Accepting the glass of red wine, Soh sipped at it gingerly, not sure what to expect, but relaxing at the dark taste of it on her tongue. She smiled at her friend as he offered to keep her company, letting loose a giggle at the idea of him setting up a flower cart in front of her shop. "I would appreciate the company," she admitted. Then, teasingly: "Either at your place or outside my shop. Perhaps I'll even let you come in." As though she would ever keep him out, after all he'd done for her.
But then the tide of the conversation turns, and Soh swallowed hard at the topic, looking studiously into her wine glass so that she might maintain some semblance of control over her emotions. She had known that The Incident was likely to come up, but she had to admit that she still wasn't entirely prepared for it. Especially not to be told that the man wouldn't be bothering her again. She looked up at Mateo with surprise, her fingers trembling slightly where they met her wine glass. "I... you... how...?" she stammered, trailing off as she stared at Mateo, feeling a very strange mixture of confusion, fear, and gratitude. She took a deep breath, trying on a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't relieved," she admitted.
She wasn't sure how to feel, honestly. She'd feel better if she thought the man was imprisoned, but surely if that was the case, Mateo would simply have said so. What, then, was the alternative? That he was dead? Had he died of natural causes, or had someone killed for her? Wouldn't that put her right back where she started? Maybe if she just didn't think about it, then she wouldn't have to feel anything at all.
She took a healthy drink of her wine, hoping that, since she never really drank, perhaps she could get wine-drunk and just move on with her life.
But then the tide of the conversation turns, and Soh swallowed hard at the topic, looking studiously into her wine glass so that she might maintain some semblance of control over her emotions. She had known that The Incident was likely to come up, but she had to admit that she still wasn't entirely prepared for it. Especially not to be told that the man wouldn't be bothering her again. She looked up at Mateo with surprise, her fingers trembling slightly where they met her wine glass. "I... you... how...?" she stammered, trailing off as she stared at Mateo, feeling a very strange mixture of confusion, fear, and gratitude. She took a deep breath, trying on a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't relieved," she admitted.
She wasn't sure how to feel, honestly. She'd feel better if she thought the man was imprisoned, but surely if that was the case, Mateo would simply have said so. What, then, was the alternative? That he was dead? Had he died of natural causes, or had someone killed for her? Wouldn't that put her right back where she started? Maybe if she just didn't think about it, then she wouldn't have to feel anything at all.
She took a healthy drink of her wine, hoping that, since she never really drank, perhaps she could get wine-drunk and just move on with her life.
Sohalia
