The Tattooed | Completed | ✔

Chapter 8 - The Stars Above

"Welcome home Gwyn." Dimitri swung my apartment door open. There were vases of flowers covering every surface.

"Oh my...why?" The vases had vary colors of flowers

"A lot of people were thankful for what you did. A few are from other Escaped cities."

"I didn't do anything."

"You saved a lot of kids, Gwyn."

"But I didn't save them all. And what of the other people who fought?"

"You did the best you could and they were all thanked as well. Now come on , the doctor said you need to rest."

Dimitri helped me across the apartment. Shoving the door to my bedroom open, I found the lights on and two lumps under my blankets.

"Raya?" There was a groan in response and the larger of the two lumps shifted. I leaned onto the doorframe, my legs threatening to give out.

"Raya, really? You knew Gwyn was getting out of the ward today." Dimitri's chest pressed against my back, his arm causing the doorframe to creak.

"Uncle Dee!" The smaller lump shot out from under the blankets "Aunt Wyn!"

"Hello Nathaniel." I smiled down at him as he hugged our legs.

"Nat." Dimitri ruffled the small boys hair.

"Geez guys. You're so loud." Raya sat up, her hair sticking out at angles "Come on Natty let's go to Aunt Cal's house and let them rest."

"Ah but mom-"

"No buts, we'll see then tomorrow." Raya pulled herself away from my bed and pick her son up "You guys want me to take Eddy with us?"

"Nah, she's already in her room getting ready for bed. Best not to even let her know you guys were here tonight. She'll throw a damn fit if she knew and you didn't stay."

"Right. We'll see you three tomorrow then." She shifted Natty on her hip and silentely padded past us. Within a few moments the front door opened and the clicked closed behind them.

"Time for bed Gwyn." Dimitri moved past me and to the bathroom beyond my room.

"I'll go check on Eddy." I whispered. I padded across the living room, the boards creaking under my feet. Eddy's door was closed, soft music drifted from under it. I knocked "Eddy? You ready for bed?" When she didn't answer, I twisted the knob. The music grew louder but the melody never changed. Her bathroom door was cracked open, she was in the bath.

"Wyn?"

"Yeah, hurry up. It's late and we'll be busy tomorrow."

"Okay." Water splashed. Fixing her bed, I waited for Eddy to finish bathing. She wasn't long, leaving the bathroom in a fluffed towel and a halo of steam.

Buttoning the last buttom on her shirt, I picked her up. My back was still hurting but Eddy was light.

"Wyn, what's going to happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is dad going to leave again? Are you two gonna finally get married?"

"I don't know what's going to happen with that. Now bed." I tucked her in and turned the music down. She liked violins and pianos "Goodnight."

"Night." With that I clicked the light off and left the room. Eddy was far to grown for her age, a seven year old should be worrying about color books and butterflys not 'what's going to happen'.

Leaving my bedroom door cracked, I quickly changed clothes. My pants too long and my shirt too big, I crawled under the beds sheets. I clicked the switch on the bed side lamp, the room went dark. My window was still covered by the curtains, banishing any moonlight from my room.