Prompt: Wolf and Dance

Jarod woke up confused. He had no idea where he was at all. He could feel that his arms were bound to his side. He tried to shift, but found he was barely able to move. He looked around and could tell that he was in a forest. He pressed into what he was sitting against and it felt like a tree. Ahead of him, he could see a group of almost naked women dancing. He could just barely hear their chants. He tried to focus on the words, but he couldn’t decipher anything. 

A woman in the group saw him and realized he was still awake. She threw what seemed like a blue ball at him. He tried his best to dodge the ball, but he found that he couldn’t. It went into his chest. He felt a pain he had never experienced before and his world went completely black. 

When Jarod woke up again, he knew something was different. The first thing he noticed was that his hearing was amplified somehow. He also felt that he wasn’t bound anymore. He was so thirsty he could barely think of anything else. He could hear a stream nearby so he followed the sound. It didn’t take him long to find the stream. He dipped his head into the water and drank. He thought of nothing else until his thirst was sated. 

As he was pulling his head back, he gasped in shock. The reflection facing him was of a wolf. He couldn’t understand. He blinked many times but he kept seeing the same black and white fur and blank face staring back at him. He backed away from the water and looked down. Where he expected to find his dark feet, he found paws. He got as much of a look at his body as he could and could only find fur where skin and clothes should have been. 

He couldn’t remember much. He remembered waking up bound. He remembered the women dancing. That must be it! Something they had done with the dance must have changed him. He wandered around trying to find the women. He was alone. He didn’t understand. He saw them just before his world went black. Just before…

Then he remembered. The woman who threw the blue ball of light at him. That must have been it. That must have been the thing that turned him into a beast. He couldn’t understand why they did this to him. He couldn’t understand what he had ever done in his life to deserve the punishment thrown his way. He always helped his tribe. He always did for others. He was even willing to marry anybody that the tribe wished him to and carry on his bloodline. 

Several weeks passed. He was beginning to adapt to the life of a wolf. He wondered if anybody missed him. If they wondered where he went and what had happened to him. He hunted when he was hungry and drank when he was thirsty. What scared him the most was that he was starting to lose touch with his humanity. The longer he stayed a wolf, the more of his human memories he forgot. 

He was just starting to begin to lose all hope entirely that he would find somebody to get him out of his mess when the woman appeared. He watched her for a while before making himself known. It was obvious she was looking for something. Once she spotted him she let out a cry of relief and ran to him.

“There you are. I was worried I wasn’t ever going to find you. You have good instincts and hide well. That’s a good thing. Many of my clan wish to kill you.”

What have I done?

“Nothing. They got the wrong man. You have an identical twin. Do you not?”

You can hear me?

“Yes. Yes. Now answer the question.”

Yes. I do.

“He has done horrible things to my people. Including forcing himself on them and impregnating two of them. We thought you were him. I realized when I saw him after the night we turned you that we had gotten the wrong man. I’ve been trying to find you since then to undo the curse.”

You can undo it? You can make me human again? 

“Yes.”

Writing Prompt: Heaven and Explosion

Heaven was on a mission. Nothing or nobody was going to stop her. Not today. Not this time. She had waited too long for this moment. She was ready. It was going down. She felt the blood in her veins boiling in anticipating. The only thing left for her to do was count down. 

Weeks ago, Heaven had walked in on her best friend, the love of her life, and her boss having the time of her life in her living room. In the home that she paid for. In the home she worked hard to keep up. Her job wasn’t the safest job in the world, but it paid the bills. It helped her support herself and her wife. That was enough for her. 

She listened for hours hearing how they were just high and it meant nothing. She started to believe them and was going to let it go until her best friend slipped up. She couldn’t even remember what he had said, but she knew once he had said it that this thing had been going on for a while. When she directly asked, neither of the three could answer her for several minutes. It was Missy who finally told her the truth.

Missy had decided she missed having sex with men. While she loved Heaven with all her heart, she needed more where sex was concerned. She craved for more. She was sure that if Heaven just thought logically about it all, she would understand. Heaven wanted to slap the condescending look off Missy’s face. 

The explosion of shouts that followed Missy’s explanation was iconic. Had somebody been filming it, it would have made millions of views online. Missy would have loved every moment of it. Heaven guessed she shouldn’t have really been all that surprised. Missy was a stripper when they met. Missy changed really quickly as they dated. She should have seen all the red flags leading up to this moment. She didn’t. All she saw was that Missy must really care about her.

Heaven took one last puff of her cigarette and squashed the butt on the ground. She hadn’t stepped foot in her home for weeks. She told them she needed time to calm down and think things over. And she did. She had everything mapped out and planned. She pulled the paperwork from her car and made her way to the house. 

She took a breath and straightened her clothes and hair. She didn’t understand why she was suddenly nervous now. She and Missy had been married for two years. She loved Missy. She thought Missy was the one that she would spend the rest of her life with. She was wrong. Missy said as much when she asked if Heaven really thought they were going to be together forever. 

Yes, Missy. I did. That’s why I asked you to marry me. That’s why I brought you into my home and vowed to spend the rest of my life with you in sickness and in health. You gold digging piece of…

“Oh good. You’re home. We really need to talk.”

“Yes. We do. I have all the paperwork for you to sign to end this marriage. I’ll leave you with whatever you want if you sign the papers with no argument. If you fight me or try to take me to court, I will show the evidence of your infidelity and you will win nothing at all. Choose wisely.”

“Heaven! You couldn’t possibly think I want to divorce you! I love you. You’re my whole world. Please. Let’s work this out.”

“Didn’t you say that I shouldn’t have expected this to last forever? That doesn’t really sound like love to me.”

“Dammit, Heaven. I wasn’t talking about our relationship. I was referring to our monogamy. We’ve constantly talked about the fact that we were meant to be with more than one person.”

“No, Miss. You talked about it. I told you that I just didn’t agree. You didn’t listen. You never listened. I told you that when I’m with one person, I’m with just them.”

“I thought you’d be willing to see reason eventually. Surely you knew that I would eventually want to sleep with men again. Certainly you knew I’d want to try for a baby.”

“Fine. Whatever. Will you please just sign the paperwork so I can go? I’ll give you the house if you want or time to move out if you choose that as well.”

“You’re breaking my heart, Heaven. You really are.”

“You broke mine first.”

Writing Prompt: Eagle And Flute

Drew looked forward to branching out on his own all day long. He didn’t mind doing the chores every day. He actually enjoyed them. He knew that one day he would be the one running the farm. The more he was held responsible, the easier the transition would be. He hoped that it would be a long time yet before that came to pass.

Once he was finished with his last task of the day, he made his way to his cottage. He had to resist the urge to skip on the way there. He was so happy. He had just had his birthday and his mother had made him a beautiful flute. She knew that Drew was fond of music and wanted to give him an outlet to practice. 

His father wasn’t happy about the gift at first. He was convinced that it would get in the way of Drew’s chores and responsibilities. Drew assured him that it wouldn’t. His father finally relented and let him be. He warned Drew that if he ever faltered on his responsibilities that the flute would make its way to the weekly fire. Drew told him he understood. 

He stopped in the cottage long enough to grab his flute. Once he had grabbed it, he made his way out of the cottage and towards a cave that was near the farm. That was another agreement he made with his father. He wouldn’t play the flute anywhere near the farm. His father was concerned that the flute would agitate the chickens. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t understand.

Once he made it to the cave, he took the moment to fully enjoy the scenery. The view from the cave was awe inspiring. It always took his breath away. He hoped that he would never get used to the scene. He hoped it would always take his breath away.

He sat down and grabbed the food that he had packed to bring with him. He sat in thought of what he wanted to play as he ate. It wasn’t anything fancy. He just grabbed a hunk of bread and some cheese. He didn’t want to spoil his appetite for the fantastic meal his mother was bound to prepare. 

Once the food was gone, he took a few moments to admire the flute. He was nervous. He had used a flute before, but this was his very own. He could play it whenever he wanted to. Before he let his nerves get the best of him, he started playing. He let his instincts take over and before he knew it, the entire cave was filled with a melody he’d been working on for years. One he hoped to play at weddings.

His playing was interrupted by a whooshing sound in the cave. He turned around to see a beautiful and poised eagle looking at him. Once the eagle was sure that he had Drew’s attention, it started walking toward him. Drew was shocked. He had never seen an eagle up close before. Much less one that willingly approached him.

You look surprised, sire. Did you not mean to call me?

C-call you. How could I have possibly done that? I was just sitting here playing my flute. 

That explains it all. It would seem that you possess the gift. I suppose that means that you are my human. 

I’m sorry, what? I have no idea what you’re talking about. 

Was the flute made for you specifically?

How did you- 

I don’t have time to explain now. Look, go home and ask the person that made that flute for you. They have the responsibility to tell you everything you need to know. All I can tell you is that we are now bonded. That bond will go stronger as we grow together. I must leave now. Peace be with you, Drew.

How did you know my name?

All in good time. Take care

With that, he flew away leaving Drew in absolute shock. He didn’t know what to think. Out of the notion to play his flute, he picked up after himself and headed for home. He was surprised to find his mother waiting for him at the gate. She usually stayed busy every waking moment. He walked up to her and hugged her.

“I had a feeling you’d be out practicing that flute the first moment you could.”

“You know me well, Ma”

“So, tell me how it went. Did anything strange happen?”

“As a matter of fact something did happen. What do you know?”

“Later. Tell me what happened.”

Drew was baffled by her reaction. He decided to shake it off and tell her what had happened in the cave. He had expected her to be shocked and appalled. What he saw was anything but. She looked like she knew exactly what he was talking about and like she had expected it to happen.

“I was right. You’re the one.”

Writing Prompt: Hope and Slippers

Heather turned off the television with a sigh of dreamy content. She had watched her favorite movie again. She couldn’t begin to explain how much the movie calmed her and made her feel less lonely. It gave her hope even though her world felt hopeless sometimes. 

Heather had been alone for many years. Her family had turned their backs on her when she told them she had no interest in finding a husband because she had no interest in men. She had been in love with Rosland since she was a young teenager. She also informed them of this.

She was alarmed when Rosland was immediately fired because of her announcement. Before she could even apologize, Rosland slapped her hard and told her that she hated her for ruining her life. Her family found her still recovering from the attack and promptly told her to leave. The house didn’t welcome queer people who refused to live by society’s standards.

She was permitted to take anything of hers that she wished as long as she was gone by the next morning. She supposed she should be thankful that they had arranged for a place for her to stay for a month until she figured out what she was going to do and the transportation to get there. It was hard. The world as she knew it had ended forever. All because she had gained the courage to tell her parents the truth.

Heather lived in a time where technology had advanced and was constantly advancing. The world was beginning to accept people like her. She had thought that her family would see this and be just as accepting. She should have known better. It would always be money and how the society viewed people above everybody. If you had money, you were expected to be a certain way and do certain things. 

She shook the thoughts of those horrible days from her head. She just couldn’t dwell on it anymore. She had to start moving forward. She counted her blessings that her Beth, her older sister, took pity on her and helped her find somewhere to say and sent her a little money each month to help her live. She no longer needed the help, but Beth insisted on doing it anyways. She texted her all the time as well. She couldn’t resist any moment to tell Heather how proud she was of her. 

Heather looked at the time. She was unaware that it had gotten so late. She took off her slippers and placed them neatly by the bed. She took her robe off as well and crawled into the bed. Her last thought before she went to bed was of Rosland and the time Rosland had gotten so excited about Heather winning the competition she kissed her before promptly running away.

Writing Prompt: Mouse And Broom

Penelope was hard at work in the kitchen. The people would start coming in the very next morning and she felt very unprepared. Of course, everything was left for her to do on her own. Their excuse was that she had magic, so it should be easy for her. She huffed with irritation at the thought of it all. 

She set the broom to sweep while she started in on the dishes. There always seemed to be dishes in the sink no matter how many times she did the dishes on a typical day. Didn’t they understand that she was only one mouse? Couldn’t they at least be more thankful of her? 

She heard a rustling behind her and turned around to see Piper. Piper looked at her bashfully. She was hovering the door with her arms loaded with towels. It was very obvious by the look for strain on Piper’s face that Piper had been just as hard at work as she had been.

“I’m sorry, lovey. I didn’t hear you come up. What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I cleaned all of the rooms and got them prepared so that you don’t have to. I don’t know how many people we are expecting, so I cleaned them all to be safe.”

“Oh my! You’ve been a busy little mousey today! I thank you! I was feeling very overwhelmed today. Nobody has seemed to want to help me get everything ready.”

“I know. I heard them talking about how amazing you were, but I didn’t hear any of them talking about the things they did. So I thought I might want to book it over here and get to helping. You shouldn’t be left to do this all on your own.”

“Sadly, I’m used to it, love. It’s been like this since I came to work here. You’ve barely started here though. I hate that you’re taking on so much so soon.”

“It’s the least I could do. You took me in barely knowing anything about me. I am so thankful for you. I do have questions though. What is so important that has everybody so excited?”

“You don’t know? Our town is hosting the Twisty’s Tournament. It’s the first time we’ve ever been given the honor.”

“Oh my! That’s the biggest tournament ever to exist. I’ve never seen one. I’ve only heard of them and how amazing they are.”

“Same here. I guess there’s a first time for everything! Why don’t you go rest? Thanks to you, I only have a few more rooms to do.”

“Oh it was no problem at all. You keep everything so well kept that I barely had to do anything at…. Is that broom moving around on its own?”

Penelope chuckled. She wasn’t used to having somebody around that didn’t know about what she could do. She wondered if she should let Piper in on the secret. Especially since she could sense that Piper had the gift as well.

Writing Prompt: Defeat and Sky

Sawyer looked up at the sky. It was as dismal as the mood around him. He didn’t know if he could recover from this. He wasn’t sure anybody he loved and cared for would. It’s amazing how things could change so drastically in the matter of moments. One moment there was a feast to celebrate Analessa being accepted as one of the King’s cooks, the next moment they were being attacked out of nowhere. 

Nobody could have expected Tiberius to send his strongest army to attack. They were their greatest allies. He couldn’t think of another town that they could trust more. It broke his heart to think that they were betrayed and defeated so senselessly. He just wished he had five minutes to be a fly on the wall to find out what went so horribly wrong.

He heard a moan in the distance. He looked over to see Brad laying on the ground. It was clear by his face that he was in pain. His heart really broke for Brad. He was set to marry Analessa next week. They had been together for many years and her moving to the castle made things easier for them. He had been one of the king’s most loyal scouters and had been for many years. Sawyer suspected that was the reason that Analessa was so readily accepted into her role in the castle.

Sawyer rushed over to Brad as quickly as he could. He held Brad’s hand in both of his while he inspected the injuries. He let out a sigh of relief. Brad would be in a lot of pain, but he would heal. He would live. Sawyer wanted to cry with relief. He had seen so many people pass on in the past few days. He was proud at how long everybody banded together to defend the town, but sadly he knew that the defeat was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. 

“Stay strong, Brad. I don’t think that Ana will ever forgive me if something horrible happened to you.”

“Easy for you to say. You won’t have to live with her. I’m never going to hear the end of this. She wanted me to volunteer to get the children to the tunnels.”

“You really should have. You’re too valuable to the Kingdom to let yourself be put in harm’s way. How do we know the King won’t come for our heads now that you went and let yourself get injured.”

Sawyer put both of his arms under Brad and slowly lifted him up. He thought it would be a lot easier than it was. Brad was lean and had very little muscle to speak of. It’s why he made such a good scout. Nobody expected the King to send somebody so frail to get information about the towns. Many people even ignored him.

“Your weight is deceptive. Has anybody told you this? Hopefully I can manage to carry you to Grant so that he can see to your wounds. After that, I strongly suggest that we get a carriage to get you to the Castle as soon as humanly possible. You would do better with the best healers looking after you.”

“Are you implying that the Castle has better healers than our dear Grant?” Brad let out a chuckle that quickly turned into a cough that sounded so painful even Sawyer felt it.

“I would never imply such a thing. Especially not in front of Grant. I do value my life. Even if I don’t always show it.”

“I know you do. Just remember that it doesn’t last forever. Don’t forget that. This might be a great opportunity to confess your feelings to Grant.”

“Brad! I think you must have a fever!”

“I do not have a fever and we both know it. Everybody sees how you look at Grant when you think nobody else notices. There are many of us who would rejoice in seeing the two of you together. You both deserve complete happiness.”

“I’ve always admired your passion, Brad. I have. I think you might be off your mark with this one though. I mean I won’t deny you’re right about me. That doesn’t mean that Grant feels the same, or that he plays for my team.”

“Oh he does. We see him looking at you too.”

“Oh you’re just talking.”

“I’m not. Just ask Sarah. She is around him every day. She knows him better than anybody.”

“You mean he and Sarah aren’t…. Together?”

Brad chuckled again. “Not even close. I think Sarah wanted to in the beginning, but her feelings quickly changed when she realized it would never happen with the two of them. Go for it! Confess your love!”

With that, he promptly passed out. His weight became even more dead than it was originally. Luckily, Grant’s cottage wasn’t that far away. He just had to make it a few more paces. The closer he got to the cottage, the more his heart pounded. Could Brad be onto something?

Writing Prompt: Anger and Village

Melena barely managed to dodge a rotten tomato as it zoomed past her head. She had no idea what was going on. She had never seen so much anger when she visited the village normally. Usually everybody was peaceful and cheerful. That was not the case today. She couldn’t figure out what would cause the lovely people she had come to love and adore to act this way. Acting fast, she grabbed the arm of a boy that was darting past her.

“What’s going on? What is the reason for all of this chaos?”

“You haven’t heard, m’lady? It’s all anybody can talk about this morning.”

“I’m afraid I live a ways off and don’t get to hear much gossip. What is it?”

“The King has requested the eldest daughter of every home. He wishes for his son to take a wife. The daughters are to stay at the castle until the son has chosen one he wishes.”

“While that sounds like a really weird request, I’m not sure I see the reason for all of this anger.”

“The King’s son is a very bad person. He is vile and has the temper that terrifies even the bravest soldier. The people are worried about their daughters. Especially the one that may be chosen to be forced to be his wife.”

“Oh dear. I can definitely understand that concern. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’m afraid not. The King will be sending guards to come collect the daughters first thing tomorrow morning. I’m afraid that some of our people will try to resist and there will be a lot of rioting and chaos due to it.”

“Yes. I’m afraid of that as well. If only someone could instill peace and calm in the people so that no unnecessary violence is had.”

“If only somebody could talk reason into the King and stop him from doing all of this in the first place.”

She nodded and patted his shoulder as thanks. Her mind was swimming with the information he had given her. She had only just moved to the area a year ago. She loved the little village and the people in it, but she was still very much an outsider. She suspected that she would most likely always be an outsider. 

Stepping up to her favorite shop, she noticed a flyer on the window beside the door. She took the moment to step up and read it.

Attention! We have a lovely announcement. The King has decided that his son is in need of a wife. He will be inviting all of the oldest daughters of every family and any single woman living in the area to the castle to live. They will meet the Prince and he will get to know them and decide which lovely soul he will marry. Best of luck to all fortunate women!

With a bolt of shock, she realized that included her as well. At least she thought it did. She was very much single and living in the area. She had no idea how she could find out without being obvious. She wanted to stay under the radar as much as possible. If they knew her secret, it would be the end of her. Being selected as the Prince’s wife was the least of her concern.

Prompt: Ghost and Fireplace

Audrey looked dismally at the fireplace. It had been a long week. She couldn’t even begin to understand where everything had gone so horribly wrong. One moment she was blissfully happy. The next her husband was telling her of how madly in love with Judith he was. How he’d known it for years, but didn’t want to hurt her.

Didn’t he realize that falling in love with her younger sister would devastate her? Didn’t he know that keeping it from her for years would hurt her even more? I guess it was better that he told her about the two of them rather than find out like so many poor souls wind up doing. She couldn’t imagine what she would have done if she had come home to find them in bed together. 

She supposed she got it in the end. Judith was beautiful. She was passionate. She believed in all the things that Greg did. She was constantly attending all of the events that Greg did. They talked for hours about many different topics. It’s amazing she couldn’t see any of the signs before now. She was just so in her element that her sister and her husband were able to get along so well. That she could spend time with her sister any time she wanted. She felt so stupid.

As she was continuing to dwell on her heartbreak, she looked up at the fireplace again and had to gasp at what she saw. Standing in front of the fireplace was the transparent figure of a woman who looked to be wearing a dress that was from a time long ago. The woman was staring at her intently.

Do not be alarmed, sweetheart.

“Are you… are you….”

Yes, child. I am a ghost. You could call me the spirit of the house if you wish. My name is Maria.

“Nice to meet you, Maria. I’m sorry if I’m coming off as rude. I just never expected you to show yourself to me.”

You didn’t need me until now. I made myself known to you so that you would understand you were never alone here. I planned to stay in the background. You need me now though. I am sorry that you are hurting so much.

“I guess you heard that, huh. And yes. I’ve heard you around. I just thought it was in my head. Greg never heard anything.”

He wasn’t meant to. I only intended for you to know of my existence. He was never worthy about knowing about me or the secrets of this house. 

“Let’s just hope that he doesn’t win it in the divorce then.”

That won’t happen. This house legally belongs to you with a very binding contract that your father placed in your favor. Judith is your half sister and has no claim to this house and neither does your husband.

“How do you know all of this?”

That is a story for another time. Soon you will know everything. For now, rest. I am so glad that I am able to come to you openly now. We have so much to discuss.

Writing Prompt: Cow And Cheese

Josephine stomped and fumed as she made her way out to the barn. She was so tired of doing all the stupid chores. Didn’t they realize that she was going to be important one day? How was she supposed to hone her acting skills if she kept having to do chores every free moment. Madeline didn’t have to do any chores.

Of course when Josephine pointed this out, she was reminded that Madeline was barely six years old. Josephine had just celebrated her sixteenth birthday. She had other brothers and sisters, but her and Madeline were the only ones allowed to stay home. The boys were required to attend boarding school when they turned five. 

All boys were mandated by the government to leave the home and attend boarding school. She heard gossip around town about how the boys were being groomed to do something major. She never really cared. As long as she had access to the best cheeses in town, what did it matter what the boys did? She also planned to become a major actress as soon as she was discovered!

Josephine opened the barn door and stepped slowly in. She hated the smell of the place. If they were going to force her to come out and milk the cows, they could at least keep the place in better condition. She huffed again. They would all be sorry. Once she became famous, she would make them regret their horrible treatment of her.

After Josephine finished with her chores, she went inside to rest. She was tired and grumpy. She didn’t want to do anything but curl into a corner and read a book. Of course that would have been too easy. Madeline met her at the door. The look of pure excitement on her face told Josephine that she was in for pure torture.

“Josey, guess what? Mommy says I can go with you to the play tonight!”

“She said what???” 

“She said I can go with you to the play tonight! She said you would be happy to take me.”

“I don’t want to go to the stupid play! I had plans with Brad tonight. I told her this last week.”

“Can’t Brad go with us? Pretty please? I never get to see him.”

“Ugh! Why are you people trying to ruin my life? Can’t I be allowed to do what I want to when I want to?”

“When you’re paying your own bills in your own house, you can do whatever you wish, my child.”

Josephine froze. She didn’t hear her father come into the room. She slowly turned around to find her father standing in the door scowling at her. She did her best not to show her temper in front of her father. He was the only person who listened to her when she was upset. The only one that compromised with her.

“Father. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be cross. I’ve just seen the play every night for the past two weeks. I’m bored of it.”

“I get that, Jo. I really do. I am so thankful of you for taking the initiative to take your sister all these nights despite that. Miss Mads here seems to love that play so much. Perhaps she’s sweet on somebody.”

He leaned down to muss up Madeline’s hair. She giggled and blushed at the contact. He knew just how to talk to both of his girls.

“Tonight is the last night, Daddy! They say it’s going to be really special!”

“You’re right. I remember them saying that when you drug us all there yesterday.” He turned and looked at Josephine. “Look, Brad can go with you tonight if you will just go with her. Please. I promise to make it up to you. Whatever you want.”

“Anything, Daddy?

“Within reason.”

“There’s an acting school in Graceland that I would love to attend.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“Oh really, Daddy?”

“That’s not a yes, yet! Let me find out more about it and make my decision from there.”

“Thank you, Daddy! You’re the best.”

Writing Prompt: What does unconditional love look like to you?

In order to fully answer this, I want to explain my definition of it. Unconditional love to me is loving somebody no matter what. It’s knowing their flaws and weaknesses and loving them anyway. It’s wanting to be there with them during the good times and the bad. Most people seem to only put unconditional love to romantic relationships. I disagree with this. I believe fully that it pertains to anybody you love no matter what their relation.

Unconditional love is wanting to be around somebody always. Even if they are feeling low or not feeling good. It’s realizing that they aren’t perfect but accepting them for who they are anyway. It’s giving them strength when they have none for themselves. It’s having their back no questions asked.