"Don't tell them to postpone," Syssi said. "Give them the option. Explain the situation and let them decide. They can go ahead knowing that many people won't be able to attend, or they can choose to wait until after the mission when everyone can be there."
It was a reasonable approach, and Kian should have thought of it himself, but he had a tendency to frame things as directives rather than employ diplomacy. It was one of his weaknesses, and he relied on Syssi to balance him out.
"Drova's absence might be the deciding factor for Arezoo," Syssi added. "Arezoo wants her best friend there, and if she knows that Drova can't come because of the mission, she might prefer to postpone rather than have the wedding without her."
Annani smiled, and the shadows that had been lurking behind her eyes retreated. "I am so glad to hear that those two girls have become such close friends. If a pureblooded Kra-ell with a powerful compulsion ability and a warrior's temperament can become the dearest friend of a gentle dormant girl who insists on waiting until marriage before fully joining with her beloved, then there is real hope for the future of our community."
It was such a quintessentially Annani observation to find a grand philosophical meaning in a personal friendship that Kian had to smile.
"They are an unlikely pair," he admitted.
"They have more in common than you think." Syssi selected a strawberry from the fruit plate. "Both had terrible fathers. Both escaped their tyranny. They understand each other's scars in a way that most people can't."
"Shared suffering creates bonds that transcend differences," Annani said. "It is one of the few beautiful things that emerge from pain."
Kian thought about Drova, who had arrived at the village fierce and wary and not trusting anyone, and Arezoo, who had arrived quiet and frightened and barely speaking above a whisper. Two women from worlds that couldn't be more different, who had found in each other the kind of unconditional acceptance that allowed them to connect.
"I'll talk to Arezoo and Ruvon tomorrow," he said. "I'll present the situation and let them decide."
"Do you want me to do it?" Syssi asked. "Together with Amanda, that is. As their wedding planner, Amanda has more sway than anyone."
That was a good idea, and Kian was relieved that he could cross this task off his to-do list.
"I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you."
From the living room, a crash was followed by Allegra's delighted shriek. "I built a frog house!"
"Wonderful, sweetheart," Syssi called out. "Is it sturdy?"
Another crash.
"Not anymore!" Okidu supplied.
Kian shook his head and reached for another pancake. Sundays were supposed to be relaxed, and this one hadn't been, but it was still good because he was surrounded by his family.
His mother was right about one thing. Even if he wasn't sure about the metaphysics behind it, love persisted, and as long as itdid, the rest could be managed, even if he wasn't convinced that consciousness was the fundamental reality of the universe.
5
DIMITRI
Dimitri peeled the plastic wrap off the breakfast trays that Petrov had left on the dresser in the hallway, careful to get a clean sheet large enough to cover Mattie's bandaged hand from fingertips to wrist.
It had become their morning ritual.
When he returned to the bedroom, Mattie was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing one of his T-shirts because it was easier to pull on and off than anything with buttons. Her hair was tangled from sleep, and there was a pillow crease running down the side of her face.
She was so incredibly beautiful to him that he wanted to kiss every inch of her skin.
The splints made the plastic wrapping awkward, but he was getting better at it, tucking the edges tight so no water could seep through the gauze.
"All done," he said. "Is it too tight? Not tight enough?"
"It's perfect," she said.
He helped her to the bathroom and turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature until steam curled from behind the curtain. Then he undressed her, pulling the oversized T-shirt over her head while she raised her good arm to help. The cotton pants came next, and then they were both naked in the small bathroom, and the intimacy of it hit him the same way it did every morning. It was a quiet revelation that never quite stopped being new.
They stepped into the shower together.
