Liana is the first to sit on the blanket with their mother, but Cassie is the first to reach for the food. He reaches for a can of beans, holding them in his hands happily before Liana snatches them away from his tiny fingers.
βHey!!β Cassie shouts at her, swiping at her raised hand in an effort to get them back.
βTheyβre for everyone!β She sneers at him
Eva just rolls her eyes at both of them, holding her hand out to Liana so she can have the beans. βSheβs right. We split themβ she says to Cassie, now looking at LIana βbut be nice!β she orders
Liana nods to her, handing her the beans.
Soon the food is distributed onto the plates with old silverware laying beside the food on the porcelain.
They sit in a small triangle while Eva has them join hands and pray.
Bowing their heads and closing their eyes, Cassie sits still while Liana struggles to stand still, letting out heavy sighs of annoying almost every sentence.
Eva prays over the food and for it to fill their bellies for the rest of the night. She prays over her children's safety and for them to be able to be happy and healthy.
Her voice is soft and kind as she prays over them all. Her hands are slim but calloused, rough against her childrens soft palms.
Lastly, Eva prays for everyone elseβs safety in these hard times. Praying for their health and happiness as well. Even though most people out their didnβt deserve it, she prays for their hearts and their souls even after death. For their lives to get better and for their loved ones to not suffer in life or as they pass.
Once Eva was finished, they all dug into their dinner, talking with each other, laughing over silly things and enjoying themselves as if the world hadnβt caved in long ago.
And afterwards, the family climbs the hill, crosses the field and enters the small, one story farm house theyβve had before everything happened.
Before everyoneβs lives were ruined.
Once the kids were cleaned up, their hair brushed and their clothes changed and put to bed, Eva sits outside on the porch, watching the sun set with a hot cup of homemade flowery tea. She wears an old brown robe and her hair is pulled up into a messy bun. Her golden eyes match the sky as her mind wanders to places she would never think of normally.
Unfortunately, she had decided to go down to the city. Their supplies were running low as well as food.
Eva didnβt want to think of what would happen if she left her kids up here by themselves but she had no other choice. Liana was old enough to take care of Cassie, sure. But sheβs still a child. She shouldnt have to do that.
In any normal situation, Eva wouldnβt even consider it, but she had to think of all of her options. Itβs either keeping the children safe in the house, or taking them down where more danger lies and risk their lives. She couldnt do that to them.
And she wont.
Eva lets out a heavy sigh, pinching the long bridge of her nose as her mind is burdened by all of her thoughts and what she had to conser.
Blinking hard, having stared at the sun as it set for far too long, she looks away and down to her lap. She flicked the side of the clay cup of tea, watching the circles of water appear and fade away into the center.
Standing, Eva heads back inside to head to bed herself, not wanting to be awake and let her mind wander farther than it had to.
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