Broken Boulder no children

alarian's apology is unexpected but not unappreciated: he manages a wan smile, his eyes firmly fastened to solomon's pudgy body. distantly he thinks, good that the kids like alarian or at least don't seem to mind him. bodes well. out loud he says, "it's not that i thought she'd stay forever -- she was miserable and it was my fault, you know -- but i thought. i don't know. i thought she'd at least say something first." not even a good bye but a fuck you -- really, anything at all. 

then the feeling hits him and he lets his head droop, his eyes squeezing shut. "she must hate me," delight says into his feet, "and i don't blame her a bit. i'd hate me, too. i don't know why you don't hate me."

but he doesn't, at least, not yet. delight will take the quiet company while he can get it.