There was a pain in her he couldn't even imagine. He had lost his parents sooner than he had ever expected, but he'd had his sisters to help share and ease the sorrow. And as much as it still hurt, it was only natural for a child to outlive his parents. But for a mother to lose her son - to lose her children, over and over - would have broken a lesser soul. He only nodded against her hair, accepting the gift of her honesty without asking for any more memories than she had already given. It was enough to know that she had other children.
And had lost them, in some distant past. Another life... another world?
But here and now it was Enzo; and the ones who were left--
Selfish. Shameless. Desperate. He grasped after words to anchor her in a world he knew, a place he could reach. He needed her. Flora did. So did Deimos and Sah, each in their own ways. She was as much his as he was hers, and though he had no claws to hold her in place he held her as tightly as mere flesh and muscle could, even after her promise drowned against his chest and the tears began to flow.
"I'm here," he mumbled against her hair, stroking her back even as his own tears continued to fall and mingle with hers. "I'm here. Won't leave you, either. I've got you." The words didn't have to make sense; what mattered was the emotion behind them.
And discovering that even sandstone could build a lasting foundation when held together with a fierce enough mortar.
And had lost them, in some distant past. Another life... another world?
But here and now it was Enzo; and the ones who were left--
Selfish. Shameless. Desperate. He grasped after words to anchor her in a world he knew, a place he could reach. He needed her. Flora did. So did Deimos and Sah, each in their own ways. She was as much his as he was hers, and though he had no claws to hold her in place he held her as tightly as mere flesh and muscle could, even after her promise drowned against his chest and the tears began to flow.
"I'm here," he mumbled against her hair, stroking her back even as his own tears continued to fall and mingle with hers. "I'm here. Won't leave you, either. I've got you." The words didn't have to make sense; what mattered was the emotion behind them.
And discovering that even sandstone could build a lasting foundation when held together with a fierce enough mortar.
