Fonsett nights were always calm, a peaceful village for a peaceful world. Its residents slept easy, comfortable and warm while light wind made the trees rustle in the cool air. At this time of night there was scarcely anyone up, but there were always exceptions.
Closing the door carefully so that it didn't creak, Rex looked back into the bedroom one last time. Tucked under the covers was Pyra, sleeping peacefully at last. She had her own room tonight and there were still the traces of tears on her cheeks, but they were only traces of what had been. He sighed and shut the door with a shake of his head. He took a step back and listened carefully for any sign that she may have tricked him, but he knew his wife well enough to know when she was faking sleep. Kind of a sad thing to learn when he thought about it, but he much preferred it to the alternative. He turned to return to his own bed when he spotted a pair of golden eyes watching him intently from the shadows, nearly making him jump out of his skin. Thankfully he recognised the little girl, and also thankfully he didn't try to turn a weapon on her.
"Titan's foot, Glimmer!" He wheezed as quietly as he could, clutching at his thundering heart. "You scared the life out of me!"
"Sorry dad," She mumbled, refusing to remove herself from the shadows.
"It's fine, just don't go hiding like that again." He frowned. "Wait, hold on. What are you doing up so late? I thought the three of you went to bed hours ago." Glimmer shifted her weight uncomfortably, her eyes dropping from his. Suddenly, any fear he had melted away. He calmly crossed the distance and knelt down beside her, bringing himself to the same level as his daughter. "Hey, hey. It's alright, I'm not mad at you. I just want to know is all." She remained quiet. "Are you having trouble sleeping? I could fetch you some warm milk, that'll settle you down nice and good."
"Dad," She looked up with those big eyes of hers, her tiny brow creased in all too familiar fashion. "Is mum alright?"
Rex felt his heart drop in his chest, and his composure cracked. "Oh, kiddo." He reached out to offer a hug that his daughter gladly accepted. He held her gently, stroking her rose red hair. "Did you stay up all this time because you were worried?" He felt her nod into his shoulder and was thankful she couldn't see his face. He couldn't recall the last time he had made a face the like one he worn now. Maybe it was in the World Tree as it crumbled around them, and he thought he would lose them forever. He didn't need his kids to see him like that. He had no fear of them seeing him cry, they'd called him a crybaby plenty of times already, but there was a difference between that and this. Breathing in to compose himself, he took Glimmers hand in his own and stood. "Come on." He led her to the nearest chair without a word between them. He settled into the seat and, without prompting, Glimmer clambered her way onto his lap, little feet kicking as she struggled to steady herself. With a chuckle Rex lifted her up helped her position herself upright until she sat with a satisfied pout against his chest. He pulled his arms around her and held her, feeling her head against his beating heart.
They sat in silence, letting the sounds of the night pass through them. Rex stared up at the roof, wishing to avoid the coming conversation. He didn't know if it was wrong to explain it to someone so young, but it felt wrong to lie to Glimmer like that. Kid or not, she was a sharp one and would know if he was keeping the truth from her. He was her dad, so he needed to show that he trusted her.
"You're a good girl, Glimmer." He hummed. She craned her neck up to him, and he looked down to meet her eyes. "You look out for others. Just like your mum."
She frowned, eyes filled with worry. "Has something happened to mum?"
"No!" He sat forward, waving his hand. "Architect no! Nothing's happened to her, honest. It's just, sometimes…" His shoulders sagged. "Ah, damn. Sometimes your mum just… hurts."
"Hurts?" She tilted her head. "Mum is hurting?"
"In a way." He leaned back into his chair. "Glimmer, your mum and mom have… had a hard life. Even your ma, she's had it rough too."
"… All of them?"
"Hey, don't worry about it kiddo. It was all a long time ago, before you were born. And I've been doing everything in my power to help them."
Glimmer thought for a moment. "Have you had a… hard life?"
Rex chuckled. "'Suppose I have, when you put it like that. But not the same way as them, I had people I could rely on, something I could come home to. And now I'm able to give the same to them."
"Uh huh," Glimmer nodded. "But why is mum still hurting then?"
Rex opened his mouth but found no words came to him. "… You know, when you scrape your knee or get a cut, it takes a while for it to feel better?" His daughter nodded. "And you know that sometimes, even though it seems like it's all better, it still hurts sometimes?" Another nod. "That's what it's like with your mum. A long time ago she got a really, really nasty cut inside her head. Not actually her head," He quickly added. "I mean like her mind got a cut, the sort that doesn't bleed, and you can't see it. A sadness cut. One that made her feel sadder than she knew how to deal with. It got so bad that your mum didn't know how to live with it and-" He cut himself off before he said too much. "Well, it was really bad. It took a lot make that cut better."
"A lot of band aids?"
He laughed. "Yes, and lots of kisses too. But even then, sometimes it hurts where the cut used to be, and your mum feels like she used when she had the cut. An' whenever she starts feeling like that, I… try to make the bad feeling go away. It sometimes takes a while, but… well, I like seeing Pyra smile."
"Does mum hurt a lot?"
"Sometimes. Like I said, she's better now, but sometimes she just gets sad and hurts. Stubborn as she is, she doesn't like letting anyone else know about it 'cause she doesn't want them to feel sad either. Which is a silly way to deal with it," He pointed at her. "If you ever feel sad Glmmer, it's better to let people know than to hide it, got that? Might not help too much, but it's not going to make it worse. Got that?"
"Yes dad."
"Good on ya."
"What about mom? Does she hide it?"
"Your mom?" He thought a moment. "Nah, when your mom gets depress- sad! Gets sad, she tends to get all clingy. She likes hugging the sadness away, which makes it a wee bit hard for her to hide when she's wrapped around someone's chest."
Glimmer's face moulded into a serious expression. "That's clever." It was so adorable that Rex couldn't help but laugh, pulling her close. "Daaaaaaaad! Your face is scratching me!"
"Sorry! Sorry." He settled down, chuckling as he scratched at the scruff on his chin. "I don't think brains have anything to do with it here. Your mom just feels safe with people around." He looked down and noticed a strange look in her eyes. A familiar look. He'd seen it a far number of times, back when he was first starting out as a Driver. "Hey now, you stop that thought right there kiddo."
"What?" She tried to look as innocent as she could, and if he wasn't her father it might have worked. "I didn't say anything."
"I know that look, Glimmer." His voice was still soft, but had an authoritative tone his children had learnt not to argue with. "You can't try to help your mothers with this. You're too young!"
"But-"
"Glimmer." He tilted his head, and the protest died in her voice. "I get where you're coming from, I really do, but it's not fair on you. You're just a little girl, this is a problem for us old folk."
She pouted, eyes downcast as she shuffled out of her fathers grip. "I like seeing mum smile too though!"
"I told you, I get where you're coming from. Glimmer, I had the same thinking when I first saw it, but as our daughter we can't leave this in your hands. It's not that we don't trust you," He placed a finger under her chin and slowly turned her back to face him. "We love you, more than anything in Alrest, but that's exactly why we can't let you carry it. Something this heavy, it'll just hurt you."
Her chin trembled, her defiance dying. "What happens if mum feels sad? I don't want to not help."
Rex brushed the tear forming in her eyes away. "That's what we're here for. Me, your mom and ma, we're here to carry that burden so you don't have to. And when your mom can't carry her lot, your mum helps her. That's why we're a family. We're stronger together."
"I want to be strong like you!"
"Aw, Glimmer." He gingerly kissed her hair, rocking her in his lap. "You will be. You three, you'll all be way stronger than us four combined. But that takes a whole yonk before you're as strong as us. But remember, we're family. And that means we're always there to make each other stronger. Alright?" He felt her nod against his chest quietly. "So, if you're ever scared for your mum, go and tell one of us so we can help her. Same for your mom, too. Hell, if you can't find any of us go to Dromarch, or uncle Zeke and aunty Pandy, or Mòrag and Brighid, or Tor-" He paused. "Or Poppi. Yeah, Poppi."
"Mmhmm."
"And I don't want you or your siblings worrying about it either, 'kay? You have more important things to worry about. Like friends. You don't want to lose a game of tag because you're worrying all the time, am I right?"
"That's dumb," Glimmer muttered. "You're being dumb, dad."
"Oof, right through the heart," He sighed. "You're ruthless, ey kiddo?"
"Hmm," She grunted.
"Besides, I made a promise. I'll do everything to keep my family safe and happy. You don't need to worry, I'll never let your mum get hurt like she was. That goes for all you lot, alright? You're the most precious thing in the world to me, and I'll walk through hell and high water if I- hmm?" He looked down to find his daughter snuggled against his chest, eyes closed in sleep. Titans foot, she looks just like Pyra does.
Carefully he rose from his chair, still holding his little girl to his chest, and brought her back to her bedroom and carefully tucked her under the sheets. He glanced over to the other two; Mio was a tangle of hair lying on her back sprawled across the bed as she always did, and there was barely a tuft of blond hair visible beneath the covers of the last bed. Standing up he once more retreated from a bedroom as quietly as he could, looking back one last time as he closed the door. Those three, sleeping peacefully, helped put his heart at ease. They'd gotten through the worst of it, and now they had a family of their own, and a damn beautiful one. No matter what the future held, no matter what hardship they may face together or alone, he knew that nothing could stand in their way. He smiled and shut the door, finally heading off to his own bed.
Those kids… they're going to be bloody spectacular.
