Stone Circle To you I’m probably a light sadness

The woman missed everything that was said between the others standing there, far off. A distant dream, it was, as if watching a scene that you weren't truly part of. As if watching something safely, knowing it could not affect or touch you, not truly. That bubble remained for the moment as she stood and watched them interact, watched their body language. Valette stepped in, the physical gesture small but visible even at this distance; if not only from the reactions of those around her. Indra faltering a bit. Xan looking as though he had been insulted rather than him being the one who was insulting, and then looking apologetic the next moment, and then back to being insulted. A lot was going on there, but nothing that she wanted to be a part of. Just a whole lot of hurt that she was trying desperately to avoid.

Perhaps if she had been there Laurel might be offended by Valette sticking out her neck like that. Would've felt she could do it all on her own. More reasons why it was a good thing that she wasn't out there. She wanted nothing more badly than to be protected from him, but she also wanted nothing more than for things between them to be good again. But it was too little, too late. Had to be, because she couldn't let her life be shaken up by him again like it had before. Couldn't let him take control of her feelings again like that.

Indra stepped aside, opening the way. Laurel suddenly became painfully aware that Xan was looking at her. He looked at her in a way that she had wanted him to look at her for some time when their children were little. But now... It just felt like a lot of too little, too late. She chewed her lip and hoped that the bubble could persist, that the dream would not end, that they would stay there and she would stay here and she could simply stand here and watch them until they went away or until she went away.