My heart skips a beat at his worry for me. He loves me, even if he hasn’t said those exact words yet. He shows me his love through his actions, by granting me the privilege of seeing his softness. I know that when Christian is ready, he will finally say those words and when he does, that will be a privilege all on its own.
“I will be alright. Thank you for being here and lending me your strength,pruist.”
He rolls his eyes at the familiar pet name. With one last kiss pressed into the middle of my forehead, Christian is standing back, slotting himself into place in the circle around me.
“Thank you all for being here,” I say from my place on the ground. “Today, we welcomeLayperryhistory to be made. No longer will our Ancestors be tied to one person, but instead, they will be tied to each and every one of us, available for prayer and supplication. Today we embark on a new chapter of our story.”
I lie back in the dirt, resting my mind. There are waves of voices crashing through me. Soon, they will finally be free in away they haven’t been before. Just as I was tied to them, they were stuck being tied with me. They were forced to see me live my life, forced to see my love for Christian, forced to feel not only my joy but also my pain. This will be good for all of us.
I take some steadying breaths, doing my best to clear my mind, putting myself away. I bring the Ancestors to the front, focusing on them. Then I repeat the process that was once carried out when the voices of our people were bestowed to me.
“Ancestors,” I say, my voice sounding like many to my own ears. “I release you.”
Normally, this is where our nextTorallehwould call out, embracing them. But this time, no one embraces them. Or maybe it would be more appropriate to say that weallembrace them. I can feel them trickling out, leaving my mind. The alcove around us grows warm with their presence.
They are all around me, a tangible presence within The People’s Hope. If I concentrate, I swear I can still hear their voices but instead of them shouting, it’s a gentle whisper.
When I open my eyes, everything is exactly the same yet completely different. I am me but my mind is blissfully silent. I feel as though I can hear myself think for the first time since becoming my people’s leader. Tears slide down my cheeks against my permission. It takes all of my control not to openly weep in relief.
My breath is shaky as I suck in a giant gasp. I look around, finding Timalah, Gendry, and Christian looking around in wonder. They can feel it too, they can feel the Ancestors’ presence. This is exactly what I dreamed would happen. This is a sacred place for all those who need guidance and acceptance. This is the place my people can come when they need hope.
“Ghenie,” Timalah says slowly, his eyes wide. “I can feel them. I can almost hear them. This is--” his words leave him.
Christian quickly gets on the ground with me, wrapping an arm around my back. I tip sideways, leaning against him fully. “You must feel so relieved,” he whispers so only I can hear. “I’m so happy for you.”
“I am so happy too,” I say right back. “I am happy for my people but I am so happy for me. I can think again. I am myself. I don’t have words to express the things I am feeling.”
“That’s okay. Save your words. Just take a moment and enjoy the peace.”
That’s exactly what we do. I’m not sure how much time passes but we stay like that for a long time, sitting together in the Ancestors’ presence. Eventually, the sun begins to set and it is time to finalize these changes.
“Timalah, it will be your duty to make sure this place is always protected. A warrior with eyes on the entrance at all times might be necessary. We will never bar entry, but we also do not want people misusing this place.”
“Understood,” Timalah says, nodding his head.
Christian clears his throat, getting everyone’s attention. “May we have the room please? I just need a moment with Ghenie and umm,” he waves his hands around in the air. “And with the Ancestors. Or whatever.”
Timalah, Gendry, and everyone else files out. I can hear them outside, Timalah already planning a schedule for his warriors to take on sentry duties. My heart feels so full while my mind feels so empty. It will be an adjustment but one I truly look forward to.
Christian moves until he’s kneeling in front of me instead of against my side. He takes my hands in his own, squeezing them.
“Are you well?”
Christian nods. “Very.” He licks his lips, trying to find his words. Finally, he just blurts them out. “I love you.”
I suck in a sharp breath. Hearing those words hits me square in the chest. It feels like a warm balm, covering my soul. It feels so good and leaves me breathless.
“I love you, Ghenie. In front of your Ancestors, I have a question to ask you. Would you consider marrying me? We can follow your new tradition. We can get in front of everyone, declare our feelings for each other, and be united as a family unit.” Christian clears his throat, doing his best to stay composed but I can see how hard this is for him. That makes these words even more potent, more special. “I am yours.”
“I am yours,” I say to him, mirroring his declaration. I can feel the warmth around us increase, the Ancestors are cheering in their own way, revealing to us their feelings about our match. “I have been yours for a long time. It would be my honor to publicly declare that. But I would also be happy with something smaller to fit your comfort. Something for just us and those closest to us.”
Christian gets a soft look on his face and I am once again honored that I get to see this side of him. “I appreciate the offer,” he says softly. “We can plan something together, something we’re both comfortable with.”
“I love you. Your comfort is important to me.”
“Youare important to me,” he says before he’s wrinkling his nose. “Okay, that’s my line. That was too sappy for me.”
I chuckle softly, overwhelmed with my love for this man. Without saying another word, I pull him forward and hug him tight. All around us, it feels like the Ancestors are hugging us too, holding us together, approving our relationship in a new way that I haven’t felt before.
