“She won’t hate you, Z,” she said gently, cupping his jaw. “She’s not a bad person. If Reeve was able to leave us alone, she will too.”
She shook her head adamantly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I don't want you to run away in the night," she said with a small smile. "Go shower."
"You seem to be very scared of my mother," she replied, shrugging off the bag and setting it by the door. "I don't want you to run away from me."
"I don't think I'm frightening," she replied. "But I think you might be convinced to leave by your fear."
The bathroom was clean and well-kept. The floor was hardwood, the lumber boards obviously treated and laid by hand. Inside the shower were soft white tiles, and the walls were a pale blue.
He went to take a shower, making sure the water was warm. He got out about ten minutes later, a towel around him.
June was cooking something on the stove. Spoiler: If Zerras Looks at June and the Kitchen June seemed tired. Her head was bent over the pot, and there was a crumpled drying cloth next to the stove. Her back was to him as she stirred a pot, her brow furrowed thoughtfully. She was still wearing that dress that she had put on two days ago, and he would see that the hem was dirty and there was a tear right by her right knee. Her skin was tanner than it had been when he had first met her, and those freckles on her back were as present as ever, tracing along her spine and shoulderblade before disappearing underneath the collar of her dress. Next to the stove were a few open jars of spices and as he watched, she pinched some dried green spice - sage, maybe - and sprinkled it into the pot. Whatever she was cooking smelled delicious, especially after weeks of just eating canned goods. Spoiler: If Zerras Looks at the Bed On the bed was a folded set of clothes for him - her father's, by the looks of things. They were old pajamas, but as he touched them, he would feel the soft, warm fabric. Juniper had pulled back the corner of the bed cover for him, plumping up the pillow and lighting the bedside lamp. Next to the bed, the fireplace roared, leaving the room warm and comforting.
She made a small noise of surprise, her ears perking up as she glanced up at him. “Hello,” she said softly, tilting her head.
