Blood Floweret

« Chapter Five »

She wandered back to the living room. 

She was subconsciously hoping the children would still be playing there because she just wanted to hang out with them. She didn't have to worry about rogues threatening their lives and she didn't need to leave to protect them. She could stay with them and listen to their stories, she could bond with them in the way she had wanted for so long. They still have innocent, pure souls, and she was still protective of them. 

She found Beth, the Luna Queen, scolding Leo. She paused in the doorway to watch. 

"Now what have I told you about putting your fingers in your mouth?" Beth said, shaking a finger. 

Leo slowly looked at his chubby little fingers, "I might bite them off." 

"Exactly, so why would you put a lego in your mouth? You can choke on that!" 

"But it's plastic," Leo argued, "I can't chew it or bite it off!" 

Beth facepalmed, "That's the point." She took a deep breath, "Jesus, okay, just keep everything out of your mouth, please?" 

"Even food?" Leo's entire face fell.

"No--yes. No, I mean, no," Beth groaned, "Why did you have to be so smart? You can eat food, okay, but nothing else. No toys, no fingers, no crayons. You don't want your teeth stained purple for a week again, do you?" 

Leo smiled, "No, momma." 

"Alright," Beth sighed in relief and then began picking up the toys strewn around the room. When Beth neared the doorway, she finally realized there was company, "Oh, Valencia, you scared me. How long have you been there?" 

She shrugged, "A little bit." 

"How'd it go with my big bad King?" Beth inquired, smiling. 

"Pretty good. He agreed to take my pack and give them a home." 

Beth's eyes lit up, "That's wonderful! I've grown quite attached to Andy already, he talks a lot about you." At the mention of the precious child, their eyes flickered to the couch where Andy was still snoring beneath the blanket. "He really looks up to you, you know?" 

Calvin and Leo grew uninterested in the adult conversation and they chased each other out of the living room into the kitchen. Their laughter and harmless threats were almost music to her ears. They were very happy, as any child should be. 

She sighed, looking back at Beth, "I know. I just wish I could be better for him." 

Beth spun around, faster than any pregnant woman should, with eyes glowing with ferocity, "I don't ever want to hear you say that again. You marched into this pack with your head held high even though you were scared to death. You are the best thing that could ever happen to that little boy." 

She blinked. Beth was in full mother-mode and her tone held so much authority. She felt like a child receiving a scolding, just as Leo had moments ago. She fiddled with her fingers. 

She licked her lips, "I...don't feel like it." She didn't specify emotions, she didn't dig into feelings, she just stated it. A small admittance in the sea of unsaid words. She had done it once, she could do it again. Wasn't that how she was supposed to do it? Just keep trying. 

Beth sat down in one of the armchairs, "Hun, if I could be as strong as you are right now, I could probably take over this entire pack and kick Leroy out." 

She tensed. 

Beth laughed, waving her hand, "I'm only joking, Leroy is the best thing that ever happened to me, I wouldn't dare risk losing him." 

She breathed, telling herself to relax, and then she said, "He's.. uh...really nice." 

"You think? He's always overworking himself trying to right all the wrong. Sometimes I wish he would take a break." Beth was smiling, gazing thoughtfully out the window behind her. 

"Yeah." She cringed, that sounded stupid. She really lacked social skills. 

Beth didn't mind, "He's my second chance mate, you know? I met him at the council, after the Aloysius War. It's funny, isn't it? How after a tragedy, something absolutely beautiful can happen," Beth turned to look at her, a firm look in her eye, "But only if you let it."

Those words were meant for her, directed straight at her, and she looked away instinctually. 

Beth only sighed, softly, "It will take time. You just need time to figure things out and start to heal from it all. I just want you to know that every single one of us is here for you, okay? I might be busy with the kids or meetings, but I'll make time for you if you need to talk. Will you think about it?" 

She meekly nodded. She hadn't a clue what to say. The greatest kindness was being extended to her and she was still figuring out how she should react to it. So, she didn't forget her manners, and she quietly said a polite thank you. 

At that exact moment, Deikota waddled in, "Oh, hey! I found you guys at last! I was wondering where Calvin was getting into trouble, I found them in the kitchen trying to steal candies from the jar." Both pregnant women rolled their eyes. 

Kota made her way to the couch and sat down next to Andy, subconsciously rubbing her stomach once more. She realized it was a common thing that pregnant women did very often. Andy didn't even stir, the poor kid must be exhausted from the past few weeks. 

"So, what are we talking about?" Deikota looked between the two of them, "You guys look like you just told your deepest secrets and I missed it." 

Beth laughed, "Kota, I swear to god, you might have mellowed down with kids but your mouth never aged. It's none of your business, is that good enough for you?" 

Kota stuck her tongue out, "Whatever, Bethany." 

She felt out of place when they continued teasing each other. Maybe they noticed, or maybe they didn't care, but as she was about to excuse herself, Kota smiled up at her and asked, "What do you think, Val? Should we throw a party the weekend before our due dates? What theme should do?" 

"Oh," She said, nervously twiddling her fingers, "I think a forest theme would be nice." 

"A dark green?" Kota said thoughtfully. 

Beth smiled, "I actually really like that idea!" 

"Oh, we could use the Christmas cookie cutters to make trees!" Kota exclaimed, her grin widening, "And we could use the green garland over the doorways. It's close enough to Christmas, we could even leave them up afterward!" 

Suddenly, she didn't feel left out. She didn't feel like an outcast. And even though she didn't contribute much to the conversation besides a few words, she was more than okay with listening to these women. 

Women who inspired her. 

♦          ♦          ♦          ♦          ♦         ♦

I absolutely love this. 

Women empowerment, its such a lovely thing and I wished there was more of it in the world! All these scenes are playing out perfectly and I'm literally just going with the flow. However, watch out for the next chapter! May or may not be a setback coming...

Just for fun...I have discovered these playlist mixes on youtube that I listen to every time I write and it's always sad songs slowed down (or songs to vibe with when you're sad). Oh man, these songs really get me and it helps me place these emotions properly.