Hushed Willows as spring opens (touching, skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose

✹☾❂

 

She certainly could have broken the news to Kincaid, that she was a woman without a living blood relative, a little more easily — but as often as she spoke of her family’s untimely demise to strangers, she found it hard to bear in the case of Kincaid. She felt as though her story, as it was perceived by him, was becoming far too complicated, far too quickly, and required too much sacrifice from him — that this broken, lilac thing wasn’t worth it.

But when the cowboy looked towards her and asked a question simmering in sympathies, she didn’t really feel that way. She felt valued, in spite of the things that made her hard to love. He not only tolerated these things, but judging purely from his words and actions, seemed to desire more... and if that was the case, then Eleuthera would do nothing but oblige his every whim.

“Most of them," she answered meekly. Ibis and Mali — Mal — lived on. Séamus and Oaxaca were buried elsewhere. But Olive, Seabreeze, Ariel and Lily were all here, beneath the loam, feeding the flowers. It’s possible that she was looking at each of them, right now, through the radiant colors as her corneas perceived and internalized their photons. “I don’t know where, though. Séamus told me he found them. Said he heard a bear did it. I…" She knew that Kincaid probably understood this better than most.

“I ran." 

Eleuthera made a moue, twisting her thin lips at how badly she had reacted back then. She had been younger, and more inexperienced then. She regretted it immensely. Her large, lilac ears pressed flat against her skull, more out of steely determination than sadness or wistfulness. The sadness was over. Now was the time for action. “But i’m back now," Eleuthera said, placing a paw into the dark, wet dirt and advancing half a step. She was silent for a moment. Then, she looked back at him, lavender eyes beseeching him for understanding — not only his unending protection and support.“It’s why I have to fight for this place, Kincaid. I’m the only Seraph left to do it."