With Love: The Motherland

/Chapter 51/

It's been three days since the fight and Natalie's cheek is still swollen and bruised. Hunter had chucked the remote at her face and it left a small scratch at the corner or her eye along with some bruising on her cheekbone.

Hadessa cried when Beau finally allowed her to hold her daughter and she was able to assess the injury. She wishes she had been there to take the hit, she wishes she had told Caspian to run back to the room because it's clear what he saw traumatized him. Hadessa wishes she had never forced Jackson to got out and get that pump, and as much as she wishes none of this happened, she does not and cannot regret meeting and marrying Jackson. Her heart refuses.

"Caspian, come tell me how you feel today".

Caspian takes his eyes from the door and looks up at her with empty blue eyes, "hm?"

"Come here, I wanna give you some loving".

He looks down at her outreaching hand and shakes his head, "I'm okay".

Hadessa's heart breaks, "what do you mean? You love my hugs and kisses! Okay well I need some so please do it for me?"

He sighs deeply and gets up from his spot on the couch and walks over to her. Hadessa lays Natalie down on the couch and and pulls Caspin to her lap. She holds him tightly against her chest and tears escape her eyes when she feels how thin he has gotten, how weak his body feels than when she first got back to him.

"You can always tell me how you feel inside Caspian. Tell me how your heart feels, if it's sad, happy, stressed, worried. I'm your Mommy, I always want to know".

His body has been stiff during the whole hug but he manages to nod in agreement.

"Uncle Hunter is bringing his family today".

Hadessa pulls away and stares at him as her heart beats like crazy, "What do you mean! Like his wife and kids?"

Hunter and Beau had left about an hour ago but they like usual did not say where they were going. Hadessa figured it was to the store because they didn't wear camo or carry guns for hunting.

Caspian nods, "they dont like me".

She sighs, "don't worry about them, Natalie and I love you and I'm gonna be here for you okay?"

He nods and starts to wiggle from her lap, "can I hold her now? I'll be gentle".

"Of Course Baba! Here, hold her like this because she likes her head up".

They probably sit there for another good hour before Hadessa decides to start on dinner. Usually Beu leaves a preference on what he wants to eat for dinner which he writes on a sticky note and leaves on the fridge every morning, but today he didn't make one meaning Hadessa can choose.

She usually doesn't care what they eat so she asked Caspian who choose spaghetti and garlic bread. Hunter hates spaghetti-well spaghetti sauce in particular. The man hates any food that's red besides his meat. Hadessa gags every time she has to watch him eat blue steak and at times blood does seep from it.

So to avoid another tantrum, she gets another pan out and starts making white sauce for Hunter's dish. By the time she's done cooking it's 7pm and they still aren't back. She knows Caspian is hungry because they last ate at 12pm but he has been talking way less and she notices he's scared of asking for things after Beau screamed at him last week.

"Are you sure you don't want a snack Cas? I know your hungry, come on, I'll have one with you".

He shakes his head no and continues to stare at the TV although Hadessa knows he's not really watching it. Just zoning out but keeping his eyes on it so she doesn't worry more about him.