ATHENA

TWENTY FOUR

The ending was really beautiful to write🥺.

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They were awake as early as five in the morning. A lot of work needed to be done. From washing to cleaning to gardening.

As the day broke, Leonard finally got down a nearby tree he had been trying to fell for days, every day earning it's own couple of axe chops. While he chopped wood, Athena watered the vegetables. While he gathered the logs, Athena mended his torn shirts inside. When she washed their clothes and was ready to dry, Leonard was already done with his own work.

"Can I get a hand?"Athena said by the wires.

"Sure." Leonard raised himself from the stool and went over to help her spread the clothes on the wire.

"Here." She handed him one end of the heavily soaked bedsheet and pulled the other end to herself. "We'll bring our ends together, roll and squeeze."

He followed suit and water from the sheet came spouting to the ground. He helped her spread it across the wire.

She picked up another sheet. "If I'm being very honest, I really can't stop thinking about our people. The more time we spend here, the more I worry."

"Ouch." He said blandly.

She looked at him. "What?"

"It hurts to know spending time with me does not in any way dampen your worries."

She seemed flustered for a couple of seconds, before she huffed. "You... you know that was not what I meant."

He paused to look at her. The look on her face made him burst into laughter.

"It's not funny."

"I'm sorry." He tried to straighten his lips but the twinkle of amusement in his blue eyes gave him away.

Her face fell. "I'm serious."

The humor in his eyes faded.

She searched his eyes. "Don't you... worry about them?"

He pulled her close to him, his voice low. "Of course I do. I just try not to let it consume me. As you should."

"I know. But we've been here for almost two months. Jordan told me the estimated duration for the war would be two months."

"Then we must have faith then. Have faith that the war is running to an end and we are having the upper hand."

"But how do we really know? Besides faith, we need proof. We need assurance that everything is fine. That the war is indeed coming to an end. I feel so anxious with not knowing what is actually going on over there." She grabbed his lower arms, not breaking eye-contact with him. "I need to know our people are alright."

He was touched by her vehemence. He felt the urgency of it even. He broke eye-contact with her, musing. "Perhaps we can send a message."