She always did her absolute best to maintain an easy, steady relationship with Rowen. She was his sister and his guardian, not a replacement for their mother.
She would never want to be that but she also understood that guiding him meant choosing her moments. Most days, she let him be the boisterous, impatient boy he was. Other times, like today, she had to be firmer, more assertive, even when she hated the heaviness it brought to his small face.
Her shoulder throbbed with every step as they left the woods and crossed the manicured grounds leading back to the manor. Dry leaves clung stubbornly to her hair, and despite how carefully she tried to
hide her winces, Rowen caught each one.
He kept glancing up at her, his brows pulled together, worry practically radiating off him.
"I'm sorry," he blurted suddenly, voice cracking like thin glass. "I didn't mean for you to get injured."
"You don't have to worry," she replied gently. "I'm perfectly fine."
