Sniff... sniff...
Low whimpering filled the air as Elaria sat on the wooden floor of a modest room, her deep black eyes glistening with tears. The soft afternoon light caught the moisture on her cheeks.
A single bed was placed beside her, a window embedded in the wall behind her from where the sunlight filtered in, casting warm golden rectangles across the worn floorboards.
"You are crying again, sweetie," Edren sighed, sitting beside her. "You will make yourself sick like this."
"B-but I miss my boy and my baby," Elaria sobbed, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "The house feels empty without them. I keep looking at the door, waiting for the children to enter."
She looked at Edren with her lower lip pushed out and whimpered, "What if my Vlad is being bullied there? A-and what if my Chloe isn't fed properly?"
Edren pulled Elaria into his embrace, letting her head rest against his chest. His large hand stroked her hair gently.
