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Chapter 2: Touch

The sun rose that morning and casted a bright hue in the Walker household, waking Kit, despite the minimal amount of sleep he got the previous night. Climbing out of bed he peered through the crack of the door of his children's room as he regularly did, then walked toward a room he never needed to before that morning. Slowly turning the knob of the door, Kit's five senses heightened immediately. His eyes darted to the sleeping woman in the bed. His ears listened to her steady pattern of breath and his own heartbeat pounding through the canals in his head. His hands gripped the doorknob tightly. His mouth, dry from the rise of early morning. His nose recognized the sour stench coming from the room, a most unpleasant aroma that lingered.

Kit returned to the room with a wet cloth after cleaning up the mess Jude made on his bedroom floor, sitting beside her and placing the cloth on her already wet forehead. Her breaths shallow, and eyes barely open, Kit pressed on the cool cloth firmly.

Jude managed to muster a raspy, "Thank you."

"Shh. Save yar energy." The exchange was brief but Jude complied. "I see you were able to change into the nightgown. Sorry, I don't have much clothes far ya."

"It's ok." She whispered. The cold on her forehead felt refreshing, Jude couldn't remember the last time water ran down her skin, the feeling felt almost too long gone.

"Rest. I'll be back." Kit got up from where he once sat to prepare breakfast for his kids who had just got up, and for himself.

...

Boxes of cereal, jugs of juice, and a loaf of sliced bread sat out on the counter making a mess out of the kitchen. Kit was used to morning messes, and wasn't afraid of a little cleaning. Being a single parent required doing these things, and if no one else did it, who would?

"Thomas, please take this to my friend in the guest room." Kit handed his son a tall glass of brightly colored orange juice.

"Yes daddy." Kit smiled at his son. His kids seemed to be turning out alright.

"Thank you." The little boy walked toward the illuminated hallway, and Kit heard his son push the door open. Kit figured Jude needed a little light and innocence in her life. Upon opening the door Thomas expected the woman to turn her head to service who interrupted her rest, but she didn't, instead she rested still, heavy breaths escaping her lungs. Thomas felt a weight of exhaustion from the woman laying in the bed. He slowly approached the side of the bed offering the almost reddish liquid to her. Her face turned toward him, and she gently curled her fingers, shifting her hand on to her pillow, moving in the slightest.

"Carrot juice, from our garden." A state of confusion was still etched upon Jude's face, which made Thomas equally as confused, Jude's reaction causing him to place the glass on the night stand beside the bed and walk out of the room.

"Dad, she didn't take the juice."

"That's ok, I'm sure she'll drink it soon. She's a little tired."

"After all that sleep?" Kit laughed at his son's response.

"Being sick for that long can make you tired, even after you sleep. Did you sleep well?"

"I did." Thomas nervously nodded at his father. He wasn't much of a liar, but he also didn't want to worry his father. He heard his dad's friend wailing at the moon the night before, and if he told his dad he sat awake listening to the woman, there'd be no doubt his dad would cease helping her anymore, and Thomas didn't want to cause any problems. In Thomas' favor, his sister interrupted him and their father's conversation.

"Can I give these to your friend daddy?" Julia ran back into the house with two fistfuls of tiny white flowers.

"Of course sweetheart, just, don't be too loud around her please. I'm sure she'll love the flowers." Thomas followed his sister into the hallway heading towards the guest room, as Kit watched his kids tip-toed to the room Jude stayed in. Julia slowly turned the doorknob and stepped into the room, nearing the woman laying in bed, her eyelids begging to shut over her amber orbs.

"These flowers are for you. Sorry they aren't in a vase, the flowers are too tiny." Julia's fist clenched tightly with the tiny white buds in her clutch.

"It's ok." Jude whispered to the young girl.

"I can do something else with them though." Julia's bright smile was almost contagious. For the first time in a long time, Jude felt a wave of comfort and tranquility wash over her.

"And what's that?"

"I could make a flower crown with them. Is that ok?" Jude nodded her head at the young girl standing in front of her and darted her eyes at the boy standing by her side. Gently, Julia placed the small flowers in Jude's blonde hair one by one. The flimsy stems of the flowers tickled Jude's scalp as they poked through her matted hair.

"How do I look?" A tiny smile drew across Jude's lips, and Julia continued to place the flowers in her hair. Kit watched the happy moment between his children and the recovering woman, a smile upon his own face. It was then he realized bringing Jude home was the right decision he made.

...

"Sistah, sistah." Kit lightly shook Jude awake from the bed she'd been in for almost and entire 24 hours. She woke with a sharp intake of breath and rubbed her eyes. "I drew ya a bath, and I've set everything ya need up." Kit saw Jude struggle to sit up in bed and helped assist her to swing her feet over the edge of the bed. It was obvious she couldn't do much for herself and Kit found himself in an awkward situation, he figured he would have to bathe Jude. "C'mon sistah, I'm going to have to help ya bathe yar skin." Jude's eyes widened at his statement, but knew it to be true. She was barely able to stand up without holding on to something, he was going to have to help her shower, if she were to shower at all. After leading Jude to the bathroom, the two stood staring at each other.

"Are ya ok with me assisting you? I don't wanna make ya feel uncomfortable even if ya can't help yarself." Jude nodded and turned around to protect her dignity as much as possible as Kit helped her remove her worn nightgown and step into the lukewarm water, she kept her undergarments on, just taking her gown off she felt so exposed.

"You ok?" Kit asked as her grabbed a large cup and a bottle of shampoo. Jude nodded back at him. "I'm sorry I had ta see ya like this, just know I only want ta help ya. Lean yar head back." Kit fixed himself on a stool on the side of the tub where Jude's head rested, dipped the cup into the bath water and slowly poured it over her dirty hair. There was an immediate difference Jude's degree of cleanliness once Kit started washing her skin and hair. He squeezed a dollop of shampoo in his hand and massaged Jude's scalp. "I have lots of experience doing this with Julia and Thomas." The instant the warm water made contact with Jude's skin she felt clean, it felt like weeks since she took a bath, and on top of that, she had someone caring for her. Kit's kindness made Jude feel more guilty than anything else, she had treated him with nothing but contempt during his stay in the asylum, and he turns around and takes care of her. Jude relaxed as Kit continued to wash her hair. His touch was gentle and almost healing. Never in her life did anyone take care of Jude the way she was being cared for in that moment, and as quickly as Kit began to wash her hair, he was done. "I left a soap bottle on the floor next ta ya. You think you can finish the job and I can give ya some privacy?" Jude nodded once again, and was left alone to clean her skin and head.

Well, it took me long enough! Lol! Thank you for reading and all other feedback! I should be updating again, soon! Thank you for your support, feedback is beyond appreciated!