11-10-2018, 03:14 PM
Kali could have stayed there forever, curled up against Mom’s side with her eyes closed, ignoring the world while Mom petted her hair and nuzzled her gently and held her close. She’d slept too much the last few days to be tired, but she fell into a half-asleep daze anyhow, everything falling away but the sound of their breath and Mom’s heartbeat beneath her ear keeping a steady, soothing rhythm.
Eventually Mom sighed and coaxed her gently up, and Kali looked up at her with dull eyes. She nodded and complied though, dragging herself to her feet and tucking herself up against Mom’s side. She didn’t mind walking, and didn’t want Mom to be alone and get lost and come back old tomorrow, or the same age when Kali was all grown up. If they were going to stumble into another time warp they might as well stick together.
Her ears flicked back anxiously though at the thought of leaving Khari behind, and she glanced around to see if he’d come back yet, thought a soft little anxious query his way to see if he was close enough to hear and reach out and touch her mind and reassure her he was still there and safe.
He did, soft little touches of reassurance, his mind brushing against hers, a little kiss to her cheek and a gentle nuzzle that eased her anxiety and let her relax against Mom’s side. She nodded as Mom kept talking, but went still when Mom suggested maybe some of them would prefer this island over Ischia.
For a moment her breath caught in her lungs and her chest tightened and she froze, forgetting how to breathe at the thought of them splitting up into two homes. But she could walk across the water. All three of them could, and Daddy, and even Kylie’s babies too. So even if they did live in two places, it’d maybe be okay. Maybe. Just like walking back and forth, no big deal. No big deal.
The quiet thoughts didn’t chase away the tightness in her chest, but she nodded again anyhow and followed along without a word, eyes mostly on the ground in front of her, letting Mom wander and explore and not do so alone.
Eventually Mom sighed and coaxed her gently up, and Kali looked up at her with dull eyes. She nodded and complied though, dragging herself to her feet and tucking herself up against Mom’s side. She didn’t mind walking, and didn’t want Mom to be alone and get lost and come back old tomorrow, or the same age when Kali was all grown up. If they were going to stumble into another time warp they might as well stick together.
Her ears flicked back anxiously though at the thought of leaving Khari behind, and she glanced around to see if he’d come back yet, thought a soft little anxious query his way to see if he was close enough to hear and reach out and touch her mind and reassure her he was still there and safe.
He did, soft little touches of reassurance, his mind brushing against hers, a little kiss to her cheek and a gentle nuzzle that eased her anxiety and let her relax against Mom’s side. She nodded as Mom kept talking, but went still when Mom suggested maybe some of them would prefer this island over Ischia.
For a moment her breath caught in her lungs and her chest tightened and she froze, forgetting how to breathe at the thought of them splitting up into two homes. But she could walk across the water. All three of them could, and Daddy, and even Kylie’s babies too. So even if they did live in two places, it’d maybe be okay. Maybe. Just like walking back and forth, no big deal. No big deal.
The quiet thoughts didn’t chase away the tightness in her chest, but she nodded again anyhow and followed along without a word, eyes mostly on the ground in front of her, letting Mom wander and explore and not do so alone.