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The last time Kora saw her eldest son, he was five years old, full of hope and joy, embracing her as her due date with her youngest was drawing closer every day.
He had been so excited to join the saint and his student, in fact, even Kora herself was a bit excited as well.
She had heard stories of her great grandmother’s time with a saint and knew this was just what her eldest needed in his life.
He returned a year later for a week, meeting his baby brother for the first time and filled with stories of adventure. And while Kora did smile, she still missed her boy.
The next time Kora saw her eldest son, he was sixteen years old, he had finished his sainthood and was finally going to get his own student sooner or later, he told her everything that had happened to him in the past years: his mentor dying, meeting new people and becoming friends with saints and royals alike. Kora could feel herself smiling and so what if she held onto him longer than what was needed during their hug before he left once more: he’s her son.
The next time Kora saw her eldest son, he was twenty four years old, she had been taken by a group that wanted to harm her boy, and when he was able to take her back home, the only thing she remembered was the smell of smoke and burning flesh as her farm home burned down, her eldest son holding her as she fell to the ground, screaming for her husband and youngest son.
Despite that month being the worst of her entire life, Kora couldn’t deny that it felt nice to have her eldest son alongside her, even when she saw the silver ring on his finger.
The next time Kora saw her eldest son, he was thirty years old, despite the fact that he was covered by a mask and metal that kept him alive, Kora could tell it was her son, the mask he wore held a familiar sense that she knew all too well.
That day, she spent the entire time letting his cold head lay on her lap, stroking his hair as she sighed.
Kora knew that he was no longer her son but she didn’t care, she still loved him all the same.
The last time Kora saw her eldest son, it was not her son at all, but instead her twenty five year old granddaughter.
Kora spent months with her granddaughter, teaching her everything she knew. And as her granddaughter left, Kora smiled, her wrinkles moving alongside her lips. At least she could die knowing that what was left of her family was safe.
And that did bring a smile to Kora’s face for the first time in many years.