Maea
The worst of all blessings
Wordlessly offering up her other hand for his ministrations, she absently rubbed her thumb against a spot of dirt on her cheek. She wished she didn't know what he meant. There was an impulse to brush it off, respond with a laugh and some tacky joke about it not being the same situation at all - what was a stranger compared to your whole family? - but the words never made it past her throat.
Her own head was too full of other scenes. Like that time she'd made someone go Cloud Manta hunting and they both returned bloody and bruised. Or when Jata had taken her swimming, only to nearly die in a shark attack. Or how about arranging a stupid ball so she could feel good about doing something useful, only to trap all the governors of Caido's regions - plus an infant - in a room with Dahlia? Maybe it wasn't the same, maybe she was just being dramatic, but here was yet another good man with fresh pain in his eyes because he'd gotten wrapped up in her business.
What if he'd been the one to go over the edge? Would she have been able to haul him back up? Maea swallowed, thinking she knew the answer.
"You did, though," she replied softly. Searching for his gaze, she held it a moment. "You made it. I'm okay." Imagine if it were that easy to reassure herself.
Her own head was too full of other scenes. Like that time she'd made someone go Cloud Manta hunting and they both returned bloody and bruised. Or when Jata had taken her swimming, only to nearly die in a shark attack. Or how about arranging a stupid ball so she could feel good about doing something useful, only to trap all the governors of Caido's regions - plus an infant - in a room with Dahlia? Maybe it wasn't the same, maybe she was just being dramatic, but here was yet another good man with fresh pain in his eyes because he'd gotten wrapped up in her business.
What if he'd been the one to go over the edge? Would she have been able to haul him back up? Maea swallowed, thinking she knew the answer.
"You did, though," she replied softly. Searching for his gaze, she held it a moment. "You made it. I'm okay." Imagine if it were that easy to reassure herself.
The most beautiful of curses
Base by Skylark
