#Chapter 92: Blackbird

Ardal “They make cute pups." I whirl around to see Jack has perched himself onto a fallen log. His hands move swiftly, scrawling a mark into the dense soil beneath him. He raises his head to meet mine and adds in a gravely tone, "It's good they're with their father, Ardal." I nod and cast my eyes down, feeling the heavy weight of the secret I'm keeping from Kadeem crash down onto my shoulders again. I break the silence with a half-formed thought. "I swear, though," I mumble, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Kadeem…” A knot forms in my stomach and I trail off. Jack fills the void, murmuring softly, “Remembers." I nod and look off into the distance. “Let’s not talk about him.” Jacks fiddles with the stick in his hand and we sit in silence for a moment before I attempt to address the tension between us. "I really am grateful to you for this," I say as I find his eyes. "This trip has been a wreck and there's absolutely no logical reason you should have gone along with any of