"Of course it's not cut and dry. Nothing in life is."

He was short in his reply, something that felt foreign escaping from his lips. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair again and more calmly tried to problem solve what she was saying. "She might be better off tolerating your absences than not knowing her mother at all. There aren't many people who would wholeheartedly accept her as their own. It shouldn't be as such, but it's a terrible truth."

When she stood up, he noticed the blood. While he probably should have pretended not to see, Zach wasn't that sort of person. He would never attempt to cast a simple healing charm without her permission, so he instead fetched a washcloth off of its hook and wet one end of it. Wordlessly, he laid it on the table near her.

"You are worth it." His gaze searched her face, "Reckless or not, you deserve someone to be on your side. To stand by you. Because, one day, you may not feel that urge to run anymore, and you'll need a soft place to land."

  

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Pretties thanks to Olive! <3

"She also might not, Zach." Jo responded pointedly. Ilona was young and impressionable; anyone could whisper in her ear about her mother's absences and how that related towards her. It would be better to have a clean break, a quick snap rather than the drawn out process her leaving and returning repeatedly. Juliana would have access to Ilona if Jo were to leave, and then it was almost assured that both Zach and their daughter would despise her.

She hadn't even realized her dress was stained until Zach had passed her over a washcloth for her injured hands. Frowning, Jo paused before reaching for it to lightly wash her palms. This was their relationship in a nutshell, was it not? He was always taking care of her, always considering and comforting her, and she was always running. They could never function long term.

There was nothing she could have done to stop the sudden onset of tears as he spoke next. Her gaze fell to the table still between them, her heart too fragile to see the pure honesty on his face. A minute passed by after he concluded, then two, all the while Jo stood frantically trying to form a response that might actually force him to see sense.

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beautiful set by mj

"I suppose that's something we won't ever be fully prepared for either way, but we'll make sure she has the best life we can give her."

It's all they could do, really.

Zach looked about to say more, but Jo's tears stopped him in his tracks. His instinct was to rush over to her, gather her in his arms, and hold her until her crying had subsided.

But they were at such an impasse.

Would she accept such a gesture? Would it make matters worse? Should he retreat to another room and give her privacy? But he couldn't just leave her there sobbing. It wasn't right.

As the minutes passed, he finally made a decision. Taking one step, and then another, he easily crossed the distance between them. He should have reached out for the wash cloth and offered it to her, but his heart had other ideas. Reaching up, Zach tried to cup the side of Jo's face and used his thumb to attempt to banish some of her tears.

  

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Pretties thanks to Olive! <3

She knew she ought to pull away, to force his hand to fall and recede back behind the boundary they'd enforced. Zach might've believed they could work their way to steady ground, but Jo knew better. She knew the cliff side they were walking upon was unsteady and ready to crumble at a moment's notice.

She should have moved away. She didn't.

Instead, Jo met his gaze with her watery blue eyes and leaned into his touch. "I'm so sorry," she whispered through her tears. "I never should have left, I'm sorry."

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beautiful set by mj

Maybe it was too much, too soon, but Zachariah didn't care. She hadn't pulled away. Maybe they had a chance. Maybe they could repair things. For Ilona.

His other hand reached up to brush away the tears on the other side of Jo's face. His touch was soft, but sure.

"You're here now," he reassured her, as if that was the only thing that truly mattered.

  

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Pretties thanks to Olive! <3

Jo wasn't sure when she closed the distance to embrace him, but before she knew it she had embraced him fully. Being this near to him felt as natural as breathing, perhaps more so. He felt like home, like all she had to do was feel safe was remain in his arms for the rest of her life.

It alarmed her how rapidly her body relaxed in his arms. The realization that they still had mountains of arguments and boundaries to work through wasn't far from her mind. But, she couldn't think of anything to say that would result in his pulling away. "I missed you," Jo murmured instead.

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beautiful set by mj

When Jo closed the gap, Zach very willingly wrapped his arms around her, holding her as securely as he once did. Since he was a head taller, he naturally found himself resting his chin atop her head, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair. Jo fit so nicely snuggled up in his arms.

"I missed you, too," he practically whispered, the longing that had been present since they day he left clear in his voice.

Looking over her head, he caught a glance of Ilona who peered at them while she gummed on the rattle. His anxiety melted temporarily, and his warm smile returned, growing with every second.

  

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Pretties thanks to Olive! <3