Ouroboros Spine xlvvi. ringing in my head, when you broke my chest

He wondered if it was hard for her to forgive him, if she struggled with it at all, knowing she had such a strong sense of duty to her family. He'd left her so soon after making such promises to her, surely she might have doubted more than once that perhaps he'd only made promises to obtain a goal before leaving. But surely one who held a grudge so deep might not have spoken out and summoned him directly to their keep.

And when she beckoned him to see their children he nodded quietly and stepped in past the threshold so that his eye might adjust to the dim interior, where he sought out the small bodies nestled all together. He felt a twinge in his chest almost painful enough to cause him to cringe- he couldn't tell if it was guilt, or from being overwhelmed with pride.

"What are their names?" He asked.