"Is Pa home?" Laken asked Ula, as she just stared outside.
"No, he's still on his trip." Ula lied to him,
"You said he would be back today." he began to cry.
"I'm sorry, but it seems like he's going to be out for a few more days. He's very busy." she tried to contain herself.
"Was it the baddies in black?"
She paused, not knowing what to tell him exactly. How could she tell him what really happened to him.
"Sweetie, he's fighting them so they don't hurt anyone else." she decided to say.
"And they're going to come back too." the front door opened, as Hops wobbled in with a crutch.
"Hops! What are you doing here?" she helped him take a seat.
"I had to make sure you guys were safe," he winced as he sat down and put the key from those years ago in his pocket.
"Shouldn't you be resting?"
"Hoppy!" Laken calmed down, as he moved towards him.
"How's the little man doing?" he put his hand up, as Laken smacked it.
"Where's Pa?" he asked again.
Hops looked at Ula, who didn't say a word. He looked back at the boy who stared at him with worry.
"Remember those people wearing those dark clothes." he asked him, to which Laken nodded, "He's taking them out, so when he comes back, they won't come again."
"But Mama told me the same thing."
"Because that's exactly what happened," he promised him.
"I think you should take a nap, come on." Ula picked him, as Laken began to blabber about taking out baddies with the soldier he got.
Hops looked around at the house, remembering the day when they first got here. It was really barren like Suruthum in a bad winter. Sleeping on that floor was miserable, he was glad they had gotten a bed only a few days later. Ula had finally returned however and sat down next to him.
"I don't know what I'm going to do." she covered her face with her hands in frustration.
"He'll return. It's Jamal, it's just a matter of time." he said honestly.
"You really think so? I mean look at you. You got shot, and almost died!" she began to get louder.
"You should probably quiet down so he can sleep. And I didn't die so it's fine."
"Don't tell me what to do about my child! You don't know how it feels to know your loved one is getting in things like this constantly!" she began to tear up. "I think you should leave."
"Alright, but just remember it's Jamal. He's not going down without a fight. If you still need me or to watch Laken, you know where." he struggled to get up, before moving towards the door and looked behind him one last time. "I mean it too."
Ula just watched as he went back outside and closed the door behind him. She looked back at the empty table and thought about her son. She couldn't be alone without Jamal, she knew, as it caused her to cry even more. Where are you Jamal, she asked, where?