Arrow Lake atemlos

The best for whom, she wondered. Certainly not herself, but she had never made the decision with herself in mind; she was thinking of her children and Diaspora. She shrugged off his thanks with a shake of her head; it hadn't been about him either, even though she knew Mahler and Ketzia were close. But she guessed he was also relieved to be free of the obvious tension between the two women, as would everyone else. And even though she would never truly forget, her feelings on the whole thing paled in comparison to how she felt without Stigmata in her life. 

His compliment of her children would normally have filled her with pride, but now it only deepend her despair. I'm afraid the loss of their father while they're so young will break them, she admitted quietly. It was hard to bring the dark thought to words, like saying it out loud instead of silently worrying over it would make it true, not to mention the depth of emotion she was unable to prevent from accompanying the words. But she was long past pretending with the General. Even as heartbroken as she was over his rejection, she still felt comfortable enough to let her guard down some in his presence.