Sohalia
Tal was a good listener, and he made it easy for Sohalia to talk about even something that saddened her as much as her parents and Auden. It was strange, that such lovely people should inspire such misery when they were gone, but there it was. There was just a hole in Sohalia's heart that simply couldn't be filled. Some days were harder than others, but the ache was always there, lurking under the surface.She didn't realize that she'd started to cry until she felt a single tear trickle down her cheek, and she swiped at it hastily, turning to stare out over the Symphony as Tal turned the Peregrine back the way they'd come. "They were," she agreed, her voice only a little strangled. She cleared her throat. "Sorry, it's - I just - miss them," she explained, fighting to get herself under control. It was easier to talk about them with someone like Tal, but that didn't make it less painful. After a moment, she managed to tamp down the lump in her throat. They were having a lovely time; she wasn't about to ruin it with an emotional outburst.
She turned back to Tal with a smile that was overbright. Her eyes were still a little red, but she'd managed to get herself under control. "Auden taught me," she said in response to Tal's question. "Although their methods were a little..." she paused, laughing fondly at the memory. "Auden was a very... sink or swim type of teacher. I remember when they figured out I didn't know how to swim, and they gave me such a hard time. They took me to the river and just shoved me in, skirts and all! Still, they were right there the whole time, to make sure I didn't drown. But don't worry -" she added hastily. "I'm not just going to dump you in the Symphony. I think we can do better than that."
it's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going
