Emphatic

Chapter 13

"My name is Jour Barrow" The pregnant woman said as she caressed her sleeping child next to her.

"I see, what a lovely name. What about your little one here?" The chief said fondly to her and pats her head making Jour flinched at their gesture.

"Oh sorry! Didn't mean to do that haha" They said awkwardly and the healer and the guard just sighs.

"It's alright…uhm" Jour looks at her child and smiles.

"This is Cale. Cale Barrow"

The three thought that Jour was an incredibly beautiful woman but when she smiles at her child.

She looks majestic.

"Ah, ahem. Let’s proceed to the topic, Miss Jour…Can you tell us what happened to you and little Cale?” The healer said and looked at her worriedly. Jour flinches and shakingly looks down.

There was a long silence throughout the room. No one could even speak at that moment and the healer thinks that they might have been rushing her. They’re about to speak until they get cut off by Jour.

“Three people broke into our home in the middle of the morning… It was very sudden…. and my husband .... tried to delay them while I carried Cale and immediately ran to the forest with emergency supplies from him.”

“Where’s your husband now?” The guard asks.

“Dead…Decapitated by them” She said softly, shaking to not let her sleeping child hear as she covered his ears.

“Your child doesn’t know yet huh” The chief said and she nodded.

There was long silence again until the healer clapped their hands.

“Well then, how about this, you can stay here as long as you like and we will be here to protect you and your children” They smiled at her softly and the other two were just flabbergasted.

“I haven’t even decide–“

“Shut it chief” The healer cuts them off and the chief just sighed in defeat while the guard pats his shoulder.

“Yes”

“Good”

As Jour observes them, she couldn’t help but let out a laugh. It was the first time in months that she didn't have a good laugh.

While doing that, the three blush from embarrassment or how Jour looks even more beautiful when laughing or both. They couldn't tell but it is a good thing they made her laugh after the tragedy, so it's definitely a win.

"Mmmh, Mom?" The child awakes sleepily making Jour go silent immediately and let out a whisper "oops".

"You're finally awake…" Cale said as he let out a yawn.

"I was worried, you know" He said sleepily and pouted.

“A-And I-I thought y-you’re…you’re—*sob*”  Beginning to cry, Jour couldn't help but feel guilty about what happened at the gate.

"Sorry Cale, I didn't mean to do that. Mom is sorry" She hugged him and patted his back while her child was crying. Then she noticed the three who were signalling her questioning if they should leave for now until Cale finally calmed down.

She nods and softly says “Thank you” before they leave and gives her thumbs up.

She looks at her child still crying from what happened to her. She didn’t even want to let this happen to her but in desperation to survive and get protected with her children, she forced herself to move even if it’s hard when she’s 5 months now.