#( flashback; aidan and isla 1 )

[waterfallswords]

location: yorkton bc, feb 2023

starter for: isla alvarez and aidan murphy @rviner

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The small cabin is home to far too many wolves. Three rooms with three wolves in each but the only place for Isla and Cece is the couch. Yorkton is bustling but in all the worst ways. It feels like a fight to go anywhere through the safe town. Hurried voices, a constant string of stress blanketing over everybody within it. The guards made it clear when she arrived that there isn't much space. There isn't much to go around. Even the small amount of rations they have, Isla gives everything to Cece. She feels like skin and bone, exhausted and defeated. But, she tries to create a normal for her daughter that otherwise doesn't exist.

They sit together on the floor, Cece between her legs as they face a mirror while Isla's fingers carefully braid through her hair. "Ahí lo ves. Emparejamos." she smiles to her daughter's reflection as she brings the braid around Cece's shoulder and then her own. Y tía? her voice peeps and Isla nods. Sullen and subtle. "Sí, cuando la veamos le haremos la misma trenza." she whispers like it's a game, as if Amaris is just a day away and they're waiting for tomorrow. But Isla can't search for her, she can't search for anybody. For Elliot. The thought of asking others for help tightens her chest, because every wolf in the cabin has a loss they're searching for.

Content in a childlike happiness, Cece is on her feet again. Always moving faster than Isla expects, because it all happened so fast. She grew so fast and it was never supposed to be like this. Her first steps were meant to be a stumble into Elliot's arms, her first proper words were supposed to be papi and mami and he was supposed to hear them. "Cuidado, Catalina." Isla shifts to her feet next to follow as Cece marches her way towards the kitchen. Braid held neatly by a pink ribbon and swinging as she goes. Comida. is all Isla gets as a response, and her heart twists as she thinks of how to say there is nothing. "Later. Primero saldremos a caminar." she rounds into the kitchen to see Cece trying to help herself to a bowl at the edge of the table. Little fingers wriggling above the edge of the wood. "No no. Eso no es tuyo." Isla doesn't scold but instead takes Cece's hands away, gaze rising to the next person that joins the kitchen. "Sorry." she waves a free hand, leading Cece away as she suspects the food is his. "She still learns."