Kelvin woke slowly, blinking against the dim light of his room. His tiny fingers were still curled around Uncle Michael's hand. It felt cold… colder than normal.
Kelvin frowned, a small, soft crease of worry that no three-year-old should know.
'Grandpa's tired… because of me', he thought.
He didn't have words to describe forbidden spell or lethality or assassin, but he understood one thing perfectly:
Grandpa got hurt protecting him.
Kelvin's throat tightened. He didn't cry, not yet, but his eyelashes trembled.
He looked around the room.
His mother was standing near the doorway, eyes red, hair messy, the way she looked only when she had been angry or scared. Daddy sat beside her, holding her hand tightly. They were whispering, not wanting to wake him.
Kelvin didn't need to hear everything.
He felt it, they're Fear, Anger and Guilt. All swirling around him like cold wind try to stab him in heart.
He slid off the bed quietly, he always made less noise than children twice his age even while walking , and shuffled toward them.
"Mommy…"
Bella spun instantly.
"Kelvin!" seeing him awake, She scooped him into her arms, clutching too tightly as if she hold any less he will disappear, "Are you hurt anywhere? Are you scared? Mommy's here. Mommy will protect you, i will not let any harm come to you."
Kelvin buried his face in her bosom .
He wasn't scared of shadows anymore or anything that could harm him, he was sacred of seeing how his Daddy's jaw was clenched and Of Mommy's trembling arms.
Something very bad happened, and he caused it. That was how children thought, especially intelligent ones how knows good from bad...
"…Did I do something wrong?" Kelvin whispered, voice tiny.
Bella froze like a sculpture, Kelvin's small hands tightened on Bella's clothes as if afraid he will hear something disappointing…
"I was reading… then everything got loud… then bright… then uncle fell down. I didn't… I didn't mean to make him tired…"
Bella's heart broke.
"No, sweetheart….no. No, you didn't do anything wrong." She kissed the top of his head over and over. "You're the victim here. You were attacked."
"But don't worry you're safe now" Edward said softly.
Kelvin's brows knitted together, He wasn't angry, but He was thinking.
"…Why? "…Someone wanted to hurt me? But why, have I done anything wrong..??" he finally asked.
A three-year-old shouldn't ask that ,he should cry, cling, or hide, But Kelvin… he just wanted a reason.
Bella and Edward looked at each other helplessly.
"…Some people do bad things just look more powerful, Kelvin," Edward said carefully. "But the people who love you will always stop them."
Kelvin stared down at his little hands and though 'uncle didn't stop them without price, uncle paid for stopping them.'
"…I want to be strong," Kelvin whispered. "So uncle won't get hurt again, so no one will get hurt"
Bella hugged him tighter, almost shaking.
"No, baby… that's not your job. That's ours."
Kelvin looked up at her face, puffy, tired, still beautiful and fierce.
"Mommy…"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Are you mad?"
Bella blinked. "Mad at who?"
Kelvin hesitated.
"At me."
The question hit Bella harder than any spell.
Her voice broke. "Never. Never at you."
Kelvin relaxed only a little. His young heart believed her… but his brilliant little mind didn't.
He only pressed his forehead against Bella's shoulder and whispered:
"Mommy… I'm tired."
Bella stroked his hair gently.
"I know, baby. I know."
She didn't realize, he wasn't tired, he was trying to disappear, Trying to make the adults worry less, not to be a burden, to shrink himself so no one else would get hurt, that was Kelvin's reaction, Not tantrums, neither obliviousness, but silent guilt, Quiet bravery.
And a child's desperate wish to stop being the centre of danger so that no one will get harm because of him...
Softly, almost inaudibly, he murmured:
"…Next time, I'll protect uncle. "It was whispered like a promise to himself.
Bella's tears fell instantly."Don't say that…" she breathed. "You're just a little boy…"
Kelvin didn't argue, but the thought stayed, It rooted deep like a seed which will grow into a towering tree unafraid of wind and rain and will shelter anyone he loves.