Ghosted [Baine]

The silence was the worst part. It seemed to stretch on forever and every second that ticked by felt like an age. When he did finally speak it was about Zuriel and Elias. At the very least it wasn’t him dismissing her or an insistence that she was still in the wrong so for that she was thankful. She nodded quietly to his sentiment toward Zuriel’s former attacker turned mate. Their sister had the biggest heart, but Baine was certain that her kindness and love had blinded her healer sister. ”It was a hard way to get them, but she did love her children more than anything. I miss her.

She followed his lead and settled onto her stomach with a soft sigh. As soon as she heard the news of Solveiga’s passing, her expression clearly showed her sorrow and sympathy. Loosing a loved one was something that she was intimately familiar with now and she certainly felt his pain. She and Thorben hadn’t had the time together that he and Solveiga did, but the emotion had been there all the same.

Regulus had her full attention while he went though the time that she had spent away, filling her in on the lives of him and their family. He had always been a good story teller and now was no exception. She had no idea how much time passed while she listened to his stories, but she was happy to be able to spend every minute she could with him. Time seemed so precious and short these days. In a way it seemed like all those years in the middle of her life had been wasted and now that she wanted more time she wasn’t going to be able to have it. It was a deep regret she had and one that she wasn’t sure how to deal with yet. She smiled when he mentioned that Aurielle was hoping to have a festival soon. ”That would be wonderful,” she agreed, her tail brushing slowly against the floor behind her.

She hesitated while she tried to figure out the best way to say what she wanted to say. ”Regulus, I... I decided to come back here because I’m not doing well... Physically, I mean.” Her expression and tone showed her seriousness, but she wouldn’t let herself be somber or sorrowful. It wouldn’t do any of them any good if she got wrapped up in depression as she faced her own mortality. ”Zuriel and Daelos both tried to treat me the best they could, but... It’s just a matter of time. I came back here because I was afraid that I would never get the chance to apologize to you before it was too late and I wanted to make sure you knew what happened to me and Zuriel in the end. And... I wanted to make sure Nolan would be taken care of after I’m gone. I wanted him to be around family.”