St Chaos Healer

Ch 69 - Bidding Goodbyes

The camp had come alive with activity. White-cloaked figures hurriedly packed their belongings into the wagons under the tanned woman's guidance. The mercenaries were also receiving their instructions amidst the bustle, creating a sense of controlled chaos.

Amidst this flurry of movement, the Almond family remained in a quiet corner, a bit removed from the commotion.

My mother held me tightly, her arms draped around my neck as if reluctant to let go. Beside her, my father stood, affectionately ruffling my hair. At that moment, a profound silence enveloped us, and words seemed to falter in the face of the emotions we shared.

For a stretch of minutes, we simply stood together, wrapped in the cocoon of our shared love, a charged stillness hanging in the air. Amid this emotional pause, I found myself feeling a touch suffocated by their overwhelming affection.

Clearing my throat, I finally managed, "I think it's time for me to go..."

My mother's grip around my neck tightened playfully, and she shot me a mock glare.

"Whoa, hold on a second! Nobody said it was time to leave yet. Why are you in such a rush to escape your mother's clutches and hang out with those strangers over there?"

I managed to wriggle free from her grasp,
"Oh, come on now! They made it quite clear that we were still not out of danger, and those assassins might come sniffing us anytime. I am just worried for your safety."

Dad joined in the conversation with a chuckle, his eyes gleaming with affection,
"Well, it looks like our little one has grown up faster than we thought. Now he's worried about his parent's safety."

My mother, sporting a mischievous glint in her eyes, suddenly pinched my nose, "Aww, our little worrier is concerned about his dear parents? That's adorable! But you know what, dear son? You might want to redirect that worry towards yourself."

Here we go, I muttered in my thoughts.

She continued,
"Can you even manage to stick to a proper sleep schedule or get dressed without my intervention? And those Royal Academy folks won't be there to sort out your underwear or guide you through your sock choices. So before you fuss too much over us, try to get your own worries resolved first."

I shot a glance at my dad, silently pleading for help! But he just shrugged, a grin tugging at his lips. It seemed I had opened a can of banter for me to clean up.

Taking a deep breath, I surrendered, adopting a mock tone of surrender, "Alright, Mother, fine. I'll not further worry about your safety, okay?."

My mother's frustration only seemed to heighten at my response,
"Oh, so now you've suddenly become a big shot, huh? You're all high and mighty now that you're joining a royal academy. It's quite the bold move to say that you don't care about your parents anymore," she chided, her tone a mix of annoyance, as she pinched my ear.

"Wait I didn't mean-", I just dropped my shoulders in submission.

She continued,
"When I said not to worry it doesn't mean you shouldn't care about your parents at all! I didn't know I raised you in such a manner, did I? I remember when you were just a little baby and helpless! Unable to do anything, not even keep on the diapers. Look at you now, trying to act all grown up and arrogant... blah blah blah"

And with that, my mother launched into one of her trademark nagging sessions. While a part of me was exasperated, another part realized I might miss her scoldings when I was away.

She went on for a good 7 or 8 minutes on her rant.
She told me life lessons like respecting my elders, recounting the little mischiefs I'd gotten into as a child, the crockery I'd accidentally broken, and how I used to detest wearing nappies. She shared anecdotes of teaching me to read, the ups and downs of growing up, and all the little moments that had woven our lives together.