Sawtooth Spire They're making plans while I watch TV

Taki smiled at his return affection, watching him quietly as he settled a short distance away. He told her was fine and before she could probe further, he pushed away her concern and bombarded her with his own. Just like that, he flipped their roles as if he was the parent and she was the child; it was unlike any interaction she had with him before, and it made guilt burn more fiercely in her chest. He wasn't supposed to worry about her like that, and she hated that she had given him reason to. She didn't like being sickly and pitied by her own son. It was partially her own stubborn pride, but she also didn't like seeing that look on his face. She had done enough to hurt him, and she couldn't bear that she was still hurting him now. But the sickness had taken its toll on her body, and it just needed time to heal; in the meantime, she was incredibly impatient with the whole process, and it was even more frustrating that there was literally no way she could control it. 

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, her lips curving into the loving smile reserved only for her children. This, right here, is all I need, she finally told him. And it was the truth—all she really wanted was to spend time with him. But to better answer him and hopefully ease his concern, she added: I'm feeling much better, just kind of tired. She hated how tired she was all the time, and she yearned for the days when she had what seemed like endless energy. I want to hear about you, though, she told him, quickly changing the subject back to him; she was tired of thinking about how weak she was. What have you been up to?