Crimson Rebirth

Part 17

 "Genevieve......?"

 A quiet, gentle voice broke through the fog her mind was in as a gentle thumb, rough from years of work, caressed her cheek.

 "Genevieve........" The voice said again, albeit more insistently. The scent of cooked fish, rice, and vegetables tickled her nose. She opened her eyes slowly, noting with familiarity the blurry, vaguely humanoid shape before her.

 "There we go...." Kaiju said, a smile on his lips. "Time to wake up, Genevieve."

 "Wh......." She tried to speak, but her voice still seemed to believe that it was sleeping time still. "What day is it....?"

 "Well, you slept for an entire day, that makes it.... Wednesday." Kaiju said gently, looking her face over as if to make sure she was unharmed. "You sort of fell asleep on me."

 "Sorry!" She said, slowly sitting up with a stretch and a yawn. "Was very very tired..."

 "I could tell. Got concerned when you didn't wake up yesterday." He said gently, as though Gene were fragile enough that a gust of wind the wrong way would break her to pieces.

 "Didn't mean to concern you...." Gene rubbed an eye with a smile, and one wormed its way onto Kaiju's face as well.

 "Eat up, Gene." He said, tilting his head towards the tray with food on it. The smile on his face told her that her worrying him was of no consequence, especially now that he was reassured that she was okay. "I'll be outside, tending the farm should you need anything."

 Gene nodded her head, before tilting it to the side, noting the lack of tiny running feet, or the cry of an infant.

 "Their mother took them home while you slept." Kaiju answered her unasked question. "For the time being, it is only the two of us."

 She nodded, covering a yawn as she stretched more. "That makes sense...." Gene said, a sleepy smile on her face. "Will you need help?"

 He let out a breath of air that could've been a chuckle. "If you are feeling up for it, Genevieve, I could use a hand." His hand gently petted her hair. "Don't want you to feel like you have to, after all, you did just wake up."

 "I want to!" She chirped, her eyes dancing in the sunlight that streamed through the window. Kaiju chuckled and nodded. "Alright then. After you eat."

 He left the room, unable to stop the smile on his face and she turned to eat.

  A few minutes later, after Gene had eaten and cleaned up, she strolled outside, feeling the warm autumn sun on her face, coupled with the crisp autumn breeze. It tousled her low ponytail, carefully pulled back so she could help. 

 Kaiju looked up and smiled, seeing her in a brown and green dress, before nodding towards the other side of the field, the dirt a dark brown from a recent rain. "There's a satchel over there, can you start weeding?"

 "Can do~" She sang scampering over to the satchel. For the moment, it appeared she had forgotten what happened with Jaxton barely two days ago.

 Yet Gene refused to look at the rosebush used to kill him.

  With practiced ease, Gene began pulling the roots of weeds out, tucking them into the satchel as she quietly listed their names. "Pigweed, lambsquarter, chickweed....." She murmured, naming the taller week that gave a partial resemblance to bluebells, the weed that looked dusty from a distance due to a frosty white coating on the surface of the leaves, and a weak, slender stem with small white petals detailed the third.

 She continued to quietly name, unaware of the passing of time as the feeling of dirt on her hands, under her nails, lulled her into a sense of familiarity. She worked diligently, right up until she felt a familiar nose against her arm.