Chapter 15: Marinah

"You stayed on the ball when you weren't thinking about your balance. I know how we can make this easier." I follow him and use his shoulder and the wall again. "Tell me about your family," he says as soon as I'm up.

"They're dead," I reply.

"Most humans are. Tell me about them when they were alive."

This is mentally hard on me, but something is working because I'm no longer wobbling. "My mom was amazing. Her name was Dinah. My name rhymes with hers," I add with a quick smile. "I take after her in height if not finesse. She would stand on this ball rock solid."

"Talking helps you with balance."

"She was in the military. It's where she met my dad."

"She was a warrior?"

I take a deep breath. "No, not really. She would have died for her country or for her family, but she had a gentle soul. The military was a way for her to get out of her home environment. She never talked about why."

"Could she fight?"

I shrug and my feet shak