Dragoncrest Cliffs Alfonsino

Her gaze rested on his face when he posed his question. She could give him the short answer (“yes!”) or the longer one. Meerkat didn’t want to burden her sons, yet they were quite grown now. They’d weathered the storm of their da’s absence with her, they could handle the truth, which was that her feelings about Njord’s return were a little complicated. It was very likely theirs were too, she reminded herself. If anyone at all would understand and help her make sense of her own feelings, it was the two of them.

Yes, I’m very happy he’s back with us, she replied, nudging the fish aside for the moment to give this topic the gravity it deserved, although there’s part of me that struggles with it, in a way. Part of my brain thinks, ‘he’s left you once, what if it happens again?’ But that’s no way to live, or love, Meerkat said, speaking as much to herself as to Swordfish.

She paused thoughtfully and drug the catch back to herself, taking a bite and swallowing a mouthful before catching Swordfish’s eye again to ask, Does that make any sense? How about you? How do you feel about it?