At her side is Sorin, who hasn’t taken his eyes off the halfling. His hands twitch at his sides as though trying to hold himself back from snatching her away from her momo. Healer Sage glances down at Sorin and shakes her head, although there is a smile on her face. She lifts her kit and passes her over.
“Fine, you can take her.” There is obvious affection in her tone.
Both Sorin and Makahla are happy with the new arrangement. The healer turns toward Elodie. “I was just stopping by the see if you needed anything. The midday meal will be served soon, and I wasn’t sure if you were getting hungry.”
Elodie glances between Gannen and me. “I think I’m going to eat at the central fire with Ortak and Gannen, if that’s okay. Ortak said he’d help me over there.”
Healer Sage’s lips twitch. “Sounds like you’re all taken care of then. We’ll see you there.”.”
The healer glances at me. “There is burim root on the supply table if needed.”
“I will make sure Elodie gets it if she asks.”
Sorin finally focuses on us. He appears almost surprised at our presence. His gaze moves from me to Elodie to Gannen. Kala’s kit cocks his head.
“Are you Gannen’s new momo?”
Healer Sage smacks her hand over her face and groans. “Oh my god.”
Elodie sucks in a breath and chokes. Gannen gently pats her back until she recovers. All I can do is stand in stunned silence. The healer is the first to recover. She palms the back of Sorin’s neck and guides him away from us.
“Come on, you, let’s go,” she says. “We clearly need to have a chat about asking intrusive and impolite questions.”
Sorin replies quietly, but it is lost on the wind. No one speaks for several beats. Elodie looks everywhere but at me or Gannen, until finally she clears her throat.
“I guess none of the Krijese children have filters, huh?” she says.
“Sorin least of all. Kala would not approve of his kit’s thoughtless question.” Our tribe leader would have a long discussion with Sorin. He will inherit his gogo’s role and must learn to temper the impulsive need to speak without careful consideration.
“He won’t punish him, will he?” Elodie asks.
“Kala will not physically harm his kit, but I am certain he will provide him with some type of lesson on his behavior.”
“Ah.” She shifts positions on the bench before settling in one. “I take it momo means mother.”
“Aye.”
“Mine died when I was a tiny kit,” Gannen announces. “I do not remember her.”
Elodie strokes his floks and he leans into her touch. My hearts ache that he has received so little female affection. The few female Krijese who are part of our tribe do not understand orknow how to offer it. Like the males, they were never taught. Both Kala and I have had to learn to provide it to our kits. It has not been easy.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Elodie says.
Gannen tilts his head toward her. “Would you ever be interested in being someone’s momo?”
She studies him for several beats before answering. “I don’t know. Being a momo is a huge responsibility and not something a person should take lightly or jump into without careful consideration. Not everyone is cut out to be a parent, no matter how sweet the kid is.”
Gannen merely nods.
“I’d love to be your friend, though. That is, if you’d have me as one.”
My kit’s disappointment is obvious to me, and perhaps to Elodie as well, although he tries to hide it. “Friends would be okay.”
She strokes his floks again. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you. I don’t have nearly enough friends, and I’m really honored to be able to count you as one of them.”
