SOLOMON

CHAPTER 15

SOLOMON

"Whatcha doin, Pa?" I smiled when I heard that voice. I looked over my shoulder and saw my little son, standing there with his wild and curly hair. 

"I'm chopping some wood. You wanna help?"

Milo's eyes brighten and he nods his head, "Yeah I wanna help!"

I chuckle and stand up. His small form came running and stood beside me, waiting for instruction. I got a smaller axe and a very small piece of wood and placed it on the tree stump.

"Come stand in front of me, Milo." He did as told. I bend down and hold his arms.

"Now you hold the axe high. And then with all your might, you slam it down unto the wood okay?"

Milo nodded with a scrunched up face. I stopped myself from laughing. He looks so serious, but his face is all mushed up. Similar to Ayla's concentrating face.

He raised the axe over his head and slammed it down on the wood. It spilt in half instantly.  I smiled in pride. My son is strong.

"That was so good Milo!"

He looked over his shoulder in a toothy smile. I chuckled and told him to continue. The sound of foot steps reached my ear. I stood up and grabbed Milo. I pulled him behind me, holding his shirt as I assessed the area. I watched carefully for a threat of any kind.

Milo was very quiet as he held unto my arm. However, I sighed in relief when I saw Xander coming out of the woods.

I let go of Milo and he went back to chopping the wood like nothing happened. I felt strange about it. He so easily handled such an intense situation.

"Milo are you okay?"

He was picking the wood off of the stump and nodded his head.

"Weren't you scared?" Any normal child would be freaked out.

He just simply shrugged his shoulders, "I'm okay. I don't need to be scared because the scary moment is over."

He got over it so quickly. A little too quickly.

As he put another piece of wood unto the stump he said, "Ma would put me in the closet before the scary stuff happens. And then once I'm out I can be okay."

I leaned forward and asked, "When would it be scary?"

"When old Ken comes around," he positioned the wood exactly in the middle, "He would come like a big monster to try and hurt me. But Ma is so strong that she would fight him. I promised Ma that when I grew up, I would be able to fight the monster and protect her instead." And then he chopped the small piece of wood.

I leaned back in my wooden chair and thought over what he had just said. Ayla would fight Kendrick. She would physically fight him. I felt this ache in my chest...and not the good kind. It had a slight burning sensation that made me want more air. Guilt. I felt guilty because I pushed her there.

Xander made his way towards me and  sat down in one of the chairs.

"Hey." He greeted.

I nodded my head, "What's up."

Xander released a tired sigh, "I bumped into Ayla in the woods."

"What?" I snapped, "Why is she in the woods when Kendrick is around? She told me she was going to see Zay."

Xander shook his head, "Well she wasn't seeing Zay."

I rub my eyes with my one hand and groaned, "I don't know how to handle her. I want to make it better. I want to fix it but she won't let me!"