#mandomera week

Omera busied herself preparing caf, something she always offered him when he arrived, and he hoped that was a good sign. She took her time and he observed her home without saying anything, noting the few changes. Eventually, she poured him a cup and sat down at the table with a long sigh. Din took it as a cue to do the same. They stared at each other but no one knew how to start the conversation.

“Why didn’t you comm me?” he asked in a soft voice, eyes fixed on the caf cup instead of her.

“And say what?” she replied. There was weariness in her tone but not anger.

“Hurry back?” he suggested, and she shrugged.

“I can handle it on my own, it’s not the first time,” Omera reasoned, but she also had a hard time looking at him.

“I know you can,” he agreed. “But given the welcome I received from the villagers, it doesn’t seem to be the most popular decision.”

“They gave you a hard time, huh,” she said with a teasing smile, looking more like herself, and Din felt comfort in that.

“I can handle it,” he parried back.

“I know.”

Silent stretched between them again and Din took a tentative sip of caf. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if she had been tempted to add something in it, but he shouldn’t have worried – it tasted wonderful as usual. In the dark depths of his cup, he tried to find the right words to say, and explain her behavior. But they had never talked about it, so he couldn’t very well blame her.

“Were you afraid I was gonna say no?” he asked with trepidation, stealing a glance in her direction to see her reaction.

“I don’t know,” she admitted after a few tensed seconds as she pondered her answer – it hadn’t been an easy one, but he could tell it was the truth.

“I wouldn’t have,” he assured her, hoping she could similarly read the honesty in his words. “And I’m so sorry I wasn’t there sooner.”

“I’m sorry too, I know I should have commed,” she exhaled deeply, taking strength in her admission, when she had nothing to apologize for as far as he was concerned. But they were finally able to look at each other directly, and a relieved sigh escaped him as she grabbed his hands over the table.

“How are you?” she asked, and he chuckled because this was such an Omera thing to do.

“How am I? How are you?” he countered, shaking his head.

“Mostly good,” she said. “But I can’t wait for it to be over.”

“And when is that gonna be?”

“Depends, how long are you staying?” she wondered, and he squeezed her hands harder.

“I’ll stay for as long as you want me to.”

“Well, let’s see how tomorrow goes, then,” she joked, and slowly stood up, her very pregnant belly making it more difficult. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I really need to pee, and then maybe we can go tell the villagers I’ve forgiven you, because I certainly wouldn’t say no to a welcoming feast, I’m starving.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed, helping her up. He had to sit back down heavily once she’d left the room. Hopefully this bout of dizziness would stop soon, but this was a lot to take in.