Evren stares straight ahead, watching through the naked trees for a glimpse of the ocean. Though her tremors have subsided, her coat is still damp and her legs still ache from her previous swim. She does not relish the idea of having to brave those frigid waters again so soon.
At least she will have company this time.
It’s then she realizes she has hardly heard a word Persephone said. She glances guiltily at her friend in an effort to gauge the mood of the conversation, but by that time Persephone has turned it back to her. Evren sucks in a breath through her teeth and exhales a cloud of vapor.
“Yes,” she replies simply, and her thoughts turn to the island she is finally about to face again for the first time in years. Dread chills her blood. It’s easy to talk about her past and her home when they feel so far away; now that she must face them again, her words catch in her chest. All the losses she thought she had left behind claw at her throat.
Perhaps it’s because she’s in a daze, but the ocean materializes before them in no time. Its choppy grey waters gleam like cut glass, looking as sharp as she knows they will feel against her skin. Evren stands stock still, staring at the tides with a faraway look in her eyes.
She will not let her mind get the better of her. She must not. Her child needs her.
Finally she turns to Persephone, a half-hearted smile twitching at her mouth. “Shall we?”
7; mutt; bay tobiano; 15.3hh
|
|