Through The Ashes II

"A Stone and Its Shadow: Part 2"

Jorn stepped into the bedroom, rubbing a towel through her damp, short hair, her movements unhurried after the long day. The scent of teakwood and soap followed her as she crossed the room, dressed in a worn grey shirt and loose black pants. She glanced at Mara, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed with a folder in her lap.

"How'd Sammy's check-up go?" Jorn asked, tossing the towel onto the back of a chair.

Mara looked up at her, her hazel eyes soft but serious. "It went fine. Gallaway says he's doing great. But..."

Jorn stopped mid-step, her eyes narrowing slightly. The air between them shifted, subtle and invisible, but unmistakable to her. She could feel Mara's emotions as clearly as if they were her own—a nervous, fluttering hope tinged with hesitation, like the moment before stepping into the unknown.

"But what?" Jorn asked, her voice calm but cautious.

Mara patted the bed beside her, her gaze holding a mix of excitement and vulnerability that made Jorn's chest tighten. "Come here. I need to show you something."

Jorn hesitated for a beat before crossing the room and settling onto the bed beside Mara. The closer she got, the more vividly she felt Mara's emotions through her Resonance. Love. Longing. A quiet but profound certainty beneath the nervousness. It made her heart ache in a way she couldn't quite name.

"What's this?" Jorn asked, her voice low as she nodded toward the folder.

Mara didn't answer right away. She opened the folder instead, revealing a photograph clipped to the top. She turned it toward Jorn, her hands trembling slightly.

Jorn leaned closer, her eyes locking onto the image of a boy. The boy had solemn eyes and a serious expression. He had deep brown skin, black hair, and dark eyes.

Jorn's breath caught, and through her Resonance, Mara's emotions surged—hope, a deep and aching love, and just the faintest trace of fear.

"Who is he?" Jorn asked softly, her voice steady despite the rush of feelings swirling in her chest.

Mara exhaled slowly, her voice quiet but firm. "Gallaway and Elara brought this to me. His name is Pedro. He's an orphan, like most kids now." She paused, glancing at Jorn, her emotions pressing gently against Jorn's mind. "He's looking for a home."

Jorn didn't say anything for a long moment, her eyes fixed on the photos. She felt the warmth of Mara's love for this child radiating from her, wrapping around her like a soft, insistent pull.

"They thought of us," Jorn said finally, her voice more statement than question.

Mara nodded. "They did. Gallaway said they thought we'd be perfect for him. That we could give him the family he needs."

Jorn exhaled slowly, leaning back against the headboard. Her jaw tightened as she looked at the photo again. The boy's quiet strength—it was like looking into a mirror she hadn't expected.

"He looks like... like me," Jorn murmured, the words almost catching in her throat.

"He does," Mara said, her voice soft. Jorn could feel the hope in her tone, patient but no less powerful.

Jorn ran a hand over her face, emotions swirling within her that were as much Mara's as they were her own. "Mara, I don't know..."

"You don't have to decide now," Mara said quickly. Jorn felt the warm pulse of reassurance through her Resonance, wrapping around the fear that had started to creep into her mind. "I just... when I saw his face, Jorn, it was like I already loved him. But I won't push this on you. I just wanted to talk to you first."