Iktome Plains saltmouth

"one fiery but mean. one less fire but so much kinder." retelling it this way did not hurt so much. it also wasn't much of a question for a boy to ask, not one so young as matteo. "i have four children."
she wondered at his own story, why he appeared to have come by an old man's wisdom at a tender age.
but maybe it was that they had lived similar lives. why should she pry?
"love worth it. not care how much i hurt. i rather hurt than not love."