Home For Good This Time

Writers: AL, Heather
Date Posted: 16th July 2014
Series: The Unwanted Sister

Characters: Coran, Relea
Description: Coran's days of going back and forth between Green Valley and the Weyr are over.
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 7, day 7 of Turn 7

Relea

Coran's arrival was met with no fanfare, no fuss, and no wife.
Although Relea had received word that he would be arriving, she'd
found herself with little energy. The day had been spent working on
various hats, but about an hour before Coran was due to arrive,
fatigue had settled in so heavily, the young woman lay down to take a
short nap. That short nap extended into a longer one, so as the
dragon was released from its burden, Coran was without a welcoming.

His arrival to their quarters was also met with silence. There was
evidence in the room where she'd set up her work area that she'd been
there, but it wasn't until Coran actually stepped into their bedroom
that she came into view. She lay upon it, head upon one pillow while
her arms surrounded another around which she was curled slightly, and
still slumber did not release its hold upon her.

His departure from Green Valley to the Weyr had been sudden and
although he had managed to have a senior Weyrling ferry him back and
forth from the Weyr to the hold (he did have regular patients) he felt
as if he had not seen his wife in days. When he had been back at Green
Valley he hadn't had much time for anything other than checking in on
patients and his parents. Fortunately, Reven was well enough that
Coran had been sent home to Green Valley for good this time.

Coran had thanked the young bluerider who brought him and hurried into
the hold. Relea's absence didn't strike him as unusual, but he was
anxious to see her. When he opened the door to find her sleeping he
sighed, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was unlike
the woman to be sleeping the middle of the day. He glanced back to her
work area where he could see multiple hats and supplies.

Deciding that he would let her sleep, Coran turned back out of the
room and headed to the infirmary to check in with his apprentice.

When he returned from the infirmary later that day, Relea had awoken
and spent more time on her hats. His door opening was met with a
smile and she paused in her work, set aside her scissors and rose to
greet him. "You're back." She signed as the young woman drew near.
"How is Reven?"

Coran held up one finger, a sign for Relea to wait as he encircled his
arms around her, pulled her body flush to his and kissed her the way
he had wanted to when he came home earlier. There was something so
sweetly enticing about his wife that made him feel insatiable.

"I missed you." He said when he drew back.

The kiss was surprising, but far from unpleasant. She returned it and
allowed her arms to encircle his neck til he broke it off. Relea
smiled as she read his lips, then signed, "I did too. Everything
okay?"

Coran nodded, not wanting to worry Relea too much with all of the
specifics of Reven's story, "His infection is finally under control
and he's awake. There was really no need for me to stay at the Weyr
any longer. Arippa has a dragonrider friend there who is checking in
on her."

"Good." There had certainly been worry about Reven, and when Coran
had told her about his infection, she had feared he might lose more
than a finger. She was grateful that had not turned out to be the
case. "I'm glad you're home. Are you tired?"

"I am, but not too tired for my wife." Coran signed, lifting his
eyebrows suggestively as he drew her back to him.

"Do you want something?" The signing was a little awkward, he'd drawn
her so close, but she would not pull away.

Coran rested his forehead on hers for a moment before drawing back and
signing, "I think that's obvious."

Only a little. Relea didn't bother to sign that, rather shifted
forward to join her body against his once more, her lips seeking out
his.

He was so very glad that she was not the shy, nervous bride any more.
Coran broke the kiss long enough to bend, hook his arm beneath her
knees, and lift her up into his arms. "I love you, Relea." He said
with his lips as he carried her to their bedroom.

She didn't have to hear to know what he said. The words were plain
upon his lips, but their utterance shocked her. Although he had
married her and she knew he liked her and was attracted to her, that
was the first time he'd ever said that he actually loved her. The
question was, could she say the same in return? Her mind whirled, but
the only response she could give in the moment was another kiss, time
to distract him, to ponder over what he'd said and her own emotion.
She liked him. She cared about him, wanted to please him - but was
that love? She didn't want to say it and not mean it, or even fully
understand it. Fortunately, men were easily distracted by certain
activities and to be honest, she was rather distracted herself. Relea
allowed the kiss to deepen and her thoughts flitted off to a corner to
be entertained later when she wasn't so busy.

~*~

Coran's hand idly stroked Relea's hair as they laid curled together in
the bed. Despite the love making that had taken place, Coran found
himself staring up at the ceiling with a little sinking feeling in the
pit of his stomach. He had told his wife he loved her, and she hadn't
said it back. The man probably would not have noticed but he
remembered when he told his first wife that he loved her and how had
she lit up and gushed the words back to him. Relea had neither lit up,
nor returned the sentiment.

Maybe he was reading too much into it, or maybe he was realizing for
the first time that his feelings ran deeper than Relea's. He thought
back to earlier that day, and now found her absence to his arrival
hurtful. Coran had thought about her non-stop while he was at the
Weyr, but apparently she had not even missed him enough to be there
when he returned. He had not married Relea out of obligation, but he
was beginning to wonder if his wife had only married him because he
was a suitable bachelor. He didn't want that kind of marriage.

As his fingers worked lightly through her tresses, Relea shifted to
draw her body closer to his. The aftermath was almost as pleasant as
the official act, the warmth of him against her. She smiled at his
gentle touch and started to turn, then froze. Without warning, she
sat up, then hurried to the washroom and disappeared within.

"Relea?" Coran called after her out of instinct before muttering to
himself, "Yeah, Coran, call after your deaf wife and see if she
answers." Rolling from the bed he pulled on a pair of linen lounge
pants and then padded barefoot after his wife.

Relea crouched next to the toil, her colour faded from her face. One
hand braced against the porcelain, while the other wrapped over her
stomach. Her delicate nose was lined with displeasure which was
reflected by the downcurl of her lips. She hadn't lost any food, but
she felt like she could at any moment.

Coran winced, dipped a rag in cool water, and then handed it to Relea
as he smoothed her hair away from her face, "Have you had anything
unusual to eat today?" He signed, now in full healer mode.

Relea shook her head, tilting her head to gaze up at her husband.
"I've been feeling out of sorts for a few days. Exhausted, and
nauseous. I haven't vomited, but there are times I feel like I'm
going to." It wasn't quite as bad as that time before they had
married, but it had lasted longer. With Coran back and forth at the
Weyr and Reven in recovery, she hadn't mentioned it. The fact that it
wasn't constant had kept her from seeking out another healer as well.

"When was your last cycle?" Coran asked automatically, the standard
question every woman received whenever there was something amiss.

"It was just..." She began to sign, but Relea paused as she really
thought about the question. When_was_ the last time she'd had her
cycle. A moment of calculation resulted in a slow response of,
"Before we were married."

Coran's heart gave a little jolt, "Do you mind if I exam you? You
could be pregnant. We need to make sure." He hadn't thought about
babies in Turns, not since his first wife died in childbirth.

Pregnant? Could she be? Already? They'd just been married. Though
Relea knew that pregnancy could happen when a man and woman were
intimate, she thought it wouldn't have happened so quickly. At his
question, she realised she was still completely unclothed. While they
were husband and wife, Relea wasn't in the habit of running around
their quarters without clothes on and she rose to snatch up her robe
and pull it around her before she responded. "Of course not. You're
my favourite healer."

"I had better be." He teased back with a grin, his fears from earlier
dissipating in the light if this new and exciting, revelation. "Just
lay back here on the end of the bed." Coran instructed, guiding Relea
with his hands to raise her knees. While she got settled he gave his
hands a quick wash in the basin.

Relea did as she was instructed and observed her husband through the
doorway as he cleansed himself. Risk of infection was lessoned when
one kept clean - that much she knew and, of course, he would as a
healer. Was she pregnant? Would he be able to tell? How would he?
She'd have to ask after the examination. When he returned from the
washroom to their bedroom, she lay back and signed. "What now?"

"Just relax." Coran instructed but then the conversation ended as he
had to put his hands to use. The examination took no time at all, and
when he was finished he calmly washed his hands again, and then
returned to her.

"You are pregnant." He confirmed, a smile blooming on his face.

Pregnant. She had figured it would happen sooner or later, but mostly
later. Still, the prospect was a pleasant one, and various thoughts began
to whirl through her mind as she remained perched upon the bed.

Coran joined her on the bed, his eyes studying her face as he traced a
finger down her cheek to get her attention, "Are you upset? Happy?" He
asked her with his hands. He honestly could not tell what his wife
thought about bearing them a child. They had never really talked much
about it in their short engagement.

"I'm not upset. " Relea assured him quickly. She paused, her brow
furrowed, then she made a confession. "I just don't know anything about
babies. What do I do?" Most women had a mother figure to go to. Not
her.

The healer sighed in relief, and then a little grin crossed his face,
"From what I hear it comes naturally. As a healer I can pretty well
help you through the actual pregnancy." A shadow crossed through his
eyes, "I have never actually gotten to the part where the baby is born
and here, so we will have to learn together on that one. If you want
someone to talk with I am sure my mother would love to. She loves
mothering people."

"She barely knows me." Actually, Relea hadn't officially met her
until after their marriage. They were complete strangers. Still, if
the woman had insight and advice to offer, how could Relea refuse to
listen?

"Well she has had a lot on her plate with Reven missing and Arippa at
the Weyr," Coran reminded her. "She would love to spend more time with
you, I know it." He assured her.

"If you think so." In all honesty, it would be nice to meet Coran's
mother. Relea just wasn't so sure how Coran's mother would receive
her. Still, it wouldn't hurt - and it would be nice to have another
woman to talk to. The question was, would she be willing to learn her
language? Well, she could always use the stylus.

A baby. That thought superceded any about his mother. She was
pregnant. She had a life inside of her. Her dark blue gaze settled
on her husband's face and she was reminded of his reaction to
something he'd said. "What did you mean? When you said that you
hadn't gotten to the having the baby born part?"

Coran realized that in the hectic whirl of eloping that they had never
talked about it, "My first wife, Alyei, she died in childbirth." He
told her, even though that was some time ago, there was still a little
pang in his chest when he thought about it.

He had been married before? Relea hadn't realise. To have lost her so
soon, plus his child, she couldn't imagine the sorrow. "I didn't know.
I'm so sorry. "

"It's okay," he signed in returned, "we were married for five Turns,
and she has been gone for three now."

Should she? Relea honestly wasn't sure how to comfort him. A hug? A
kiss? Instead, she asked, "What was she like?"

Coran smiled a little as he thought back at Alyei, "She was," his best
friend, but he said instead, "stubborn, and fiesty, and rarely ever
acted like a lady was suppose to. I met her at the Healer Hall. She
didn't grow up as we did, with preconceived ideas about how women
should act. She very nearly gave my mother a heartattack when she
showed up in pants so tight that they left nothing to the imagination
and a short-cropped hair cut that was shorter than Reven's."

In other words, she was far different than Relea was. Her sapphire
gaze dropped to her hands. Obviously he had loved that woman, but
what was it about her that he loved? He'd said the words, but
honestly, Relea had a difficult time understanding. "Is that the sort
of woman you usually like?" She queried after a moment.

He gave a little shrug, "I don't know, really. There has only ever
been you and her." Coran turned his head to look at her. Alyei had
been his first love and now Relea was his new love.

"She sounds so different from me." Relea finally 'voiced' her
thoughts, her hands flowing through the words as she formed them.
"Did she make you happy?"

"Yes, you two are very different," Coran agreed, like the clueless man
that he was, before answering her question, "and yes, we were happy."
There was no reason to lie about that was there? It would feel like he
was spitting on the love that they'd had if he answered any
differently.

"Good. I'm glad." Some women might have taken offense at suggesting
a man was happy with a wife from before, but Relea wasn't. There was
another question, however, that she posed. "Do I make you happy?"

Coran reached out for her hands and brought them to his lips, "Of
course you make me happy. Would I have whisked you away to marry you
if you didn't?" He studied her eyes for a moment, "I do wish you would
open up to me a bit more but..." He gave a little shrug, "I am
patient."

His critique spurred a tilt of her head as she pondered it. Open up
more? "What do you mean?"

He was silent for a moment as he tried to arrange the proper wording
in his head, "You never really talk to me just to tell me things...
Like your emotions, or what you like and dislike... Your favorite
color? Favorite food? What food makes you cringe... We talk about very
little besides work and whatever crazy thing is happening in my
family."

He was right, Relea had to admit. Oh there were moments, like the
time when they had met in the garden to gaze at the stars. But
mostly, there was not much depth to their conversations. "I'm sorry."
She admitted. "I'm just...not used to having people to talk to."
Even her two friends, the only people who had ever made an effort
outside of family were gone and had been for a while. They wrote from
time to time, but there was more than a physical distance between
them. Absence didn't always make the heart grow fonder - sometimes,
people and things just sort of faded.

"I know," Coran said in return, his hand reaching up to cup her face,
"and that's why I am patient. We can be more than husband and wife, we
can be more than lovers, we can be friends too. I would like that."

"I thought we were." Relea offerd a rueful smile. "But I will try to
be a better friend." She would like that intimacy. Joseli had been a
good friend to her, but she'd been lost turns before. Now there was
Coran and have a point. "What do you want to know?"

Last updated on the July 28th 2014

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