A Family

Mothers

  You sit in the back of the jeep with the doors open, with Parker leaning on you. Mary stare at you from a distance, but unconsciously slowly walk toward you. Getting closer, they hear your voice. You were singing a song, 'You're gonna be okay' by Jenn Johnson, your voice is soothing your son.

  On your lap, you have a small knitting project, hopefully making something worth trading for food. When you were scavenging a house, the former resident who unfortunately was rotted on the floor, had been a passionate knitter. You took some yarn, needles and a book on knitting for amateurs, then taught yourself how to knit.

  Parker is trying to get some sleep after long nights with nightmares. And he isn't feeling well, which isn't surprising, he's starving. It's very difficult to get food lately. You and Ethan give your kids bigger portions than yourselves, but you also have to be strong enough to protect them, especially when they're weaker. So it's a hard time for your family.

  You stopped in this city to see if you could find anything here or close by, you went on the market first. When you didn't find enough food from the market that you can afford and didn't have anything else to trade with, Ethan and the others went out hunting in case they could find anything outside the city. He brought Mia, since he knew there wouldn't be much to hunt outside that would make it too dangerous and he takes the chance to teach her necessary hunting skills. Also to just spend time with her. She was super excited to learn more about hunting and to spend quality time with her Dad.

  "It's just the song you used to sing to us when we were young, Mom." Jake tells Mary.

Mary gaze at you in wonder, also a feeling a deep sadness at the loss of her first born. While she listens to you singing, memories flash in her mind. The moment Edward and her found out they were gonna have a child, they were young, but couldn't be happier about the news. She remembers and can almost feel the touch of when she held her son for the first time. He had taken forever to get out and she had been in excruciating pain during the long birth. But the moment the nurse put him in her arms, the pain and discomfort was completely forgotten.

She sees a memory of Edward teaching Ethan to ride a bike. How Ethan fell, but Edward encouraged him to never give up. She remembers the first day she left him for school, and the day he left for the military. She savours the moment when he held his siblings for the first time after they were born.

  Parker glance around and notice the woman. Mary see the child staring at her and smiles friendly to him. Something about her feels so welcoming that to even his own surprise, he climbs down from the jeep and start walking in her direction. He carefully and tentatively stroll toward her, clutching his teddy in his arms.

  When you see him walking to a woman, you slowly stand up and follow him, to be closer and watch. You want to give him some space and see how he did. This is a first, that he takes initiative to interact with anyone new, especially a stranger. You watch him, still singing. The woman he's approaching has grey hair, and you guess her age by thinking she probably has grandchildren, though it's not that easy to guess. Her hair is grey, but she might seem a lot younger than she actually is. She is also beautiful. She is fit and look healthy, she has probably stayed active with little to none health issues all her life.

  You know the song is something both Mia and Parker felt a lot better when you sing it to them. When Ethan was injured or just felt down, you sing to him too and it helps him.

  You won't forget the first time you sung it, Ethan's reaction was shock. He's eyes started watering and you were startled thinking you did something wrong. But he shook his head and begged you to continue. He fell asleep to it with a tear falling down his cheek. The next day he told you his mother used to sing it to him when he was a kid.