The Revolution Came

Intermission: Promise

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The setting sun cast a warm orange glow over the streets, painting long shadows against the cobblestones. People, rich and poor, strong and weak, moved through the evening, caught in the rhythms of their lives, indifferent to the burdens carried by a lone man limping home.

Cody's steps were slow, his injured ankle pulsing with pain, but still, he smiled.

Despite everything, it felt like he was in a dream.

For a moment, he let himself believe in the illusion. The ache in his bones, the tension in his muscles- it was all worth it if it meant something better for those he loved.

Yet the dream shattered the moment he reached his front door.

His fingers lingered on the handle as he slowly, carefully pushed it open. Maybe, just maybe, Jazmin wasn't home yet.

"Cody? Is that you, love?"

His heart sank.

Sighing, he removed his coat, hanging it up as he forced his voice to sound normal. "Yes, love. Just taking off my coat."

But her footsteps were already approaching.

"How was the meet-?" Jazmin's words trailed off the moment she took in his disheveled appearance. Her eyes flicked downward, landing on his ankle.

The bruising. The swelling. The way he tried to shift his weight away from it.

"What happened to your leg?!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side. Before he could protest, her arms were already supporting him, guiding him toward the living room with urgency.

"Who did this to you?" Her voice was laced with both concern and barely restrained anger. "Did you stop them? Did anyone see? Did-"

The flood of questions hit him all at once, making his already weary head spin.

"Jazmin, love, it's not that bad," Cody tried to reassure her, offering a small, tired smile.

"Not that bad?!" she nearly shouted, eyes flashing.

He gently grabbed her hands, giving them a light squeeze. His smile faltered, but there was something somber in his expression now, something that made her chest tighten.

"Jazmin... please."

His voice was quiet.

A heavy silence stretched between them.

Her frustration melted into something else, something more fragile.

She stared at him for a long moment before sighing, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

Cody took a deep breath. "I know it's bad. I know there are plenty of people who hate me for my role in all of this. But I have to keep going. Because if I don't, if I stop now, who will fight for a better future? For us? For our children? For everyone we love?"

Jazmin swallowed hard.

She wanted to argue. Wanted to tell him how much it hurt to see him like this, to watch him get torn apart by the very world he was trying to fix.

But instead, she just lifted a hand and gently pressed her fingers to his lips.

"Enough, love."

Cody blinked.

"You don't need to explain," she murmured. "Just rest. I'll get the medical supplies for your ankle."

He exhaled, relief washing over him. "Thank you, love."

She kissed him lightly before disappearing down the hall.

Cody leaned back in his recliner, finally letting the exhaustion settle in. His gaze drifted to his swollen ankle, a grim reminder of the price he'd paid today.

But his mind was already wandering - to home.

His real home.

Maria had written to him about how things were falling apart in the village. How the land was struggling. How the people still whispered his name like a curse despite everything he and Karlos had done for them.

"Karlos and I were always the troublemakers, weren't we?" he mused, fingering the chain of his pocket watch.

The metal was cool in his palm, grounding him in memories of a simpler time.

"If only things were as easy as they were back then."

His eyes grew heavy.

"And to think, I thought I'd still be awake when Jaz came back."

Sleep took him before he could fight it.

_________

Jazmin returned with the medical kit in hand, only to pause at the sight of her husband.

Asleep.

His head was tilted slightly to the side, mouth barely parted, his breathing steady.

She sighed, shaking her head.

"Looks like someone couldn't wait," she murmured, a small, fond smile tugging at her lips.

She carefully rolled up his pant leg, her heart aching at the sight of the bruising around his ankle. Tenderly, she assessed the damage.

No need for a hospital, thank God.

She wrapped the wound in clean bandages, securing a splint to support it before placing a warm cloth on the swelling.

Once satisfied with her work, she sat back and watched him.

She should be furious. She should be yelling at him for being reckless. For letting his ideals hurt him like this.

But how could she?

This was the man she fell in love with, the man who fought for something bigger than himself.

Jazmin reached out, her fingers ghosting over his hand before intertwining their fingers together.

"Foolish, stubborn man," she whispered, brushing her thumb against his knuckles.

And yet-

She wouldn't love him any other way.

To Be Continued