𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝘿𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙭

|11| Little Papoose Baby

EMARA

I yawn, waking up, and slide out of the bed. Making my way over to the closet, I pull out a pair of jeans and a blue-colored shirt. We need to go to the stalls quickly so that we can return before the midday heat. I definitely didn't want to make the 30-minute trek pulling the cart back home through that. 

I strip down quickly and pull on the clothes, rubbing my arms to warm myself up. Grabbing the comb I have on top of my dresser, I let out another small yawn and pull out my hair tie. I run my fingers through the mass of curls on my head, unbraiding it before brushing it out and pulling it back again.

It is pretty much the only way I can do my hair besides leaving it down, and that wasn't an option. I can't exactly wash my hair every day, and leaving it down makes it dirty quicker. The few times I tried to put it in a ponytail, my hair would pull on my scalp, screaming at me to never do it again. With the amount of hair I have, it isn't exactly light on my head.

Maybe I can get it cut today at the stalls... Jace could use one, too. His hair is long like it has never been cut, and I remember how dirty and knotted it had been when I first found him.

I slide the door to the other side of the closet. Reaching in, I slide a few clothes over, searching for a shirt that would fit Taeric. I will leave it for him outside the shed. Mmm, and a note too. That way he knew we had gone out. I didn't want to bother him by asking to come to the stalls with us. I pulled a navy blue shirt off a hanger. Pelagic was stamped across the back with some sort of swordfish under it.

I make my way to the girl's room and pull open the closet, grabbing one of Evey's old shirts and shorts for Jace, setting them on top of the shirt I had for Taeric hanging on my arm. Moving over to the girls, I give their heads a little rub, starting to wake them up. "Evey, Lilly-" I whisper, "-time to get up, girls. I have your clothes picked out already."

Lilly lets out a little yawn, and Evey stretches. Her hand hits Lilly's cheek, whose sleepy eyes flash at her sister. "Evey, you hit me," her voice is sharp but still sleepy.

"Mmmm?" Evey wonders, not paying attention, her eyes barely open.

Lilly lets out a little huff, letting the subject go, and gets up.

"Lil's, bring down the brush once you two are done getting dressed," I say quietly.

Lilly nods, and Evey sits up sleepily. I go back to my room so that I can change Jace into new clothes. I move slowly, not quite ready to wake him up. I need to do a few things first without having to worry about watching him super closely. He squirms a little as the cool air brushes over his bare skin, and I quickly pull the clean t-shirt over him, making sure he doesn't wake up. After putting on his shirt and pants, I pull the blanket back over him and make my way downstairs to get the rest of the things together.

Lilly comes down the stairs moments later, holding the brush and 2 hair ties. Evey is close behind her, adjusting her cute little flower dress. I sit down on the couch, and Lilly comes over, setting the brush and hair ties beside me before sitting down in front of me. Evey sits next to me on the couch, waiting for her turn.

I pull the brush through Lilly's hair softly. Grabbing her long brown hair, I braid it down her back and out of the way.

"Alright. Your turn, Evey girl."

She slides off the couch and takes Lilly's place on the floor as soon as her older sister gets up. Lilly moves around the kitchen, putting together a quick breakfast we could eat on the walk to the stalls. I pull Evey's hair into a quick ponytail. It is light brown and soft; she still has most of her baby hair.

I put my hands on her shoulders, letting her know I am done, and she leans her head on my thigh, her hazel eyes closing tiredly. I run my fingers along the side of her head, right along her hairline, and her body relaxed into the side of my leg.

"Evey, you can rest on the couch for a little while," I let her know with a smile.

She crawls off the floor and lays down on the couch. I rest my hand on her head for a moment before pushing myself up from the sofa and going towards the kitchen to help Lilly put some things together.

After we finish, I grab the mountain lion pelt and put it in the cart. I stand up, stretching my back tight from bending over so much this morning already. I release a sigh as I reach my arms above my head, feeling the satisfying pull in my muscles. It is time to get Evey and Jace up all the way now, and we need to make our way over to the stalls. I walk over to Evey on the couch and rub her arm. Her eyes open lazily, and she sits up.

"Go put on your shoes, Ev," I tell her softly.

She nods her head and stands up slowly, making her way to the door where her shoes and socks are waiting. Her feet drag along the floor, still sleepy.

I make my way back to my bedroom to find Jace still sound asleep. I tiptoe over to him, trying to make sure my boots don't clunk on the wooden floor. I give his back a little rub, and he murmurs, pulling the blanket around him and curling into a ball. I let out a breathy laugh and pick him up. He stretches, still asleep, and curls his arms around my neck, burying his face in my shoulder.

He can sleep a little longer, I guess. He couldn't do anything to help anyway, and it might actually be easier if he stayed asleep. I stand there and think about how I can carry him while still being able to do things. I almost laugh out loud as I remember how my mom used to call me her little papoose baby because I always wanted to be on her back when I was little. It is the perfect way to hold him, too. I remember my mom used to talk about how helpful it was to put me in a sling.

I grab one of the scarfs my mom had left behind when she passed. It is long and sturdy, and I remember her wrapping me up in it when I was little. Jace was more than light enough to be carried in it. If anything, I am worried about him being underweight. I could see his ribs, and he wasn't as filled out as I would have liked. I have been trying to feed him a lot so that he would gain weight, but it is slow going.

I hung the scarf on one of my shoulders, Jace on the other side of my body. I pull the other end of the scarf under him and back around to my shoulder, securing it with a scarf ring. It is like he is resting on my hip, just with extra support, freeing up my hands.

I pull at a few pieces around his body, making sure he is tucked in there comfortably, and give it a once over in the mirror. Once I am satisfied, I make my way down the stairs.

"Ok, everything should be ready, Mara," Lilly announces as soon as she sees me.

"Alright, let's get going." I smile and pull the door closed. Bear runs off the porch, following Lilly. She gives him a rub behind the ears, and his tail wags faster. I grab the handle of the cart and tug it forward towards the path.