The market wasn’t as crowded as before, which made my travel time easier and faster. People still stare but they didn’t crowd over us; another good thing.

As I arrived in front of the bakery, I tied Lady to the bench. I was about to enter when a woman wearing an apron appeared. She seemed to be one of the workers.

“Excuse me?” I politely interrupted as she was busy putting out the garbage.

“Yes, good sir?” she smiled as she turned to me.

“Is Laura here today?” I asked.

“She’s currently working right now,” she replied. “Do you need anything?”

“Oh, if she’s busy, please let her know that I’m waiting here outside,” I smiled, my hands behind my back.

“Of course,” she nodded and went back inside.

I proceeded to sit on the bench and wait with Lady. But before my butt could touch the wooden seat, “Robert?!” My head quickly turned in the voice’s direction, seeing Laura at the door.

She ran to me as I stood up, hugging me as soon as she reached me. “Thank the heavens you’re all right,” she remarked, her embrace getting tighter by the second.

“I’m all right,” I lightly tapped her back, struggling to talk and breathe. “However, can you loosen up a bit? I can’t breathe.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she quickly pulled away. “I was just so worried about you,” she continued as I gasped for air. “You didn’t even write more--”

“Oh!” I shouted as she jokingly poked my chest where my wound was. I turned away from her, curling into a bow in pain.

“Oh, I’m sorry again!” she quickly held onto my arm in concern. “Are you all right?”

I let out a deep breath after holding it in, trying to ignore the pain. “It’s okay. It’s just a wound, nothing else.”

“A wound?!” she screamed in horror. “You went on a voyage and you returned wounded?!”

“Calm down, Laura,” I held onto her arms which she quickly shook off.

“Calm down? How can you tell me to calm down when you have some sort of wound on your body?!” she continued her rant.

“Laura, Laura, please,” I smiled as I held her arms once more. “You’re making a scene. Please calm down so I could explain everything.”

She stopped talking and took a few deep breaths in.

“Now, can I tell you the story without you shouting in response?” I asked.

She sighed, nodding after.

“Let’s have a seat, then.”

♔♔♔

“That’s why I was wounded,” I ended the story.

“But why didn’t you just saved yourself along with your mother?” she asked, the look of concern never left her face.

“Laura, I had to make sure everyone onboard leaves with their lives,” I explained. “And that means even if I have to put my life at stake.”

She looked down, gulping before asking, “Can I see it?”

I opened a few buttons from the top of my shirt, enough to expose the wrap that goes around my chest and back.

“Oh, my,” she gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

“There’s no need to worry, Laura,” I assured, closing up my shirt. “I’m all right,” I looked back at her.

She was still in shock, her hands still hovering over her mouth. A tear suddenly escaped her right eye.

“Oh, Laura,” I wiped away the tear that fell from her green eyes. I grabbed her hands, caressing them with my thumbs as I held them in mine. “I’m here, aren’t I? I returned in one piece. You have nothing to worry about.”

She nodded, sniffing.

“Now, don’t cry,” I wiped her tears away. “A beautiful face such as yours doesn’t deserve those tears.”

She continued to cry with her head down. It just shows how precious she is. Crying for the well-being of someone she doesn’t fully know shows her heart. This person needs to be taken care of in the best way possible.

“Well,” she finally talked, sniffing and wiping her tears. She looked at me as she continued, “If you say you’re fine, I’ll believe you.”

I smiled. “You have my word,” I laid my hand on her head.

Moments later, someone else showed up from the door. “I knew it was you,” Grandpa Ben smiled as he caught sight of us. “Laura doesn’t just leave her workstation if the visitor isn’t someone important to her,” he walked towards us.

As he started heading to us, Laura quickly wiped any trace of tears on her face just to hide the fact that she was crying a while ago.

But as soon as he arrived in front of us, he quickly asked, “Why were you crying?”

“Hm?” Laura faced him, trying to act like there’s nothing wrong.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Laura,” he answered, hands on his waist. “Did something happen?”

“Nothing happened, Grandpa Ben,” Laura insisted. “I just… had something in my eye.”

Knowing that he won’t get a straight, honest answer from her, Grandpa Ben turned to me and gave me a stare that’s explicitly saying, ‘Do you mind telling me what’s going on?’

I let out a sigh and began, “Laura was crying out of worry but it’s nothing serious, Grandpa Ben.”

“Worry?” he asked as more confusion rose on his face. “What’s there to worry about?”

“I went on a voyage and I was already home months prior,” I continued. “I just needed to take some time to recuperate for… medicinal reasons.”

“Why? Were you hurt?”

“He has a bandage wrapped around his chest,” Laura finally entered the conversation.

“What?” Grandpa Ben exclaimed; his eyes furrowed. “Why aren’t you in bed? Aren’t you in any kind of pain?” he immediately started asking questions.

“I’m feeling a lot better, Grandpa Ben. I just need to watch out for my actions,” I smiled, showing that I’m in good shape - at least in my mind. “The doctor said if I overused myself, the wound can still bleed.”

“May I see it?” he asked as he sat down beside me.

I nodded and opened a few buttons to show the bandage.

“What happened?” he asked as he examined the bandage.

“We had the misfortune to come across the path of pirates,” I replied as I tried to shrug off the experience. “One decided to… make a mark on me.”

“I have a few medicinal herbs that might help,” Grandpa Ben offered as he stepped back, giving me space to close my shirt. “I can give them to you in raw materials or I can concoct my special herbal medicine for you.”

“I appreciate your concern, Grandpa Ben but I don’t want to be of any kind of trouble for you,” I said.

“Don’t be silly, it’s not going to get in the way of overseeing the bakery,” he smiled, letting out a quick chuckle in the end. “And it’s the very least I could do; both for you and to ease Laura’s worry.”

I turned to Laura, waiting for her approval. Although she’s a bit apprehensive about what Grandpa Ben was saying, her eyes say different.

“If it’s for her sanity, I will accept it,” I answered, turning back to Grandpa Ben. “Is there some sort of recipe for it?”

“Oh, would you like to do it yourself?” he asked.

“I can ask the Medi-- I mean, our healer to do it for me,” I caught myself just in time to rephrase my reply as I almost used the term “Medicine King”. Mortals don’t have those, only healers. Medicine Kings are part of the myth of the immortals and I can’t show any evidence that I’m not of their realm. He might stop me from seeing Laura.

Grandpa Ben replied with a nod. He then turned to Laura. “Dearest, why don’t you take Robert on a quick stroll? He does need to have a bit of fresh air after being confined in his room for months.”

“I don’t want to be a bother if she’s still busy,” I interrupted Grandpa Ben. “I just wanted to see her and show her that I’m still alive.”

“She’s been working hard since the earliest hours of the morning. I think she deserves to have a bit of a rest. She’s been using work as a distraction ever since you last saw each other,” Grandpa Ben laughed a bit, turning to Laura right after. “Why don’t you go and get Leo while we wait for you here?”

Laura nodded and proceeded to the back of the bakery.

Grandpa Ben sat beside me, putting his cane right in front of him with his hands resting on top of it. We both stayed quiet for some time until he started a new conversation, beginning with, “Robert, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way.”

His serious tone caused my body to turn in his direction, paying attention to what he’s about to say. He continued after a sigh, “Please be careful with Laura as I’m being cautious with letting her spend time with you.