Pulse definitely was also enjoying Tarrant’s company. After all, it was finally a comfortable conversation. She smiled at his comment – her birth home was lovely. It would always hold part of her, good and bad memories. But telling him about it, she was able to focus on when she was young, when she was a foal, in the forests of pine and cedar. Part of her missed it, the part that could think past the pain. It definitely would always be kept close to her heart, just like her baby. Her smile faltered, but she caught it in time. She knew she needed to focus on the here and now. “I…it was,” she confirmed, breathing in deep the smell of water and evergreen here in the clearing. His next question surprised her, but it shouldn’t have. “I have not,” she answered, wondering what the other islands were like. “Just the Crossing and here. I haven’t been in the islands very long, just a few days. Could you tell me what the other islands are like?” Maybe she would visit them one day, go see what there was to see, but she had already decided upon heading back to the Crossing once she was done here. It was a beautiful place, the Inlet, and Tarrant was…definitely someone she would enjoy getting to know better, but she wasn’t ready, she thought, to make such a commitment to one place. There was more out there, and Pulse wanted to live her life to the fullest, and that meant seeing the sights before settling down. Well, that was a contradiction, especially since she had just decided upon going back to the Crossing for a time. She was afraid to move to one place, afraid to devote herself to a home. After all, a home with a stallion meant one day she would have to get over her fear and have another baby, despite her current trepidation. Pulse yearned for one, but she knew she was not ready. It would scare her too much, she would be entirely too overprotective. Even when she was finally ready – no. She shouldn’t think of it at length. Looking at him after her question about Wonka’s mother, she felt the awkwardness slip back into the conversation. Even in this beautiful place, there was something sad that Tarrant carried. She caught his smile slipping, saw him catch himself, just as she did a few moments before. It must be a tender subject, but he answered her question regardless. Pulse’s own smile faltered and she lost it as he spoke of Adelaïda, as he looked to the ground and shifted. “I…I’m sorry for prying,” she averted her eyes, as well, looking back down into the waters at her reflection. She suddenly felt very silly even though she had no way of knowing if the woman was around or not. Tarrant must have cared for Adelaïda very much, if his reaction and his last words were anything to go by. She sighed. Perhaps it would be best if she were to go. Pulse turned from the pool and walked back to Tarrant, intent on telling him good-bye and making her way off the island. She remembered the way back. “You must miss her,” she said instead, surprising even herself. It must be her subconscious – she definitely missed her baby. The difference here was that Tarrant’s girl could come back to him, and she’d never see her foal again except in her dreams. Still, she could kick herself for saying what she did. Pulse gave a shy smile and looked down, bashful. “There I go again, prying.” She felt so awkward right now, and she wanted to flee, but there was an intense curiosity keeping her here to make an even bigger fool of herself. P U L S E [let me tell you why i would die for you] |