A Devious Exchange

A Bitter Rejoining

After thanking the sisters for their hospitality, I set out for home just as the sun peaked over the horizon. Very few villagers were out and about luckily, therefore few were able to recognize me. I worried that someone would start drilling me with questions about my visit to the castle the moment I came back. It was completely embarrassing and unjust; my name now being tainted with the criminal world.

Not only did I dread becoming a social gossip, I also worried about being financially impacted by this whole ordeal. I could only hope Harold will let me stay at my job until this brushes over. He wouldn't fire me, hopefully.

At long last, I humbly returned to the run-down home. I was just in time for breakfast, mom was probably just finishing the pot of porridge now. Take a deep breath. Slowly, I lift my heavy hand and press my knuckles to the door, a tensity thrumming the insides of my bones at the soft knocks. I felt so nervous all of the sudden, fearing their reactions the most. I held a bated breath until my lungs ached painfully, the door eventually opening to the sight of a disheveled woman whose eyes were dusted red and burdened with heavy, purple bags. She looked miserable, a wave of guilt flowing through me until strong arms pulled me tight against her heaving chest. Her heavy sobs crashed in my ears, but I didn't care as tears leaked from my own eyes.

She clung to my waist tightly, blubbering her worries and harsh reprimands in my ears with a choked voice. I could barely decipher what she was saying, but I didn't care nor bother to ask her to slow down. Slowly, I ran my hand along her backside, dragging my nails in a calming sensation, shushing her worries with just a nonverbal comfort. She sniffed and cried as we just stood there in a warm embrace, the door long forgotten.

Oh, how I missed this so much.

Not long after, I felt a pair of tiny hands encircle my legs, a little face pressing into my skirt. I could only imagine who it was, their little cries muffling into the fabric with her tears. Slowly, I took one hand off mom's backside and draped it across the other's ruffled hair, running my fingers through the locks. We held onto each other so tightly, with not a word to speak. But not even words can describe the amount of love we held for each other.

How do I even begin to explain what happened?

That didn't matter though. All that mattered was I had both of them in my arms and I would never let them go. Just the warmth of them dissipated all my worries for the time being.

Well, that was until an odd smell hit my nose. A few seconds ticked by as the smell grew stronger, suddenly dawning on mom as she loosened her arms abruptly. She mumbled a few curses while wiping her tears on her sleeve, dashing over to the stove to turn off the boiling pot.

She kept her gaze on me with her chin now turned over her shoulder, a look of disbelief in her eyes as she croaked through her congested nose, "My goodness- I made some for you like always. I prayed that my baby would come back to me."

I couldn't help the large grin from spreading across my face, and as I nod my head, my stomach growled comically in agreement. I wiped my own tears before reaching for a wooden bowl, Delilah still clinging to my leg like a bear cub. Mom scooped us each a bowl, and like clockwork, we gathered around the table and dug in. It was as if nothing ever disrupted the familiar flow, everything falling back into place like it should be. The peacefulness we create together meant more than anything in the world, even making a simple meal invaluable.

I knew mom had questions, undoubtably so. But I wanted things to remain like this for as long as possible, for once indulging in my greed until the meal came to an end. Mom placed her hands delicately in her lap while she waited for me to speak. It was a comforting gesture though, no impatience or disapproval in her eyes. Eventually, I indulged and coughed up the words I was trying hard to find.