"Mama, where we going?" Spruce'endoor asked me as he looked up at me from my lap.
"We're going to see daddy!" I told him as his eyes grew wide with excitement. And that was only the start of it, I had to hold him down to stop him from bouncing about.
"Daddy!" he cheered with some uncertainty before he giggled at me and played with my face.
"No, stop that." I laughed as I moved him away from my face. Holding him up before me while he tried to reach for the table that was just out of reach with his points. And that made me smile in anticipation. Me and my dear Oak talked a lot about Spruce's first pair of tubes.
We were going to make them ourselves after he could walk on his own. And that saddened me at the same time, because that time has long past. Yet, I kept his points bare so I could do that with him. I withheld so many of my desires just so my dear Oak could do them with me.
And now we were going to be a family again! So we could and very much would be filling in for lost time. I just had to wish that Rose'lhia's intentions were entirely pure. I could not doubt her want to help my son.
Vile as she was, she showed nothing but care for children. She took her job seriously and for a while, once upon a time, I was grateful for it. But then she orchestrated my kidnapping by osibindah... She scarred me for life and tried to make my dear Oak forget me...
Were it not for that human, I might not even known that my son was born. Concerned as I was for my own safety. I was willing to set it aside to some extent for my precious little one. And while I could not trust her with anything else, I could trust her with my son's safety.
I just wished I did not need to do so. If I could, I would've made this journey on my own. But I was never going to be strong enough. Even with the wind-people's help during my stay at that mountain. And there was no way that Valkinvar would ever help me over something so insignificant.
If that human boy was still around, maybe I would ask for his help. He did save me from the thorns following Rose'lhia's spiteful requests, after all. But he just disappeared all of a sudden. I wish I could thank him at some point, though.
For now, however, I would have to be content with what was going to happen soon. I'd be walking into our Garden-Mount and I would present Spruce to my dear Oak. He could hold his son for the first time and then me...
"Mama?" my son asked as he started to stroke at the wet streaks on my cheeks.
"It's alright, my darling. Everything is going to be alright." I tell him with a smile as he continued to wipe away my tears. Then I pulled him in close for a tight hug before I looked out at the valley's below. I yearned to go back to my old life for a while now. Even if I sat around doing whatever I needed to at our flower.
We still went places, the immobility of the wind-people's way of life always felt strange. Many of those I spoke to back there as well felt the same way. Yet, their families were there on that mountain. So it became a luxury they were willing to let go off...
And that worried me. Was Rose'lhia willing to let go of her standards for this journey...?