She kept his hand on her cheek, refusing to let it leave. Her eyes rested on their daughter, playing with her toy. Meredith had so little time with him, combined with that sight... It was hard. Her life grew to become an unbearable hell. She was beyond miserable, and yet, he has it so much worse in her eyes. It didn’t stop her tears from overflowing. Her expression begged for company, compassion... love. Despite wanting to keep a strong face in front of Ava, this time, it was too much.
Kaden doesn’t pull away. He can’t. Not when her eyes pleaded with such intensity.
He’d wanted to give her everything she asked for.
It was what he’d promised her. Promised her the world. Promised to be there when she couldn’t stand alone. To be her most loyal companion on whatever road life took them on. To protect her from harm, even at the cost of himself.
Each promise was broken further every day.
He gives everything he has left.
Shifting, careful not to injure her on his sharpened claws, the promise-breaker lifts Mere’s head and shoulders from the bed. It’s not much. There isn’t enough strength left in his arms for him to gather her up like he longs to. But, there’s just enough space in the tiny cubbie that served as their room among the rest of the prisoners to fit his gangly form and too-long limbs. Slouching against the rough hewn wall, he cradles what he can hold of his wife in his lap.
Into the never ending white noise of too many people in too small of a space, Kaden softly weaves the words of a song from the better days.
Ava, doll in tow, appears in the open end of the room. She lingers a moment. The tears on her mother’s cheeks catch in her wide copper eyes, even as her father tenderly brushes them away.
Reaching out to pet Meredith’s hair, she cuddles up with them both.