His mom shuddered and started breathing and Matinus finally let out his own breath. He stayed watching for a moment, while Orn's dad moved in and held his mom's hand. "Sanria. You're ok."
"Colin? What are you..."
"Gentle love. You were badly hurt."
Love? Matinus looked at his dad who just sat there, letting this guy say 'love' to his wife. Matinus ran over to the couch. "Mom! You're alive! I thought you were dead! Kaliadra fainted upstairs and she's on the floor."
"Oh... alright. Yes, I'll see to her," his dad said.
His dad left and Matinus ran around the couch. He stopped when he saw Orn's dad kissing his mom's hand. This guy was doing something wrong, and Matinus could see it on his face. He sat on the couch, sliding as close as he could to his mom's side.
He watched him talk to his mom, he looked at her like he loved her, and that wasn't okay. He looked at her like he might want to take her away. "Mom, I missed you. Sport ran away but Nioma still has Mr. and Mrs. Bunny. She's asleep upstairs." Matinus kept talking, hoping to get Orn's dad away from his mom. "Dad wouldn't let me go look for Sport, but now that you're back maybe we could go look for him now!"
"Mom, huh?"
He buried his face in her sleeve with a grin. He never had called her mom before. He looked up again and Orn and his dad were leaving. "You take care of her. Make sure she gets better, ok?" Orn said.
"I'm going to read stories to her while she gets better."
"Sounds good."
Orn and his dad were gone and Matinus smiled at his mom. "What stories do you want me to read? Adventures, or stuff about tea or boring history books or healing books?"
"How about you start with boring history books," she said. "I've had enough of an adventure to last me for a while."
"I'll go get one!" And Matinus ran upstairs to the library.
