Dark Silhouette

Writers: Heather, AL
Date Posted: 20th July 2014
Series: The Unwanted Sister

Characters: Coran, Relea
Description: Seek solace in one another after Relea's miscarriage
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 8, day 1 of Turn 7

Relea

The darkness had descended, but even the shadows could not dissuade
Relea when the dreams refused to let her rest peacefully. Awoken from
memories that she couldn't forget, the woman rose, careful to not
arouse her husband. She was enveloped in ebony, but its embrace was
chilly and Relea's hands rubbed at her arms, though the chill that
darted through her was deeper than the air around her. A window
called to her and she answered, though she struggled with the heavy
shutters. Eventually, they gave in to her will and she opened them to
the night, allowing a view of the stars.

Coran found himself awake the moment Relea rolled from the bed. It was
instinct, his body couldn't help but notice the absence of hers. For a
moment his eyes had a hard time adjusting to the darkness, but then he
found her, standing there in front of the window, a dark silhouette
against a sapphire sky. Moving from the bed, Coran came up behind his
wife and slipped his arms around her waist, drawing her back against
him as he rested his chin on her head.

Her body jumped slightly at his sudden touch, but she immediately
eased into his embrace. His arms were warm, inviting. Comforting.
With his touch, the pain didn't disappear, but it seemed as if she
might be able to bear it after all. What if she didn't have him?
Honestly, Relea wasn't sure if she would have bothered with anything
else. He was her support, her encouragement. When she cried, he held
her. In her despair, he was her light. As her anguish reared its
head, he was there to help soothe. The last few days had been
difficult at best, but his patience and his love kept her afloat.

For a few moments, she remained a statue, but she broke that spell to
turn and encircle his waist with her arms. She clung to him as she
did every time they embraced, every day since the baby had died. If
she didn't hold on to him, she wasn't sure what would happen.

Coran was worried about Relea but he tried not to show it. As he
enveloped her in his arms he thought about how much easier their
relationship could be if she had her hearing and could talk. Because
Relea was not use to communicating with others, mostly because they
didn't speak her hand language, she had learned to simply keep
everything bottled up inside. Coran could never fathom what was going
on behind her eyes, and there would never be a moment when something
would just slip out of her mouth before she had time to reign it in.
He wanted to ask her if she were all right but that would require a
break in contact so he simply stroked her hair as he looked out of the
open window.

That small, simple gesture was so poignant. Relea's eyes drifted shut
so she could focus on it, the steady hand the gentle glide of his
fingers, the rhythm of his motion. Soothing. Tender. If she could,
she would remain there forever in that stillness, in that darkness.
That could not be, however, and with a sigh, she broke away to sign
'bed', though one hand slipped back into his as soon as the word was
finished.

Linking their fingers together, Coran shut the window with his free
hand and then led Relea back to their bed. He wasn't sure how but at
some point during the last few days, ever since the miscarriage, it
just felt as if he and Relea had crossed a little threshold. As if the
mutual pain had bought them closer together.

She'd had names that she had wanted to share with him, to suggest, see
if he liked them. That thought crossed her mind as she lowered into
the bed beside them. With a sigh, she tucked those names into her
heart and rest her head against his shoulder. She didn't want to
start crying again. And she was so very tired. With a little shift,
Relea curled against Coran's body, reveling in his warmth and allowing
it to help ward off the chill that tried to seep inside her.

Coran wanted to tell Relea that he loved her, to reassure her that his
affections had not changed with the loss of the baby, but the memory
of when he had said it to her before was still with him. How she had
not said anything in return. For that matter, she had never mentioned
any feelings at all toward him. Just thinking about it brought that
feeling of despair back to the pit of his stomach.

Unaware of his thoughts, the heat from him helped lull her back to
sleep and she remained against him, silent as ever, unmoving, the
darkness a little less suffocating.

Last updated on the March 25th 2025

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