The insides of the house was a mess! Mud everywhere!! And there was not a child in sight. The furniture was buried under the laundry and every other thing was out of place."I knew this would happen, they obviously did this to scare you away." Julien said, a dark look on his face. "Boys!" He yelled into the silence, going into the rooms to look for the children. I was left standing in the dirty sitting room. Well, what did you expect when you leave little children all by themselves?"Mama?" I was startled to hear a tiny voice from behind a dirty armchair. A head was poking out but I couldn't tell what the child looked like as the child's face was covered in mud as if he was swimming in it."Hello, there. Come on out." I said to the pair of eyes staring at me."Mama?" The child said again. I wasn't sure if I should agree that I was the child's mother or not. I mean, I am now, only that I wasn't legally married to his father yet.I decided to accept

It was now a fortnight since I began living with the children; even after our little bonding story that night, Alan seemed to dislike me more, he pretended like he wasn't so interested in the story.But it was better, he didn't snap at me too much and he ate whatever meal I prepared, as long as there was a promise of fish in the nearest future. Maya clung to me all the time and only let me out of her sight whenever she was asleep. When the boys would go outside to play, she would choose to stay close to me and watch what I do, as if she's a guard to make sure I don't escape. How could I? I wouldn't loudly admit it but I felt happier and lighter living with the children in that town where no one knew who I was. Back at Durnca, everyone knew me as the daughter of the drunk or Gwen with the gun who was always harassed by boys at night, but here, I was a little far from the town and I had a home and children to care for. I've always wanted to marry someo

I accidentally pricked my finger again and sucked on it. I was so sleepy but I wanted to at least make progress with Maya's new dress before I sleep, but I kept drifting off and kept pricking my finger with the needle. Putting the gown and the needle in the basket I kept under the bed, I blew out the candle and wriggled under the blankets next to Arthur; he has been having those nightmares often, so I kept him close to me so that whenever he starts crying in his sleep, I'd be right next to him to soothe him back to sleep. I actually thought Maya would be the one having trouble sleeping but she was just like me, once she's asleep, she's asleep until morning. I must have drifted to sleep almost immediately but the sounds of hinges creaking woke me up and I was alert instantly. Seems like caring for Arthur has gotten rid of my deep sleep problem, it was almost like I was waiting for him to make a sound, then I wake up and soothe him. But this sound wasn't Arthur, it was

To my surprise, Julien was in no hurry to leave; he took up the task of caring for the horses and swinging his sword every morning. And oh what a sight! Even in the cold, he was shirtless whenever he swung his sword, the sight of his bare chest still made my knees weak that I was always staring, forgetting myself. Ann caught me once and she wouldn't stop laughing at my embarrassment. Other than caring for the horses and practising with his sword, he stayed close to me, hearing me chatter about my childhood and the mischievous things Hailey did. He didn't offer to talk about himself and I didn't press him, I was content to let him know all about me.He even took me to the fair, just us, no children. I had a great time, looking around, playing silly games. What's more, I enjoyed the attention everyone was giving Julien and I. I was sure it was mostly Julien and I felt even prouder to be next to him. We looked like a real couple... A real happy couple.The af

The shortcut was very short indeed and equally cold and narrow. My heart was in my mouth the entire time we rode on that narrow road, hoping and praying no bandits would pop out and attack us. Eric looked capable enough but he couldn't possibly be as strong as Julien and what if there are more men this time? I was so relieved when I saw Durnca come into view finally; it was already dark and my body ached from riding nonstop for hours. "Durnca, my lady." Eric said curtly, gave me a nod and he left! Just like that? How does he expect me to find my way home? Home...? Did I just call Rashord home? With Julien and the children? Ann and Eden? Yes, they are my family now. I just had to get our last family member and we'll all be together. I kicked my horse forward but slowly as people moved about and some stopped to stare at me. I ignored the stare and kept my eyes forward, wondering what pa and Hailey would say when they saw me. A crashing sound caught my a