Chapter 63: Family Trip III
Chapter 63 - Family Trip III
Aaron gingerly carried Katherine back to the campsite, his arms wrapped tightly around her soaked body as the cold air whooshed lightly, making her shiver in his arms, and he tightened his hands harder.
Her weight was light for him in his arms—so delicate and gentle—but the knot in his chest didn’t loosen, not even when he gently placed her down after they arrived inside the tent.
Aaron turned his back for her to change out of her wet outfit, and Aaron did the same, stripping off his drenched shirt and wringing water from his pants. His fingers trembled slightly, and his hands were white and wrinkled from the wetness.
He laid out a dry sleeping bag beside the small fire pit and helped Katherine settle into it carefully. The spare hoodie he gave her practically swallowed her, its sleeves dangling past her fingers inside the goodies.
Katherine pulled the fabric tighter to her nose, burying her face in its warmth and scent. Her lips were bluish—purplish? Pale and dry as her cheeks were slightly flushed from cold, and she blinked slowly like she was fighting exhaustion.
The twins were snuggled in their sleeping bags, whispering quietly as their worried eyes darted between their mother and Aaron, but he offered them a nod of reassurance.
Aaron crouched and added more sticks to the small fire for warmth as the orange glow in the tent gently cast shadows across Katherine’s face.
He moved quickly to make tea, pouring hot water into the thermos he’d packed earlier. He handed her the cup silently, watching her wrap her cold fingers around it like it was the last source of heat in the world.