The Heartwood chasing visions of our futures

Changes to her body were not her concern. Maybe her real concern was nonsensical, perhaps it'd even be more common if her fears were in fact linked to losing her figure, but it wasn't.

❝Remember how-❞ Atka paused and took in a breath, brows furrowing as she tried to piece together the example. ❝How you were afraid of your feelings in a sense? You knew what you wanted but you didn't want to get me hurt?❞

Her mind traced back to when she had come across him in the Phantom Hollow, his statement on how feelings made you vulnerable. How his old home was a place where feelings were dangerous. She could never entirely understand his logic on that, that was until now. Not that it was comparable, the trauma he suffered to her mere anxiety, but it did cause her to see what he had meant that day. Atka wanted a family, the idea was so bright, but the only shadow that was cast over it was the small chance that something could happen to them. It seemed like a childish fear, maybe it was. She couldn't avoid wonderful things just because there was a chance of losing it. Bad things happened and it was part of life. Atka wasn't an overly optimistic individual, she couldn't deny that aspect of life and she didn't, but that was the issue. 

❝I just don't-❞ Ugh, words, she internally cursed herself before continuing. ❝I know what I want but the looming idea that I could lose them won't stop echoing in my head. I couldn't protect them forever you know.❞

She still didn't even know if that made sense. It was all a jumble of words to her.