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“Definitely.”
“She won’t want to speak to me ever again.”
“Unlikely. That’s not Livy. But it might happen.”
“…”
“…”
“So, are you ready to tell her?”
“No.”
“Be brave, come on.”
“Be brave? Seriously? As if I’m not well aware of how much of a coward I am.”
“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean… You’re not a coward, ok? You’re not. I know what you’ve been through, I know it better than anyone, because you told me. But even I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you all these years… Living with this. And then…”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, Hector.”
“Hey, no, you don’t apologize to me. You don’t apologize to anyone. I guess…”
“What? Tell me. I need you, Hector.”
“I guess the right time will come. Something will happen, and it will make you feel brave enough, and unafraid enough, that you’ll do it.”
“Unafraid?”
“Don’t laugh. It does happen. It happened to me, when I walked into that barn to find my best friend almost dead and Livy crouched under his body.”
“Christ, Hector, you had to go and mention that. Makes me feel even more of a coward.”
“I didn’t mean to make you feel that. I just meant to say, if it’s the right moment, you’ll conquer your fear.”
“Or I might not ever fully conquer it. But it will feel less important than something else.”
“You’re right, as always. Less important than something else.”
“Although, I can’t imagine anything being that important, you know?”
“Can’t you? I can. Lots of things.”
“You’re laughing at me again.”
“I am not. Ok, I am a little. I need to go to bed. Goodnight, talk to you tomorrow.”
“Night, Hector.”
sixteen
The airport has disappeared. Where there should be empty space and asphalt, there’s a sea of people waiting for my landed plane to open its gates.
My guard tells me that the door is about to open, and I take a deep breath. I’m coming back to Asteria after months of being away, and it’s time.
