[Hopetoun] Rule #1. Don't Die.
Posted: Thu May 20, 2021 7:58 pm
28th Ashan, 721
Vega pulled her shawl around herself a little tighter as the wind whipped about. Standing at Hope Point, she was looking out to the water and thinking.
It was rare that Vega stood still for any length of time, really, and she glanced down with a smile as she felt a small hand slip into hers. "Hey, Wren, you doin' ok?" She asked that in a friendly voice and she squeezed his hand. Wren looked up at her and thought about her question. He was so serious, Vega thought, and she waited for him to answer. "I am, yes. Thank you. How are you?" Vega smiled. "I'm pregnant," she said. Wren nodded his head. "I know," he replied. He sounded, Vega thought, a little surprised that she'd said it. They both knew it. She wondered if he thought she was banging on about it and that made her smile more.
"I don't know it," she said quietly. "Not yet. I mean, yeah, I know it here, in my head." She tapped her forehead. "But it hasn't really sunk in. Every now an' then, I'll be thinkin' about somethin'. Nothin' related. An' I'll think, 'I'm pregnant', out of nowhere." She crouched down next to Wren and looked at him. "It's weird." He considered this and then asked, thoughtfully. "Is it? Have you spoken to other pregnant women?" Vega grinned and shook her head. "Nope. Don't know any. An' anyhow, I've heard they're well emotional an' prone to tantrums an' outbursts. Who'd wanna talk to them?"
Wren nodded, thoughtfully, and Vega stood, holding on to his hand. "It's beautiful here, innit?" He nodded.
"Are you missin' your Papa?" When she asked that, he looked at her. "I'm not Hart's son," he said. "He's not my father." Vega smiled. "I didn't say he was. But he's your Papa, Wren. We've talked about this."
They had. Wren struggled with it a little, she knew. "You know my Papa, Wren?" He nodded. "He's not my father either." That caught the boy's attention and he looked at her with a question in his serious eyes. "My father, the man who created me, were Faldrun." Wren's eyes widened. "The Immortal?" Vega nodded. "Yeah. Old fire-head. But he's nothin' to me. He's less than that. My Papa is Joq'an an' he meets all the criteria for Papa in the world."
"There are criteria?"
Vega bit back a smile and thought about it. "For bein' a Papa, an' what that means? Yes, I believe so. You have to love the child, even when they're behavin' in a way that isn't even likeable. You have to put their needs above your own, an' you have to always, always, do your best. Even when it's not enough." Wren considered this, but he didn't reply. "An' that's why I reckon Hart is your Papa. Because he's not perfect, an' he's made mistakes. But that's true of everyone, an' he loves you."
Wren sighed. "Do I have to call him that?" Vega shook her head. "You can call him whatever you like, so long as you look at him with love, he won't care." Wren nodded. "You call him Pickle," he said. It was a question. "I do," Vega replied -very aware that she didn't want to answer it. "I'm not goin' to tell you why, because it's Hart's story to tell. But it's my name for him, because he's my friend." Wren nodded.
They were quiet together for a few moments, standing and looking out at the water. Then, Vega heard a call and she saw Jarad approaching. She waved when she realised that he was calling her and she was quiet as he spoke.
"Say what now?" Vega said and Jarad smiled a rare smile. "There's a bunch of cadouri here, looking for you."
Vega nodded. "Righteo. Come on then, you. Lets get ourselves movin'. No lollygaaggin' from the back row."
And they made their way back to the small settlement of Hopetoun.
It was rare that Vega stood still for any length of time, really, and she glanced down with a smile as she felt a small hand slip into hers. "Hey, Wren, you doin' ok?" She asked that in a friendly voice and she squeezed his hand. Wren looked up at her and thought about her question. He was so serious, Vega thought, and she waited for him to answer. "I am, yes. Thank you. How are you?" Vega smiled. "I'm pregnant," she said. Wren nodded his head. "I know," he replied. He sounded, Vega thought, a little surprised that she'd said it. They both knew it. She wondered if he thought she was banging on about it and that made her smile more.
"I don't know it," she said quietly. "Not yet. I mean, yeah, I know it here, in my head." She tapped her forehead. "But it hasn't really sunk in. Every now an' then, I'll be thinkin' about somethin'. Nothin' related. An' I'll think, 'I'm pregnant', out of nowhere." She crouched down next to Wren and looked at him. "It's weird." He considered this and then asked, thoughtfully. "Is it? Have you spoken to other pregnant women?" Vega grinned and shook her head. "Nope. Don't know any. An' anyhow, I've heard they're well emotional an' prone to tantrums an' outbursts. Who'd wanna talk to them?"
Wren nodded, thoughtfully, and Vega stood, holding on to his hand. "It's beautiful here, innit?" He nodded.
"Are you missin' your Papa?" When she asked that, he looked at her. "I'm not Hart's son," he said. "He's not my father." Vega smiled. "I didn't say he was. But he's your Papa, Wren. We've talked about this."
They had. Wren struggled with it a little, she knew. "You know my Papa, Wren?" He nodded. "He's not my father either." That caught the boy's attention and he looked at her with a question in his serious eyes. "My father, the man who created me, were Faldrun." Wren's eyes widened. "The Immortal?" Vega nodded. "Yeah. Old fire-head. But he's nothin' to me. He's less than that. My Papa is Joq'an an' he meets all the criteria for Papa in the world."
"There are criteria?"
Vega bit back a smile and thought about it. "For bein' a Papa, an' what that means? Yes, I believe so. You have to love the child, even when they're behavin' in a way that isn't even likeable. You have to put their needs above your own, an' you have to always, always, do your best. Even when it's not enough." Wren considered this, but he didn't reply. "An' that's why I reckon Hart is your Papa. Because he's not perfect, an' he's made mistakes. But that's true of everyone, an' he loves you."
Wren sighed. "Do I have to call him that?" Vega shook her head. "You can call him whatever you like, so long as you look at him with love, he won't care." Wren nodded. "You call him Pickle," he said. It was a question. "I do," Vega replied -very aware that she didn't want to answer it. "I'm not goin' to tell you why, because it's Hart's story to tell. But it's my name for him, because he's my friend." Wren nodded.
They were quiet together for a few moments, standing and looking out at the water. Then, Vega heard a call and she saw Jarad approaching. She waved when she realised that he was calling her and she was quiet as he spoke.
"Say what now?" Vega said and Jarad smiled a rare smile. "There's a bunch of cadouri here, looking for you."
Vega nodded. "Righteo. Come on then, you. Lets get ourselves movin'. No lollygaaggin' from the back row."
And they made their way back to the small settlement of Hopetoun.