off some bridge, or choke the life from her body.

Sophia was full of mischief, a loveable child that was in tune to her parent’s ups and downs. She flourished on the outpouring of their desperation and drank the peace offering of love.

If special could be defined in a special way then Sophia was all that it would be.

Not so long ago this sweet child seemed content to take her time to grow. Her slender body and laughing eyes had filled each room with sweetness. Her shy, gentle smile told its own story.

She grew fast and was bright. Her parents’ hauntings had not gone unnoticed and she began to show signs of confusion and worry, with little questions here and there.

Her teenage years passed by with the normal teenage ups and downs.

There was however a time when she became very angry with them. She had sensed the unspoken things and the uneasy atmosphere. She had tried to bring it to their attention out of the innocence of her youth. How they had dismissed her claims, how they closed ranks on her, protecting time that was, hiding their secrets from her. She tried for a while to get through their walls but could not and did not know how, so she resigned herself to acceptance of their ways, uncomfortable as it was.

It took too much from Sophia and she knew she was not going to get anywhere. She watched them in her silence, knowing something, ...

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... attention to the disturbances in the house. She was embarking on her own quest and would soon find out what life was all about.

She would soon realise that are many paths in front of her and where they lead her would depend on which one she took and the choices she made. It would determine so much about time that is to come.

Her parents too had noticed the distance that Sophia was carving out between them. She seemed so lost in her thoughts, so preoccupied with herself. She wanted less intrusion from them. She spent more time in her bedroom or out. But there was something else that was different about her. She now had her own secret and although at times she was bursting to share it, the not knowing and the wondering what her parents would say delayed her. She worried more about her father and would have told her mother already, but feared she would tell him.