Cruel World (The Tribe Book 1)

28. Mum and Dad?

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TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of ED

Sitting in front of the fountain, Sasha, with the assistance of Trudy, is entertaining the kids by describing everyone as fruit and veg.

"Amber gives you something to bite on, but deep down she's quite sweet," he says, making Trudy and I especially giggle, giving each other a knowing look.

Brady babbles in my lap, wanting to feel included, making the kids giggle at her, Cloe tickling her belly, making her squeal and squirm in my lap, causing the kids to laugh more.

"What's Salene?" Patsy asks.

"A potato," he decides.

"Thanks," Salene says with snark, and I give her a warning look, and she spots it and looks away, avoiding my gaze.

"Hey, potatoes are one of the staples of life. We turn to you for comfort, much like our lovely leader," he justifies, causing the girls to nod.

"Zandra is a stick of celery, very elegant," he says with a cheeky look, making me chuckle.

"Hardly need any dressing for that at all!" Trudy says, having been 'dressing up' the fruit.

"What's Trudy?" KC asks.

"I guess she'd be broccoli at heart," he thinks.

"How come?" Patsy asks as KC cuddles into my side, and I lean over to give him a kiss on the head.

"Cooked just right, broccoli is tender and delicious, even sweet. But overcook it, and it turns to mush," he says.

"Accurate," I nod with a cheeky wink at Trudy.

"Hey!" she playfully whines, making the others laugh.

I give Trudy an eyebrow wiggle, giving a nod towards Flynn sitting on the stairs as if to say 'he'd know' and she gives me another look playfully telling me off with her eyes.

"I don't think we have any though," Sasha says, looking in the basket.

"No, I used the last of it making the soup last night," I tell him.

"Can I have a look at that?" Salene asks, referring to the potato Trudy has just finished dressing up, and she passes it over with a gentle smile, hoping to offer comfort to her, knowing she needs it right now.

"What's Leia?" Cloe asks.

"It's so hard to choose, there's so many she could be. Only talking food, she'd be an orange, symbolic of creativity, positive energy, luck, and fertility, at least where the garden is concerned. If we're talking all plants, she could be bamboo, giving us longevity, strength and grace. She could be Ivy, dependant, endurable and faithful. A lily flower, symbolic of her affection for those she loves. So many more, there isn't just one to describe her," Sasha says, and I blush at all the complements, and everyone smiles at me.

"Definitely sounds like my beautiful fiancé," Martin says, coming in from guard duty.

He wanders over and gives me a kiss, before sitting down on the other side of KC, giving him a fist bump and Cloe a high five, as those are the kids closest to us.

"Okay, got the characters, so what's the story?" Sasha asks, looking for suggestions.

"How the tribe was formed," Patsy suggests.

"Tell how Amber and Dal rescued me from the Locos," Cloe adds.

"Not again!" KC whines, and I give him a gentle flick on the nose.