𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰

60 - Flights.

“You can come out now, sweetheart.”

His eyes opened—they can finally open—one soft lid after the other. The brunette’s sugary croon was soothing enough to let him raise a limb, a finger to carefully poke the plane of wood in front of him. Despite the distance, his mother’s voice still sweetly tickled his ears, like candy, and just like his favorite pie. Like nothing happened.

There was a tiny creak; an eerie one that quietly yelled each and every one of her mistake that deprives her of sleep every night. A wobbly breath followed the noise, and then the noise soon became a child.

“Come here, please.”

Aiden did his best, he really did. Yet his mouth forcibly sobbed—just once. Once turned into twice, and then into a crumbling I’m so sorry, mama. His lungs ached, while his heart burned, and his tears cloaked the new bruises on her neck, but they sadly couldn’t hide the blue patch making her cheek swell. It almost felt like a crime to accept her embrace, since he didn’t get to do anything about it, what could an eight year old do about it, but she was still kissing his forehead and threading her fingers into his locks with the warmth of her throat against his cries.

“Oh, hun,” She whispered, the sound so heartbreakingly frail, “It’ll be over soon.”

The child’s eyes shut close in denial, because he’s got enough of confections and he knew better. He inhaled the faint rosemary fixed all over her stained blouse, letting the scent suffocate him to get his senses stranded by the shores of an afternoon dream, wherein her head was the tree, the sound of the waves were her voice, the sand were her arms and–

“Look baby, it’s snowing again.”

Aiden blinked, being awakened from his reverie. It was his fiancée who dissolved the vague cloud shrouding over his wit, who made him realize the sky was actually gray beyond the lavish boundaries of the Arendelle Residence.

The duo was sitting on the sofa near the windows, as Claire was propped up on Elsa’s lap, her little arms wrapped around her mother’s neck. The older blonde was too busy smothering her daughter’s face with kisses, as she adored her favorite small person without a word.

Elsa caught his watchful gaze and her smile widened. She motioned for him to come closer, patting the vacant space next to her. Shyly, he walked over to where she wanted him, his own smile still minimal in form.

“Papa, please tell mama to stop,” Claire whines, still quite stuck around her mother’s embrace.

“Your mama just loves you very much, she couldn’t control the way she wants to show you,” Aiden chuckled, ruffling her hair. Elsa beamed at him, grateful for his explanation, before turning back to press another kiss on Claire’s cheek, “See? Even your papa understands. You’re my baby.”

“Can I have a boyfriend like Bella does?”

Elsa mocked an overly dramatic gasp, a hand squeezed to her chest whilst her expression looked mortified. She knew the child was merely influenced by the little innocent trend around her class at preschool, so why not educate her about it a little. “No sweetie, boyfriends are for grown-ups.”

“But why does Bella have one?”

“Oh, Bella just doesn’t know much about them yet,” Elsa mused, taken aback by the four year old’s question, “Guess what’s going to happen instead though, darling.”

“What’s going to happen, mama?” Claire curiously asked.

“You’re going to be a Nun.”

Aiden finally snorted and bursted into a heap of laughter, hearing his fiancée follow his reaction likewise while a frowning Claire didn’t seem to find her mother’s expense amusing.