Linking

A-Z Part L

Tied but not fettered

The warmth of the afternoon is densely packed, cosy. Echo rests her head on Claire’s shoulder.

‘You are still kind of heavy to carry,’ Claire tells her.

Echo huffs, as though this is of no real importance. The wind drops, everything holds still in the sturdy heat. Barking dogs break the spell. Claire lowers Echo to ground level.

‘You can do some walking,’ she tells her, ‘at least until the dogs are out.’

Echo takes hold of her hand, leads confidently back up the path until distracted by the sun sifting through the wide leaves of a tree. Echo reaches her hands towards it, palms up, fingers splayed. She tilts her hands, emulates the leaves gentle lilt. Claire feels a pull of affection for the gesturing child.

Heartstrings, she thinks; this is where the word comes from. An invisible tie between lives; only there’s nothing fettered about it. Connective. It’s connective.