I step into the courtyard. "Let him rest, Kieran."
Kieran looks up and nods, stepping back. Asher slumps forward, rubbing his eyes. I kneel beside him, pulling him into a hug. He smells like crushed grass and ozone.
"I can't do it, Mama," he whispers, his voice thick with frustration. "I try to turn the volume down, but it just gets louder. The earth wants to talk to me."
"I know, baby," I soothe him, stroking his hair. "You’re an amplifier. Your job isn't to turn the volume down. Your job is to build a filter. Like a sieve. Let the water through, but catch the rocks."
He looks up at me, his mismatched eyes wide. "How?"
"We’ll work on it together," I promise.
I pull him into the quiet room in my mind. Just for a second. I let him feel the silence of the cedar cabin. His eyes widen in
