Jude
and I'm sick of waiting patiently
Her hand falls halfway, but Jude's meets it, holding tight and giving her something to grip onto even if her joints will not obey her. The tears come harder at her croaked question, because how could she ever think he would stop looking for her no matter how old he grew or how much time passed? "Jamais, maman. Jamais. J'ai regardé partout où j'allais." It feels so good to speak in their shared tongue, something his father only knew pieces of. A private, sacred thing he'd only ever shared with Maeve.
Pulling back at her weak request, Jude roughly brushes his eyes to try and swipe the tears away, and by then Aidon has already brought the pack over. "Thanks Aidon," he murmurs, and shoulders the backpack immediately. Leaning over his mother, he kisses her forehead and squeezes her hand. "I'll try not to hurt you, I'll be as quick as I can." Turning over his shoulder he shouts for the man who had invited him into the small village, and the man ducks in moments later, looking over the scene with stern eyes.
Standing but never dropping Maeve's hand, Jude explains the situation as quickly as he can, and nearly sinks with gratitude when the man merely nods firmly and moves to help him. It takes some positioning, but between the two of them they manage to get Maeve off the bed and into Jude's arms. He doesn't have the strength to pick her straight off the bed, but he won't rob her of her dignity by having two people awkwardly carry her. As Jude steps back out into the thick, humid air, he turns back to the man with teary eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much." Whatever he can send in thanks, he will do it the moment he touches down in Torchline. Nothing will ever repay the gift he has given Jude, but the boy will try.
It is a long walk back to the skyboat, but even when his arms shake Jude doesn't cease in his journey. Not until he is walking up the gangplank and onto the deck, where he carefully lays his mother down on the provided cots for the long journeys. It's a little graceless, but at least she is safely on board. "Take us home," he calls to the captain in a way he would absolutely consider rude of himself any other time, but he refuses to leave Maeve's side to explain or kindly request. As the boat begins to lift into the sky, Jude picks up Maeve's hand and presses a salty kiss to her knuckles. "We'll be home soon maman, I promise."
Pulling back at her weak request, Jude roughly brushes his eyes to try and swipe the tears away, and by then Aidon has already brought the pack over. "Thanks Aidon," he murmurs, and shoulders the backpack immediately. Leaning over his mother, he kisses her forehead and squeezes her hand. "I'll try not to hurt you, I'll be as quick as I can." Turning over his shoulder he shouts for the man who had invited him into the small village, and the man ducks in moments later, looking over the scene with stern eyes.
Standing but never dropping Maeve's hand, Jude explains the situation as quickly as he can, and nearly sinks with gratitude when the man merely nods firmly and moves to help him. It takes some positioning, but between the two of them they manage to get Maeve off the bed and into Jude's arms. He doesn't have the strength to pick her straight off the bed, but he won't rob her of her dignity by having two people awkwardly carry her. As Jude steps back out into the thick, humid air, he turns back to the man with teary eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much." Whatever he can send in thanks, he will do it the moment he touches down in Torchline. Nothing will ever repay the gift he has given Jude, but the boy will try.
It is a long walk back to the skyboat, but even when his arms shake Jude doesn't cease in his journey. Not until he is walking up the gangplank and onto the deck, where he carefully lays his mother down on the provided cots for the long journeys. It's a little graceless, but at least she is safely on board. "Take us home," he calls to the captain in a way he would absolutely consider rude of himself any other time, but he refuses to leave Maeve's side to explain or kindly request. As the boat begins to lift into the sky, Jude picks up Maeve's hand and presses a salty kiss to her knuckles. "We'll be home soon maman, I promise."
for someone that won't ever arrive
