?Avery, please pack your bag for me. Your clothes are already folded on your bed.? The crying down hall had Storm pausing in her own packing and hid a deep sigh from her older son.

*He?s been crying a lot today.* Avery complained before resting his head on her hip.

?Go and pack your bag now, please.? She gently pushed him towards the door so that he may go complete his task. Her clothes and Kellan?s clothes were spread across the bed, and the crying babe made the effort only more daunting.

With a knock at the door, Storm moved to answer it but heard Avery?s feet rushing down the hall. Taking a deep breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose and cleared her overwhelmed mind before following down the hall and heading for Kellan. While Avery received the letters from the man outside, she picked up Kellan and cooed comfortingly. His soft head was rather warm against her cheek and it brought a flutter of anxiety to her middle.

*Here?s a letter from dad.* Avery recognized the handwriting for now, and even opened the letter for her full hands.

?Thank you Avery. Please go and pack now.? Taking the opened letter, Storm tried to carefully read over each word with the sounds of discomfort ringing so close to her ears. The letter was of the usual sending, with the unknown answers and well wishes. The only difference was the request for her to stay home and not sail to Yransea.

The quick frustration of not seeing him in the very near future, and the anxieties of her new position and her son?s discomfort seemed to collapse in the instant. The sobbing in her ear only encouraged her own emotions to seep through. Instead she closed her eyes and carefully locked the unstable emotions away until she had the privacy to thrash them out.

?There there, love. Let us go see whatever is the matter.? She kissed the top of his head, his sobbing slowly quieting into silent tears before what she knew would be eventual slumber. Taking her time to head for Avery?s room, Storm remembered a conversation with Ewan long ago. She could not show Avery her frustration to not travel, or her disappointment in the extended time from seeing her husband. It was vital that he saw that he?s parents worked together, even when one wanted to falter.

?Avery son, you can stop packing.? He glanced up towards the doorway, surprised at the suddenly different request, ?Father has asked us not to come out just yet. We do not want to go if we do not want to see him, yes?? However much she disagreed with that statement, she still set a smile on her face, ?We will see him soon enough. For now though, put on your cloak. We are going to go visit Nonno and take Kellan to see Anne.?

Much later when they returned home and Storm found the proper treatment for Kellan, she sat to reply to Ewan?s letter. Her frustrations at him were gone, leaving her aching and hollow. In the same manner she treated Avery, she gave Ewan no trace of her previous emotions. She sent regret that she could not come out to see him, but that she missed him all the more. In fact, she added that his request for the best, as Kellan has come down with a cold.

She checked her words carefully, making certain that the image she gave of their home was one that would sit easy in his mind, save for their son?s illness. However, she assured she found proper care and was certain he would be well in no time.

She had every intention to make sure that the letter would hold true by the time he returned home.