Lion Head Mesa Nefer

it had been so long a touch that it took tavina's breath away; she closed the violet eyes but behind them, an image, a glimpse of a wanted and lost future —!

her mouth, atremble; her chin refusing the cry as throat constricted;

"i had a wife here, briefly." to tavina's credit, her voice remained steady. she pressed eset's paw, then straightened herself and began to clean the surface of her workspace.

"she's — gone off, i — well. i suppose it's been difficult."

a purposeful understatement, even as she found she could not look at eset for fear she truly would bawl then.