Fifty-Seven

ZORA'S POV

I hugged Finn and Freya tighter. Freya's body was trembling with a mixture of hurt and pain. I wished I could take it all away. Tears started in my eyes and I rapidly blinked them back. This was a time to offer support, a time to be strong for my kids.

"Everybody hates us, mum," Freya said in a tiny voice, her voice breaking on the last word.

"Sssh. That's not true, sweetie. You are thinking that way because you are upset. Now listen to me you two-" I took hold of them and pulled them on my lap, so each one sat on one of my legs. "Look at me."

After a moment's hesitation, two pairs of blue eyes looked directly into mine. "You both know mummy is not a bad person, right?" They nodded. "Well, since you know it and I know it, that can only mean one thing. All those people are lying... for whatever reason. You don't have to listen to everything people say. People can be really mean sometimes, so just ignore whatever nonsense they are saying."

I looked at Freya who was the most