EMARA

I walk through the trees, pushing a branch out of the way. Fallen branches and leaves crunch under my boots. I take a deep breath, loving the clean smell in the forest air.

A small rabbit inside one of my snares squirms. I bend down and pull the trap open, grabbing it. The little animal's feet kick through the air, trying to get away. I wanted to run away too. No matter how many times... I still don't enjoy doing this part. I look away, my heart beating against my ribcage as my hand comes up to its neck. I force myself to think of something else for a distraction. The two girls I have waiting for me at home will have full stomachs. That is all the motivation I need. It makes everything I do worth it.

There is a small snap and the little creature goes limp under my grip. I grab a small strands of rope I have and snake it around the rabbit's feet before tying it to my makeshift hunter's belt. Satisfied after testing the knot, I reset the trap again.

I let out a breath and glance around the forest. The air is humid and hot, but there is a dampness to the air and a fresh smell. There are a lot of crappy things to deal with after pretty much anything mechanical stopped being used, but the lack of pollution is not one of them.

Water drips on my shoulder as I stand up. More drops fall on my face as I look up at the cloudy sky, and I smile. I have always loved the rain, and it made me want to get cuddled up with a warm drink and a soft blanket. Not that I had the time now.

I remembered the time when I could. Better times. A time before the wars that had ruined everything with their chaos. Before Earth was practically destroyed and my mom and dad were stolen from me. All I have left is my German Shepard, Bear, and an empty shell of a house to hold my memories. He was my solace in the lonely years that followed my parent's death before Lilly and Evey came along.

I rub my arms, feeling emotional and cold because of the breeze blowing in with the light sprinkle of rain. Water drips from the trees leaves and a crash of thunder brightens the sky.

A small sniffle is almost disguised by the pitter of pouring rain against the trees.

Almost.

My head whips around, searching for the source of the noise. One tree has an indent that creates a small shelter, and inside it is a small boy with deep blue eyes and dirty blond hair. He sniffles again and rubs snot across his pink cheek with the back of his hand.

My eyes go wide as I step over to the child. He notices me, his eyes flashing with fear. I crouch down, almost eye to eye with him. He can't be older than two years old.

"Hello," I greet with a small smile. "I'm Emara. What's your name?"

The little boy looks over at me tentatively and sniffles again, shivering in the cold. He is so young; I grimace. Why is he out here all alone? The rain continues to fall, soaking the boy.

My eyes soften, and I grab the jacket from around my shoulders, moving closer to wrap the boy in it. "Can I take you to my house? It's very warm, and I can give you a cozy bed to sleep in with some soft blankets and a nice yummy meal." I try to convince him with a smile.

He sinks back into the tree, as if he wants to disappear. Another crash of thunder makes him jump and panicked eyes turn to me. The deep blue looks almost gray, like the color of the summer rain sky. I shift on my feet trying to keep my crouch balanced.

His little chest rises and falls dramatically as he studies me. Without warning, he crawls into my lap. His cold arms wrap around my neck, shaking as he lays his head on my shoulder. I adjust the jacket so that it covers his backside and he snuggles into me as I lift him off the ground.

Dismissing the traps that I haven't gotten to yet, I start my trek back to my house. I can wake up early tomorrow to check the traps. The animals will be fine in there for one night. There is always the possibility of another animal coming along, but I can't do anything about that now. Another crash of thunder lights up the sky as rain pours harder. I pick up my pace, and my worn-down converse slip on the muddy ground. It is raining hard, but soon the little boy's breath evens, coming out in soft puffs, and his grip on my neck slackens. He had fallen asleep in moments... I adjust my grip to better hold the sleeping boy.

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The clearing to my house came into view, and I hurry along the path. I move the boy to the side to free my arm and put the key in the lock, swinging the door open. The thick wood door creaks open and I close it with my foot before ambling over to the couch. Snatching a pillow I put it down before laying him on the couch and pulling a blanket out of the laundry basket. It spreads across his small form. After making sure he is tucked in I start up a quick fire and hurry to the staircase.

I make a pattern of thumps on the wall and walk back to the kitchen, setting the rabbit on the counter. I kick off my shoes by the door and drag the large pot that we use for warming bathwater out of the corner, dumping some of the water reserves into it. Using a longer piece of wood, I poke at the stove, getting a fire to start, once again thanking the old house for having non-electronic appliances. They would have been worth nothing now. No one is around to maintain them. I hear small feet across the floorboards, then the clacking of Bear's claws on the wooden floor.

Bear spots me at the bottom of the stairs and lets out a sharp bark. "Shhhhh," I interject, holding a finger up to my mouth. The girls look at me with bemused faces.

Lilly's eyes go wide, terror lining her face. Evey, her little sister, moves closer, trying to hide behind her sister and Bear.

My hand waves through the air in dismissal, letting them know that there is no danger. "I found a young boy in the forest." The two girls gasp. "I brought him home with me; he is resting on the couch." Lilly and Evey glance at the couch before walking over, no doubt as shocked as I was over a small child alone in the woods.

Bear wiggles his head between the two girls and begins sniffing the young boy lying on the couch, his nose poking around curiously. I push his snout away from the little boy's face and shake my head, firmly telling him no.

I glance back at the girls. "Will you two help me make a nice dinner for him when he wakes up? He needs something to warm him up." I walk back to the kitchen and hold up the rabbit by its legs. "How about a nice rabbit stew?"

The two girls nod eagerly, and we move over to the water basin to clean our hands before getting to work. Lilly moves around the kitchen, grabbing the supplies I need to cook.

I make quick work of skinning the rabbit and preparing it for the stew. The soft fur tickles my palms as I cut away. I am careful not to damage the delicate pelt. Throwing a few of the pieces into Bear's bowl, he eats them up, wagging his tail. Lilly choppes the vegetables, and Evey moves to set the table, being careful to set an extra place for the new little boy. My lips lift in a smile but drop as my thoughts turn to the little boy. Why was he alone in the forest? He is so small. What happened?

Lilly brings over the chopped vegetables, cutting my thoughts short. I add them and stir, poking at the fire to warm it up so that it would boil the soup. After letting it cool down to a simmer, I throw in the limited amount of spices we have before mixing it a bit more and tasting it. The spices and vegetables mix together creating a delicious scent that fills the room. I pick the pot up to take it to the long rectangular wooden table, setting it in the middle with a ladle for serving.

My mouth waters and I resist the urge to take another taste, moving back over to the stove. The fire is cooling, so I set another log in it to keep the water that I boiled earlier warm but not scalding. I wipe my hands on the front of my apron before sliding it off my neck and hanging it on the hook by the kitchen sink. The boy shifts in his sleep, and I wander over to the couch, running my hand across his cheek. He snuggles into my hand, letting out a soft sigh. My heart tightens at the sweet child's reaction to my affection.

His deep blue eyes flutter open, brightening as they meet my dark brown ones. I smile at him, and he sits up, rubbing his eyes and blinking, taking in his new surroundings.

"Would you like some food? I made something yummy."

The boy moves to get off the couch and grabs my hand; my heart squeezes in my chest. How could this child be so cute? I lead him over to the table and then sit him in the chair closest to mine.

Evey and Lilly sit down, and I quickly moved and served them. I dumped a few scoops into the little boy's bowl and slid it in front of him before grabbing my own. He stares at the spoon curiously, like he didn't know what to do with it.

He couldn't even feed himself, I think bitterly. It makes me worried about what could have possibly happened that had left him alone in the forest. I scoot my chair closer. Dipping a spoon into my bowl, I bring it to my mouth and blow, showing him how to use the utensil. His face lights up, and he picks up the one by his bowl, trying to mimic me. Bits of the soup drip onto the table as he brings it to his mouth, but he gets the hang of it eventually.

"This is great, thanks Mara," Lilly grins, with cheeks full of stew.

"This is delicious!" Evey cut in.

I laugh. "And how did you learn a word like that?" Evey is only six, and big words like "delicious" are not something I am expecting out of her mouth, especially considering that she has never been to a formal school.

"I learned it from Lilly! She read it to me while you were out saving the little boy!" Her eyes shimmer with admiration at the last bit of her statement.

My eyes move to the boy, and I smile, rubbing my hand over his soft blond hair. "And wasn't that a blessing, too?" I look back at Lilly and Evey. "Did anyone come by today? Anything weird around the house?"

"No, we didn't hear anything. We were up in our room the whole time, just reading." Lilly says.

I nod, moving on to the next topic, my assurance of their safety satisfied. "I'm excited you are reading! What book was it?"

The chatter begins again as they tell me about the book that Lilly had been reading. It was about two friends named Ivy and Beatrice. I laugh with the girls, helping the child with the rest of his stew, even serving him seconds.

"Mara, what's his name?" Evey inquires. Lilly perkes up at Evey's question.

"I don't know..." I admit, turning to the little boy. "What is your name, sweetie?" I lower my head and look into his eyes, which were now staring into the bowl.

He stays silent. My mouth turns down in thought. "Hmm... I am going to call you Jace. Would you like that?"

He nods simply.

Evey grins. "Like your grampa?"

I nod my head and give the little boy- Jace- another bite of his food.

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After our meal, the girls pick up the dishes to wash, and I grab Jace to clean him up before bed. I scoop some water into a bowl. After testing the heat, I pick up Jace and set him in the tub.

Grabbing a small rag, I dunk it into the water I had set aside and rub a bar of soap on it. I wipe away the dirt and grime from his hair and body.

He laughs and splashes as I clean him up, the rag tickling him. After finishing, I dump the rest of the water into the bath and wrap him in a towel, taking him upstairs to my room.

I sit him on the edge of my bed while I search through the closet, pulling out an old t-shirt from when I was a little girl. It is blue and green tie-dye and much too small for me now. It fit over him; the hem brushes the middle of his shin.

Lilly comes into the room holding some of Evey's old shorts for him to wear, and I slip them onto the little boy, tightening the waist and rolling the hem to fit his much smaller form. He pulls at the baggy pants as they swoosh around his tiny legs, and he giggles.

I let out a light laugh, and he flops onto my bed, snuggling into the pillows. I pick up the blanket and lifted it high, letting it catch the air and float down over him. My heart tightens again at the sound of his joyful laughter.

After tucking him in, I blow out the candles and softly closed the door. Making my way down the hall to the room the girls shared, I open the door and peek in, checking on them. I walk into the room, and Bear perks up, his ears rising in alarm. Seeing me, he flops his head back down onto his paws.

Sitting on the edge of Lilly and Evey's bed, I smile at the two of them, running my hand over their heads and giving them both a quick kiss on their cheeks. Wishing them sweet dreams, I back out of the room.

I make sure everything is in order around the house before getting ready for bed. I walk back to my room and pull on some comfortable sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt.

Lifting the covers, I slip into the bed and get comfortable. Jace fusses, and I sit up, worried I have woken him up. He lets out a little whimper, "Mommy... MOMMY!" He cries, shaking from his nightmare. His sobs pull at my heart. Pulling him close to me, I run my hand up and down his back in small circles. He draws even closer to me, his little fingers latching onto my shirt with a death grip. "Don't leave me, Mommy," he whimpers again.

My heart clenches, and I press a kiss to his head, shushing him to sleep and rubbing his back. Poor baby...

Hope you enjoyed this first chapter!
Thank you so much for reading!
🖤