Coming home

Seeing mom’s shape even at a distance just made things feel that much better.  Maybe it was better at a distance for when she came close he got a great memory of her injury.  That scar working to mend on her face was something that would never let them forget.  Still, he gave his mom a tired smile.  He would have hugged her right away but then Rudyard just stood there so mom could look him over.  A few pounds lighter, a few muscles stronger but overall he seemed well enough.  “I’m ok mom,” The boy whispered in assurance, and there it was, she had him embraced in a hug.  The boy melted his head into her fur, a smile for a moment on him glad to feel his mom again.

Unfortunately, he had some explaining to do.  He thought of stepping back to explain but mom was squeezing him harder and he didn’t feel any real reason to exist. “No one here knew a cure for mom, so I went to find one.”  It seemed a pretty straightforward and obvious answer to him.  His voice dropped after that in some guilt, “no one knew anything.  I went up pretty far and I asked around a lot but no one knew anything.  Though I did hear some tell me about plants that could help calm mom.  Something called cannabis I was told might help.”  It wasn’t much but, was it at least something.  

“Is she ok? I mean, she’s still here right?  I came back, you know, in time?” In time to see her even if not in time to save her.  For all he thought of stepping back a moment ago now he shoved his face in deeper to his mom.  It was too soon, he couldn’t lose her yet, right?  Rudy clung to the touch and reality of this mom to try and hide from the words he dreaded to hear from Tam.

Rudyard Carpathius