Mudminnow River and the smell of the ground

a better place? she wondered at what place there might be better, but also- "Why did she go somewhere better without Kieran?" she wondered if her mother, too, was in a better place. is that where mothers went, when they left? surely not- but did all mother's leave? did they simply have their children and then leave to somewhere better? oddly, the thought didn't hurt the way it should. 

"Do all Ma's leave? Why don't they take their kids with them? That's not nice." came her question a moment later. Dawn was growing, in many senses of the word, yet in this region, she was still naive- never truly stopping to question the topic of mothers. she peered at Heartha with question in her glance, brow furrowed in her trademark way that signalled her mind was turning.