Picking Up Baby

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 6th October 2021
Series: The Hallmaster's Ladies

Characters: Jalodwyn, Thayde, Enamra
Description: Jalodwyn picks up Jalotha from Thayde's care
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 9, day 28 of Turn 10

Thayde

Enamra

---

Still not feeling entirely well, or as strong as she had been,
Jalodwyn's didn't allow it to stop her when she was finally released
from the infirmary. She still had a cough and sometimes struggled to
take deep breaths, but she could walk for a short distance without
getting out of breath. Face set and jaw tight, she barely glanced at
the woman walking quietly beside her, arm at the ready if she should
falter. She'd lost too much weight during her illness, weight that she
could scarce afford to lose, and her clothing fit her too loosely now.

She was still angry at Yasha, though she struggled to accept that
Thayde's position had hobbled her ability to deny him. Once she had
her daughter back, then things would return to normal, but she seethed
at his presumption. He may have breathed life back into her, pulled
her out of the water, but that gave him no claim to her child that
he'd tossed aside.

They approached the door to the Hallmaster's quarters and Jalodwyn
wasted no time in knocking firmly.

The door opened and the smile that Enamra had opening the door
immediately faltered. "Oh. Uhm...hello Jalodwyn, I..."

"Bring me my daughter, please" The words were curt, barely managing to
remain civil.

Enamra cleared her throat, glancing at the other woman before nodding.
"Of course. I heard you were doing better. I'm very glad." Her
discomfiture was clear as she stepped back, trying to figure out a way
to both soothe the other woman and not make things worse for Thayde.
"Would you like to come in? Perhaps have a drink? Thayde's not here
right now, but..."

Jaldowyn's eye twitched. "No. Thank you." She felt the familiar surge
of anxiety in her belly as she struggled to remain calm. Why was
Thayde's wife alone with Jalotha? "Can you bring her? I don't want to
stay here any longer than I have to."

"Of course." Enamra swallowed. "Just a moment. Let me gather her things."

Jalodwyn crossed her arms as she waited by the door, biting the inside
of her cheek.

Thayde, who had gone to retrieve them some lunch from the kitchens,
arrived home at that moment.

“Jalodwyn, I didn’t know you had been released.” He sat down the tray
of food, nodding to Yasha. It had never occurred to Thayde that
Jalodwyn would show up at his quarters. In his mind he had envisioned
returning Jalotha to her, not the other way around.

Her teeth sank down into her cheek until she felt a sting and tasted
the coppery taste of blood. "I'm sure." Her voice was cold, vibrating
with barely contained anger, that wasn't completely stilled by Yasha's
hand on her arm. "I'm here for my child."

Enamra emerged from the bedroom, carrying Jalotha in her arms with the
satchel of her belongings over her arms. She glanced at Thayde,
feeling awkward as she brought the baby towards Jalodwyn.

“I would have brought her to you, Jal.” Thayde said quietly.

"You should have never taken her." Jalodwyn didn't look at Thadye,
instead moving quickly to take Jalotha out of Enamra's arms. "You're
not to be around her. You, or your wife." She carefully looked over
Jalotha as though making sure she had been treated well. Jalotha gave
a burbling squeal of delight at the sight of her mother, clinging to
her shirt with a firm grip.

"I'm sorry. She's a wonderful baby." Enamra offered softly. "She's
very sweet and good natured and she's been a real joy."

Jalodwyn bit down a little harder as she took a moment to reply.
"Thank you. She is. But I don't want her back here. Ever."

Thayde’s lips flattened into a thin line. A tic in his jawline
revealed that he was fighting to keep his temper in check. Would he be
punished forever? **As if she was completely mature and innocent in
the entire ordeal,** he thought. He had hoped after she recovered from
her near death experience that some of Jalodwyn’s pettiness regarding
him seeing Jalotha would lessen.

Rather than risk putting his foot in his mouth, Thayde shoved his
hands into his pockets.

Content now that Jalotha was alright and hadn't suffered under Thayde
and Enamra's care, the tension in Jalodwyn's shoulders visibly eased.
She pressed her lips against Jalotha's brow, breathing in her scent
with relief before turning and walking away from Thayde's quarters,
Yasha quietly by her side, ready to offer a steadying hand if needed.

Enamra closed the door, stood for a moment, then spoke quietly. "I
never realized how afraid she is."

Finally able to release his anger, Thayde turned, grabbed a glass of
water from the lunch tray, and flung it across the room, where it
shattered and rain water all over a bookcase.

Closing his eyes, fists clenched, Thayde cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry.”

The sudden movement and crash made Enamra jump back and give a small
gasp of surprise and alarm. She had never seen Thayde react in that
much anger before and her hands went instinctively to cover her belly
before she took a breath. Enamra only hesitated for a moment before
hurrying over to him and wrapping an arm around his waist. "It's
alright, Thayde."

“No, it’s not. I’m sorry, I just….” He couldn’t even finish the
sentence, instead he turned, retrieved the dustbin, and began picking
up the shards of glass. Glancing at Enamra’s bare feet he said, “Stay
over there, I don’t want you picking up a sliver in your foot.”

"Use the broom, you'll get cut." She kept her words gentle and quiet
as her fingers began to wind against each other. "I know you're
upset. Is there anything I can do?"

“Take me back in time and prevent me from being an idiot?” He said
bitterly, although he did stop and retrieve the broom.

She didn't state the obvious, that she couldn't do any such thing.
Enamra stayed in place and tried to think of something, anything,
that could possibly help. "Maybe you could..." Her words trailed off
as she stopped herself, not wanting to anger or upset him further,
and unsure of if what she was thinking would be helpful.

At first Thayde thought she was just taking a pause before telling him
her idea, but when he realized she wasn’t going to continue, he looked
up. “Maybe I could what?”

She shifted on her feet and looked down at her hands, trying to find
the right words before she spoke them. "Talk to her. I mean, really
talk. You were friends once, right? Have you asked her what she needs
or what she wants or what she's thinking? You ask _me_ those things
when you try to make things better if I'm upset. I know you said she
had a hard time at Jade Harbor and she didn't really want to come here.
You kinda made her come. If she was still your friend, how would you
talk to her then?"

“I have tried asking her things like that before,” he said, returning
to cleaning up the broken glass, “and it’s always met with a cold
shoulder or a curt reply. Her response is always that she doesn’t
need, or want, anything from me. That much she has been perfectly
clear about.”

Enamra sighed, then spoke again, softly. "Have you ever told her that
you're sorry or feel bad for what happened? Or have you just been
getting angry with her when she's angry?"

“I’ve tried apologizing. At least, for the parts that needed
apologizing. She’s culpable for many of the things that led her to
where she’s at. It was she who tried forcing herself when she and I
were both stationed on the same ship. It was she who tried forcing my
hand by making a spectacle on the docks when she found out she was
pregnant. She was trying her best to wedge herself into our marriage.
I regret feeling it was necessary to send her to Jade Harbor, but her
actions, again, forced that decision.”

"I know. I remember. She made me feel awful. " Enamra hugged herself.
"I wish I knew something that could help make you feel better. "

Thayde threw away the broken pieces of glass and mopped up the water
with a towel.

“I’m sorry she came here. I know that must have been awkward for you.”

"It wasn't comfortable." She admitted. "Honestly, I don't like her
very much. I don't want to be around her or even try to get to know
her, but I know I'll probably have to eventually. She lives here and
she teaches. I can at least be polite to her, right?"

“She’s a very difficult person to be polite to, sometimes.” Thayde admitted.

"Was she always like that?“

“No, not always.” He remembered when things used to be a lot easier
between them. When she was a much happier, vivacious person.

She wondered what had changed the other woman, but it really wasn't
any of her business. As Thayde finished, she finally was able to move
from her spot. "So what happens now?"

“I guess things go back to the way they were before,” he said with a
lift of his shoulders. “I have to consult with the healer, but I’m
sure she’ll be off duty for a bit and then ease back into things after
that.”

Going back to the way things were before... maybe that would be
better. Enamra was confused and disheartened, if only for her
husband. She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around Thayde,
offering what comfort she could.

Last updated on the February 6th 2022

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