Sohalia
Sohalia was so young when she'd lost her parents that she could hardly remember their faces. Their loss had simply been confusing to her; she vaguely remembered wondering where they had gone, and asking when they would come back, but she didn't recall grieving - not like she did with Auden. Before Auden's death, loss had simply been something that happened to other people: sad, but ultimately unknowable.
But grief was funny, she'd found in the wake of Auden's death. Jude was right. Some days were good days, where she could think of her guardian and smile. Other days were terrible, and she simply wanted to curl up into a ball and hide from the world. And there was no way to tell which day would be which, or what kinds of things would set her off, or how long it would take her to recover. But maybe she had been putting on a brave face for too long. She felt better after having cried with Jude (albeit a bit embarrassed), just as he'd said she would. The least she could do was return the favor.
So she squeezed his hand again as he talked about his maman, and himself, and his life, and her heart went out to him for all he'd been through. She felt him begin to shake and ignored the tears in her hair, simply reaching over with her free arm to wrap it around as much of him as she could reach, hoping that she could offer him the same comfort and reassurance that he'd given her. He deserved all the comfort that she could give, and then some, and she desperately wished for the right thing to say or do that would make him feel better.
"I'm sorry," she whispered finally. "I wish I could bring her back for you." She swallowed hard, tears welling again in her own eyes as though she shared his pain. "If... if I can do anything..." But what was there that she could do? She, who had just met Jude, who had little to no experience with the world, who had nothing to offer... and even if she was worldly and well-traveled and wise, there was nothing she could do to take away his pain. "She sounds brave, and strong. I think maybe you got some of that from her."
But grief was funny, she'd found in the wake of Auden's death. Jude was right. Some days were good days, where she could think of her guardian and smile. Other days were terrible, and she simply wanted to curl up into a ball and hide from the world. And there was no way to tell which day would be which, or what kinds of things would set her off, or how long it would take her to recover. But maybe she had been putting on a brave face for too long. She felt better after having cried with Jude (albeit a bit embarrassed), just as he'd said she would. The least she could do was return the favor.
So she squeezed his hand again as he talked about his maman, and himself, and his life, and her heart went out to him for all he'd been through. She felt him begin to shake and ignored the tears in her hair, simply reaching over with her free arm to wrap it around as much of him as she could reach, hoping that she could offer him the same comfort and reassurance that he'd given her. He deserved all the comfort that she could give, and then some, and she desperately wished for the right thing to say or do that would make him feel better.
"I'm sorry," she whispered finally. "I wish I could bring her back for you." She swallowed hard, tears welling again in her own eyes as though she shared his pain. "If... if I can do anything..." But what was there that she could do? She, who had just met Jude, who had little to no experience with the world, who had nothing to offer... and even if she was worldly and well-traveled and wise, there was nothing she could do to take away his pain. "She sounds brave, and strong. I think maybe you got some of that from her."
there's no life without you here
