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『 chapter xl: TO PAINT THE PAIN AWAY. 』
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IT WAS A WARM DAY ON THE QUILEUTE REZ and because of some random superstition that the tribe had, it usually meant that a baby was being born. June vividly remembers being told that as a young girl and her grandma taking her to some lucky pregnant woman's home, little Juniper peeking in the birthing room when she heard the cry of a newborn cut through the warm air. In fact, thinking about it, she remembers the day that Seth Clearwater was born; June was maybe five or six years old. Sue, Seth's mom, had labored him for only a few hours. He didn't cry immediately and that scared her grandmother until they tapped his back and a fierce sound of life came from his new lungs. Sue had urged her to come into the room and let her sneak a peek at Seth, all small and smelling of new baby. Leah was older than her but had been jumping in her place with excitement when her baby brother was born, initially she was disappointed he was a boy, but June remembers how sweetly Leah had kissed Seth's baby nose.
It was all precious and lovely.
Her thoughts went to that place of bliss because she was currently helping Star with her pregnancy symptoms. June had been close with her mom when she was pregnant with Willie and she knew just how much the purity that radiated from within June lured people to her, but it seemed that her friendship with Star extended that connection.
"I told Jared that I loved him," Star's voice blurts out as June moves her hand over her stomach. "By accident."
June stops what she's doing. She smiles a bit, "How do you accidentally tell someone you love them, Star?" She shakes her head. "Pray tell."
"We were talking about how quick times passing," Star mumbles, fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket. Her hazel eyes cloud. "Jared wants to move into our own place, he's got the money for it ... he said how he'd build a good kids room and even an extra room for Phoebe, he kept going on and including her in everything and it was just so assuring for me, you know? Phoebe never met our mom and my dad's trying his best now he's out of prison but ... Phoebe belongs with me."
