Chapter 4 #3
Forrest looked at the man with pity. “I think it would be best that you go and comfort your wife. You both lost something very precious tonight. I’m deeply sorry for your loss.”
The man nodded at Forrest and then looked at me, his voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you for your efforts tonight, Aurelia.” He smiled weakly and made his way over the threshold.
Trying to get around Forrest, I shot back, “Do you truly believe that what happened tonight was because your family wasn’t devoted enough?” I knew I was being unfair to the man, but it didn’t stop the question from coming out.
The man turned around, sadness and defeat written all over his face. “The goddesses have forsaken us all,” he responded, and he walked out into the cold, lonely night.
Forrest locked the door after the man exited. He turned to me, his eyebrows bunched in a mix of concern and confusion. “Is everything all right with you?”
“No. Nothing is all right, Forrest.” My voice sounded foreign and distant to me.
“You were quite mean to that man. I’ve watched you treat people, and I’ve never seen you act that way toward any of them. Did he do something that I don’t understand?”
His question was valid. I had been acting completely out of character. I was usually calm and focused when helping others, but tonight I was neither of those things.
“I watched a baby die in my arms tonight.” I held out my arms. The spot where I had cradled the child became heavy, as if the child’s body had been imprinted on my skin.
“That baby died because she didn’t get help—because her father refused to get her help.
And he refused because that fucking cult banned my healing.
” My fists were tightly clenched at my sides.
Forrest made his way over to me, gently reaching for my balled-up hands. “I know that the end result was not what anyone was hoping for, but you did everything you could.”
“But it wasn’t enough. I failed.” I pulled away from Forrest, annoyed at his attempt to comfort me.
“That cult’s inability to see past itself is going to continue to harm so many more people in this village, and there’s not one fucking thing I can do about it.
They might as well start calling themselves the Cult of Dead Children! ”
“You are doing something, though. You are giving light to those brave enough to follow it. You’re a glimmer of hope in the darkness.” Forrest ran his hand through his hair. “You have been so brave and helped so many people, me included.”
“I can’t talk about this anymore.” No longer able to hold back the tears, I made my way over to the sofa, placing my head in my hands and letting it all out. Sobs tore through me as I kept picturing the small, lifeless bundle in my arms, over and over again.
I could hear Forrest rummaging about in the trunk behind the sofa.
Then the sound of the living room table being pulled away.
Looking up and blinking through tears, I could see that he was placing various blankets and pillows on the floor in front of the fireplace. He smiled at me and waved me over.
“What?” I replied as I rolled my eyes at him.
“I don’t know why, but something is telling me that it’s a good idea to sit down together in front of the fire.” A smile spread slowly across Forrest’s face as he held out his hand to me. “I know that I can’t change anything that happened tonight, but I can do my best to comfort you.”
Mothers Above. I did not deserve his kindness or compassion.
I was being awful, and despite it all, he wanted to comfort me.
I forced myself up off the sofa and sat down in the blanket nest Forrest had created.
I wrapped my arms around my legs, placed my forehead on my knees, and continued to let the sadness flow out of me.
Losing Willow tonight had pushed me over the edge, and I wasn’t sure it was something I would fully recover from.
Despite my outward hostility toward the father, this was ultimately the Cult of Children’s fault.
Their ignorance and self-righteousness were the root cause of this horrific loss.
If this first week was any indication of how life would be living under this healing ban, there were going to be several more nights like this in my future.
Forrest sat behind me shortly afterward, placing his legs on either side of me and wrapping his arms around me in a strong, warm hug. I leaned into him as he held me close, putting his chin on the top of my head and saying nothing as he kept me company through my sobs.
When I had run out of tears to shed, I tilted my head back onto Forrest’s chest and whispered, “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” he replied breathlessly.
Shortly after, I faded in and out of sleep, exhaustion from the evening’s events finally catching up to me.
Forrest’s arms were still firmly wrapped around me, his breath tickling the back of my neck, as he whispered, “This bleak and hollow place was never meant to hold someone like you. It is undeserving of the warmth and light you offer so freely.”