“No one else but me,” Tess assured her, although she and their father hardly had far to go to be home, as it were. She was – she fancied they all were – conscious of giving Sage her own space, cooped up and cornered as she might feel the... worse things got.
As brave a face as Sage could possibly put on, Tess was worried about her. Everyone was, but she was the eldest; she was the closest thing they had left to a mother. (Well. Sage was now closer to motherhood than she had ever been, but that was no comfort at all.) Regardless. She felt responsible for making sure that Sage was really, truly, as far as it was possible to be, alright.
So – “How are you feeling?” she asked gently, tone low and gaze intent – by which she meant she wanted the truth, and Sage ought to know it. But, also, on a practical level – and because she had no intention of sitting still just because she’d left the printing rooms – Tess guessed: “Hungry?”
As brave a face as Sage could possibly put on, Tess was worried about her. Everyone was, but she was the eldest; she was the closest thing they had left to a mother. (Well. Sage was now closer to motherhood than she had ever been, but that was no comfort at all.) Regardless. She felt responsible for making sure that Sage was really, truly, as far as it was possible to be, alright.
So – “How are you feeling?” she asked gently, tone low and gaze intent – by which she meant she wanted the truth, and Sage ought to know it. But, also, on a practical level – and because she had no intention of sitting still just because she’d left the printing rooms – Tess guessed: “Hungry?”
