[This post is from Marin’s point of view.]
Thom held her tightly. She could hear the steady thumb of his heart as she rested her head against his chest, her lips drawn tight into a thin line. The cotton of his shirt was soft against her cheek and their son was quiet in her arms, his tiny thumb tucked into his mouth.
He’s still here and we’re still together. That’s all that matters anymore.
“Are you all right?” Thom finally whispered. His arm didn’t loosen, though his nose stayed buried in her hair. They leaned against each other, holding each other up. A breeze teased her hair and Thom shivered slightly. Marin held him a little tighter.
“Do you want to go inside?” she asked, not answering his question.
There was a slight hesitation before he said, “Maybe.”
She squeezed him again, then her arms slowly loosened as his did. She straightened, steadying him as he got his second crutch back underneath himself. “You were up at the forge,” she said softly, watching him as he steadied himself and got ready to move.
Thom nodded. “All morning. I was up there with Matt. We were both getting some work done.”
Marin nodded silently, starting to walk toward their room, moving slowly enough for Thom to keep pace with her. She glanced down toward Lin and found he was quietly asleep, which had been her aim in walking him in the first place. Thom followed her gaze and smiled faintly.
“We’re lucky,” Thom murmured.
She glanced up at him, smiling faintly. “Yeah. Yeah, we are. Things could have been a lot different.”
“I am so sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry for everything I put you through. I was terrified by what I’d seen.”
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “I forgave you a long time ago for that.”
He nodded slowly, then sighed. “Now if I could forgive myself, that would be the real trick, wouldn’t it?”
She paused, standing on tip-toe to kiss him gently. “Someday you will.”
“Someday,” he echoed.
They kept walking.
