Crimson Rebirth

Part 13

As sunlight started to peek into the window, Genevieve woke up from the rocking chair. She finally had more of a chance to actually sleep like a normal person, or at the very least, normal for her.

 And with that, came rising with the sun.

 She glanced to Oryn, who was still curled up, fast asleep in his crib. The crib itself was placed in such a way that the rising sun wouldn't wake him up until it was nearly noon, thus granting the baby the ability to wake up whenever he was ready. She crept from the room, as silently as possible.

 The outside of the house, a two-story shoin-zukuri house, she had seen the day before. From the fusuma windows, Gene could see two large plots in front of the house specifically for farming, and an orchard to the left. The right housed a barn, where she could hear the animals starting to awaken from their sleep.

 In a way, Gene thought, I suppose I'm not so different from them. We both begin rising at sunrise.

Her wandering brought her to the living room, a danro meticulously cleaned and unlit. In his home, it seemed more like  a square fireplace with stone and sand for the wood, and stone bricks along the border to keep any stray embers from falling onto the tatami mats she figured that he took pride in. 

 Why he took pride in his tatami mats? Gene wasn't entirely sure, but he definitely made sure to try and keep them as clean as he could, so far as making sure to take his boots off before entering the home. She, of course, did the same, mimicking what he did. After all, her grandmother had instilled a strong sense of respect for another's home.

  The main living room floor was not the only occupiable space; behind the staircase was something of a study, accessible by two sliding doors on either side, and rather quite laden with papers of importance. However, on his walls he kept what appeared to be children's calligraphy, signed by two names: Gaerrus and Einvell. The broken spear that Gene had tied before was tucked away in a small shrine in the corner of said workspace, with smoldering incense and candles. From the small collection of ashes, it was lit months ago.

 It then dawned on her that it was a shrine dedicated to the deceased, and from the calligraphy, it was to one of the two sons.

 So the man had been in mourning...and perhaps he still was. Just like her.  

And like her heart broke for her clan, it broke for Kaiju. She couldn't even begin to fathom the pain that losing one of his sons had placed him in, regardless of the circumstances.

 She had nursed parents when healing wasn't enough to save their children's lives. She had seen firsthand how heartbreaking it was for them, but having never had children herself, she couldn't begin to imagine how it felt to have their children, their whole world, taken in the blink of an eye, a single breath. There, and gone.

 Gene wasn't aware that she was shedding tears until she raised her hand to her cheek to dry them.

  "Mama?" The question came from Addy, who stood at the doorway of the workspace. Perhaps she mistook Gene, as she pouted a little.

 She walked over and asked timidly, "...bite?"  

 "Hungry, babydoll?" Gene asked, tearing her eyes away from the little shrine. She bent over, picking Addy up. "What do you want to eat?"  

 Addy hummed and pointed outside. She asked, "Appwah?"  

 Gene laughed warmly, carrying the little girl outside. "Find one you like, okay?" She asked, heading to the orchard. "And I'll pick it for you~"  

 Addy nodded. She searched and searched until a pretty red one caught her eye. She reached for it with all the effort a two year old could.  

 Gene reached up and grabbed it, twisting gently so the stem came with it. "You like this one?" She asked, checking the apple over to make sure there weren't any bugs on it or any blemishes before giving it to Addy.  

 Addy nodded and munched on it. She hummed and snuggled to Gene, as happy as she could be. She looked up at Gene and asked, "Where Mama?"  

 Gene smiled at Addy, carrying her back to the house. "Kaiju is getting your Mama right now, dearest Addy~" She said, petting the girl's hair. "And he'll be back with Mama in a few days."  

 Addy nodded and asked, "Where Papa?"  

Gene thought for a moment. Papa? She asked herself, before quickly coming up with some sort of explanation. "He's at work."

 
 Addy frowned and nodded. She nestled up to Gene, mumbling, "Miss Mama and Papa..."  

 "I know sweetie." Gene said, her voice a gentle hum, as though the trees themselves were whispering reassurances to the little girl. "You'll get to see Mama soon, okay? I promise."  

  Addy nodded. As if on cue a baby's howl shrieked from inside the house, the sound of a baby woken from a bad dream.

 Addy whined and pawed Gene. "Oryn..."  

  Gene nodded her head, rushing inside and setting Addy down after kicking off her shoes outside and closing the door. She ran right up to the baby's room.

 "Easy Oryn~" She sang out gently, walking over to him. "It's okay, just a dream~"  

 Oryn reached for Gene, crying pitifully for at least some form of comfort. He sucked his lip; perhaps he was hungry too.  

 Gene swept him into her arms, bouncing him gently as she walked downstairs to get him a bottle. "Easy~ Genie's got you~" She hummed, keeping him close to her chest to help bring him further comfort.  

 Of course this prompted Oryn to start sucking at her shirt, as if attempting to breastfeed. He whimpered and cried much harder, unable to obtain the end goal of his searching.  

 Gene shook her head. "I don't have any milk there for you." She said, getting the bottle prepared. Once the milk was in the bottle, she offered it to Oryn, holding it so he could drink.  

 Oryn mouthed the bottle, but fussed and fussed. It wasn't his mother, but he accepted it begrudgingly. He glared at Gene, his eyes speaking more than what the seven month old baby could form in words.  

 Gene helplessly shrugged. "Your Momma will be here in a few days. I know you'd prefer to nurse from her, but for now, we have to make due with what we have available, okay?"  

 As Oryn drank the bottle, shooting looks that would kill if they could, and Addy played, Genevieve's mind started to wander again as her eyes rested upon the rose seeds.

 Unfortunately for her, not to the worries she was usually plagued with. No, this time it was memories that flooded her, memories that started with a single seed.

A single rose seed.