A messy living room greeted Falcon when he got home a little late from work one night: a board game on the coffee table with its pieces scattered, crayons on the floor, a few books, coloring pages, crumpled up paper, a couple of empty cider bottles, and plates with bits of cake still on them. Gavin lay sprawled on the couch, snoring, with his feet in Tess' lap, while she sat reading the book Ayden had given her for her birthday.
“Should I even bother making dinner?” Falcon asked. “Or did you fill up enough on cake?”
“I want meat,” Tess told him, ignoring his slightly annoyed tone. “Can you make cheeseburgers?”
“No, we’re having sausages.”
“In rolls? And with fries?”
“Sure.” He nodded to Gavin. “What’d you do to your brother to make him sleep so early?”
“Oh, Creepy was feeling sick when he got home from school. I already took him to the temple. The healing cleric took care of his fever, but she said he’s got the tummy bug that’s going around. He’ll be fine in a day or so.” She chuckled then. “He was disappointed when I told him that it wasn’t a real bug.”
Her father chuckled as well. “Okay. Well, feeding him cake when he’s sick isn’t the best idea.”
She shrugged. “That’s what he wanted.”
Falcon just shook his head. “I take it your mom’s not home.”
“Nope,” she confirmed. If Julia had been home, she wouldn’t have allowed the room to get as messy as it was.
“So, have you always been this much of a slob?” he wondered. “I’m starting to think that I seriously took Ayden for granted when he was around.”
She sighed. “Yeah, me too.”
He gave her a sympathetic smile. “Well, get this cleaned up while I go remind your mom it’s time to come home.”
She made a face and gave a soft whine, but obediently leaned forward, pushed Gavin’s feet off her, and set her book down. She started picking up the pieces on the coffee table and slowly throwing them into the wooden game box. She hated cleaning, and it made her miss Ayden even more. She thought about how he had done this all the time, never complaining, even when no one had asked him to do it. And she couldn’t remember thanking him—not once. She sighed again.
“Go.”
She looked up at her father, a little surprised. She hadn’t realized that he was still standing there. “What?”
“Go get your mom, I’ll get the mess,” he offered.
She stood up and walked to him, then reached up and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Dad.”
“No problem,” he told her, petting her hair, which hung loose as it always did now.
“You’re just trying to get me out of the house, aren’t you?” she accused lightly. Her trip to the temple with Gavin was the first time she had been out since they had returned to Brunya City.
Falcon smiled. “No, but getting out is good. It’s been two weeks. Why don’t you come to the guild tomorrow? You’ll never beat me if you stop practicing.”
She smiled a little at his effort. “Maybe,” she said and left the house.
She walked slowly down the street, not looking where she was going, just lost in thought as she twirled one of the charms on her bracelet absentmindedly. Had it really been two weeks? She had been home that long and still, there was no sign of Ayden. He really wasn’t coming back. They had been away from each other now for three weeks; it was the longest they had ever been apart in twelve years. And each day passed depressingly slow. The world seemed to go back to normal, but her place in it was lost.
She remembered back to her yearly jungle trips, to how she had always missed Ayden. By the end of them she had raced home, always so eager to see him, always feeling like part of her was missing until she was with him again. Not that she had thought it at the time, but she really couldn’t deny that he was part of her now, because she could feel the painful hole inside her, a hole that only he could fill. But he wasn’t there.
“Oh, come on,” a man pleaded as he came out of a nearby shop. “I’ll even take you out to dinner.”
“I’m not for sale. I’m not gonna screw you for a free meal,” a woman told him, though she sounded amused.
Tess turned to see Vivyka talking to a tall blond. She knew him a little from the Fighters Guild—he trained a few times a week with her father.
Harold frowned. “I didn’t mean it like that. But we had fun, didn’t we?” he asked as he twitched a suggestive brow and tried to grab her.
She swatted his hand away. “Once is all you get, I already told you that. Now shoo!”
He leaned closer and whispered something to her, making her laugh.
“Knock it off, I said no.”
He gave a huffy sigh. “Fine.” Just then, he saw someone down the block. “See you later, Viv,” he told her and hurried off toward a short redhead up the road. “Hey, Mary, wait up!”
Vivyka rolled her eyes, but also smiled. “Men,” she said. Then she finally noticed Tess. “Hey. Back already? Thought we wouldn’t see you around here for months.”
Falcon and Julia had kept everything quiet. Tess had asked them not to tell anyone she was back just yet since she hadn’t wanted to deal with anyone. She was actually shocked that Gavin had kept his mouth shut so long.
“Yeah... home for now,” Tess said, forcing herself to sound light.
“Oh. So, you cut your hair, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Ayden get tired of braiding it all the time?” Vivyka asked with a chuckle.
“Just easier this way,” Tess mumbled. “So, you heading to the orphanage?”
“Yeah, I was just getting a few things,” Vivyka told her, nodding to the bag of groceries that she held in one arm.
“I’m going that way, too. Mind if I walk with you?”
Vivyka gave her an odd look, but nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
They walked for a few minutes before Tess broke the silence, “So... Harold, huh?”
She smiled. “Yeah. He’s persistent, I’ll give him that.”
“You were with him?”
Vivyka laughed at her disbelieving tone. “He’s only lame when it comes to metal swords. The other kind he’s quite good with.”
“Then why’d you say no? That’s what you’re after right?” Tess asked. When Vivyka glanced over with a small frown, she amended, “I’m not mocking or anything, just wondering.”
Vivyka nodded. “Yeah, but there’s lots of other available men.”
“Are they all good, then? I mean, is sex the same with everyone?” Tess couldn’t help wondering that if Ayden ever did came back—and if he still wanted her—would sex with him be the same as it had been with Matt? She wanted to be with Ayden either way, but she really hoped that part would be good. Honestly though, she could imagine that kissing Ayden would be nice, but sex... it was difficult to imagine him being any good at that.
Vivyka gave a short laugh. “Not at all. It’s like your fighting, I guess, talent varies. Some guys know how to use their sword, while others really don’t. And then there are those who just have daggers,” she said with a snicker.
Tess frowned, not sure she really understood the full analogy. Were there different sizes? Did it matter? “Well, with real weapons, regardless of type or... size... it’s not all natural ability, you train to get better.”
“Practice makes perfect, same with sex.” Vivyka suddenly frowned at a thought. “And you can certainly be trained,” she said darkly, then shook her head as if shaking away a sad memory, and gave a light smile. “But I’m not gonna stick around to teach them.”
“Why not just date someone who’s a good swordsman?” Tess asked. “Then you wouldn’t have to sleep around and that’d be easier, wouldn’t it?”
“Why not just fight one person or one monster for the rest of your life?” Vivyka countered, then laughed when Tess gave an appalled look. “Exactly. And it’s not difficult to get some action. Especially if you’re female and look like me.” She smirked, knowing full well how gorgeous she was. But then she added seriously, “And the guys I’m with are like me—they’re fun to play with, but they’re not the kind you bring home.”
“What kind do you bring home?”
“Guys like... your dad,” she said with a fond smile. “The reason wonderful men like him are always married is because women like your mom aren’t stupid enough to let them go.”
Tess nodded. “So are you just having fun until you find a guy like that?” Suddenly, she had an idea. “Oh! You know, Sam at the Fighters Guild is single. He’s cool. I could introduce you,” she offered.
“Tess, the matchmaker?” Vivyka laughed, then shook her head as they turned a corner and the orphanage came into view at the end of the street. “No, I’m not looking. I gave that up a long time ago.”
Tess studied her for a moment, then asked the question that no one had ever gotten an answer to: “What happen three years ago... in Seaport?”
Vivyka stiffened slightly, and her eyes got hard and sad at the same time. “I just learned that there are different kinds of people. And some of them don’t get to be loved like that.” She took a deep breath and pushed away whatever upsetting feelings and memories it brought up. She glanced over at Tess and smiled for her. “I’m not like you or your mom. I’m the one the guys have fun with, not the one they love.” She said it lightly, but Tess could still hear the pain in her voice. “Some of us don’t get some devoted, adoring man like you guys do. There’s no Falcon or Ayden for me.”
Her words hit like an arrow in the heart. Even Vivyka knew Ayden had been in love with her. Tess' eyes suddenly stung. She blinked back threatening tears as she rubbed her chest and sighed.
Vivyka stopped walking, getting Tess to stop as well. “What’s wrong?” she asked, frowning at her.
“Nothing,” Tess said dismissively. “I’m... tired. I think I’ll just head home. Can you give my mom a message?”
Vivyka nodded but looked at her strangely. Tired wasn’t a word Tess ever used. She knew something was wrong now, but Tess didn’t want to talk about it.
“Just let her know the usual—dinner time, Dad says come home.”
Vivyka nodded. “Sure, but you okay?”
Tess forced a smile. “Yeah, fine. See you around,” she said, and left before there were anymore questions.
