Before long, early spring was beginning to knock on the door of summer. Each day, Zelena felt herself growing stronger and stronger yet. Her bruises, and scrapes from the initial fall back into the forest had long healed, and the wound from the dagger no longer burned and ached with every move she made, and she was able to spend more and more time out of bed.
Jefferson, ever patient, never pushed to ask when she would be on her way, as he watched her regain her strength, and reclaim herself a little more each and every day. Zelena, however, never lost sight of the darkness that still existed within her and try as she might, was still struggling to adjust to this brand new life that she had been given.
She had been spared, again, for a reason. She reminded herself.
Long gone were the days of hiding bitterly in her room alone. For as long as she could, she was going to make the best of her time. She regularly joined Jefferson and Grace for dinner, and for brief walks, as long as she could stop and rest. It felt strange, that these two simply accepted her, with no questions asked.
She felt a pang in her heart, knowing that in the near future, she'd eventually fess up, and then they would most certainly throw her out.
One quiet afternoon, Jefferson pokes his head back into the cottage where she was putting on a pot of water for a cup of tea.
"Zelena, I need to run an errand. Do you mind looking after Grace while I'm gone? I'd send her to the neighbors, but-
Zelena's nerves shoot up. "Me?"
"It'll ony be for a little while. She's playing out here. You don't have to do anything." He assured her.
Zelena looks around nervously. "And you'll be right back?"
"Relax. You two will be fine." He smiled a small smile.
She nods, and swallowed her nerves. "Sure. I can handle it. It's just for a little while. I'll just sit outside on the porch."
"That's perfect."
Jefferson extended his hand, and helped her gently to her feet. "Thank you, Zelena."
The two of them walked out on to the porch, and Zelena smiled at the sight of the little girl.
"Hi Zelena!" She chirps. She has made herself an impressive flower wreath from the garden, and carefully places it on her head." Do you like my hat?"
"It's lovely" she says softly.
"Grace, I need to visit with a friend in town. You're to stay here with Zelena and don't give her any trouble." Jefferson kisses the top of her head. "I won't be long."
"Bye Papa!" Grace calls after him, and then excitedly turns back to Zelena. "Watch me! Look how high I can climb!"
"Just be careful, Grace!" Zelena nervously watches her effortlessly scale the tree in the front of the yard.
"Look Zelena! Look!"
"Okay! I see! Now… come down!" Zelena cries out. "We can play a nice game right here on the ground!"
Grace carefully lowers herself back down to the ground. "I'm good at climbing. Papa lets me do that all the time" she explains with a shrug.
Zelena can hear the teakettle whistling inside. She glances behind her, and back at Grace.
"I'll be right back, I just need to take the kettle off the stove. Stay here, okay? No climbing!"
Grace nods, and skips off of the porch a moment later.
Just as Zelena moves the teakettle to a cooler burner, she was startled by a loud screech from outside.
She races back outside and is horrified to see Grace on the ground, next to a broken tree branch. The child is thankfully, sobbing loudly. She reminds herself to keep her emotions in check. To not react in anger.
She rushes to her side. "Grace! I told you not to climb! Are you alright?" She notices that her hands, and knees and face have been scraped in the fall.
Grace peers up at her tearfully. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Zelena softens in that moment, and scoops her up carefully, and holds her closely. Just as she had wished her own mother would've done if it had been her. She knows nothing about being motherly, but she certainly knows how it feels to be motherless.
She shushes her sobs, and rocks her closely, sitting under the tree for another few moments.
"Shall we go clean up those scrapes?" She suggests, smoothing Grace's hair away from her face.
Grace nods, still hiccupping quietly.
"Do you think you can walk?"
Grace nods, and allows Zelena to lead her back into the house. She lifts her carefully on to the kitchen counter, and gently wets a cloth to dab at Grace's scraped forehead.
The little girl winces before Zelena can begin.
"It's gonna hurt!" she whines.
Zelena pats her hand. "I'll be gentle."
Grace whimpers as she dabs her scrapes. "I want papa," she says, fresh tears filling her eyes.
Zelena nods, knowingly. "He'll be back soon, I'm sorry if I'm not doing it quite the same way that he would."
Grace sniffs. "Actually" she starts to say
Zelena can feel a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"What?"
"His hands are too big sometimes. And they have skin like a… elephant" she says, causing Zelena to genuinely laugh.
"Oh does he now?"
"You have soft hands" Grace says, picking up her free hand and examining it. "I don't know anyone with such pretty hands."
Zelena smiles. "Thank you, Grace."
"And I don't know anyone else who has hair like Me." she continues. "Papa says my mama did".
Zelena nods quietly.
"She died when I was just a baby." The child continues. "I don't remember her."
Zelena feels a familiar pain in her own heart.
"I didn't know my mother either." She offers quietly.
Grace looks at her sadly. "It's a terrible thing. Not having a mother, isn't it?"
Zelena finds herself suddenly on the verge of tears, looking into the child's wistful eyes.
"It most certainly is, Grace," She whispers.
In the next breath, she musters a smile, and tucks a lock of Grace's hair behind her ear. "You, my dear, are as good as new. You're all cleaned up and ready to go back and play, if you'd like"
Grace smiles her toothless smile. "Thank you, Zelena."
She carefully sets Grace back down, and she reaches for Zelena's hand. "How about a walk? No more climbing for today, I think I've had enough."
Zelena nods. "I think that's a fine idea"
Grace skips slightly ahead of Zelena to pick fresh flowers as they walk, And Zelena breathes in the warm air.
"These are for you!" Grace chirps sweetly, handing her a fistful of flowers.
Zelena ruffles her hair. "Thank you, that's very, very sweet of you."
Grace peers up at her a moment later. "My papa says you're going to be going soon."
Zelena's stomach flip-flops. She hadn't given her departure much thought in the past few days.
"I suppose he's right."
"Why can't you stay?" Grace asked.
"Grace" She begins. "It just wouldn't be right. This is your house, and your papa, and you, you don't need me around."
"Yes we do!" She insists. "You don't have to go"
And with that, she throws her arms around her waist. "I want you to stay. Please don't go."
Zelena cradles her head, overcome with feelings of love for this child. "Well. I'm not going anywhere today. Okay?"
"I want you to stay," She says quietly, her words muffled as she buried her head into Zelena's midsection.
Zelena sighs deeply. "Listen, I think we better head back, your papa is probably wondering where we are"
Grace quietly nods, and slips her hand inside Zelena's for the walk home.
Zelena glances quietly at the little girl. How could she possibly make her understand that there was no way she could simply just stay. They'd get hurt. And that was a risk she could not bear.
No, She decides. It's too much. She's become too attached. It's time to move on.
She would tell Jefferson that she'd be leaving first thing the next morning.