Dragoncrest Cliffs Willow Tree March

It was sorely tempting to wrap herself up in his warmth, permit herself to be reassured by her husband. But there was something Meerkat needed to confess before she allowed herself that. She did press her cheek to his chest briefly before leaning away to catch his eye in the starlit darkness.

But, she refuted gently, there is. I needed to be away from everyone… but you in particular. She let those words hang for only a moment before continuing. You were perfect, doing all of that in Mercy’s honor. And she definitely deserved such a beautiful send-off. And at least one parent who could see her off with such pride and joy. But you… you didn’t leave you, Meerkat said slowly, aware of how dumb that sounded.

Would he even understand what she was trying to say? She glanced off into the darkness, steadying herself with a breath and trying to organize her thoughts so she could articulate herself properly to the man who meant the most to her. He hadn’t gone through these very motions not so long ago, seeing off his loved one and waiting for a return which never came. Just because Meerkat didn’t blame him didn’t mean she could simply forget all those hours of grief and pain or the way that Mercy’s departure stirred such feelings.