Subterra Heart

Chapter 37: Marina Ritty

The door burst open almost as soon as Marina's fist hit it. Out popped a small, slightly pudgy woman clothed in a whirlwind of colorful scarves and glittering beads.

"Miss Marina!" she exclaimed, pulling Marina into a fierce embrace. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from my favorite niece?" She suddenly let out a small gasp. "Oh! Are you here for classes again? Did I miss your message? And who is this handsome young man?" Auntie Lena peered around Marina's shoulder at Connor while Marina slowly extracted herself from Lena's grasp.

"No, Auntie, I'm not here for classes this time. You didn't miss any messages," she said. "And this is Co – ah, Tim. He's – he's my..." Marina's voice trailed off, and she glanced back at Connor, who was now shifting his weight uncomfortably under Lena's gaze.

It had been one thing to make up a story for total strangers – almost enjoyable, really. For a brief time, Marina had been able to inhabit an identity that was not facing an impending flood of bloodrot or the nightmare of a missing, desperately ill, and badly injured sister.

Auntie Lena, however, was not a stranger. Auntie Lena knew Marina, and she knew her quite well in fact. Marina took a deep breath. Her aunt might seem a bit scatterbrained at first, but underneath that lay a wit sharper than a knife's edge.

"Auntie, may we come in?" she asked. "This may take some time to explain."

~

The inside of Auntie Lena's apartment was just as cluttered as Marina remembered. Scarves and skirts hung at haphazard angles off the furniture. A half-washed pile of dishes lined the sink. Stacks upon stacks of palm-sized datacards – thin strips of metal used for storing information outside of datalogs – littered the floor, table, and every other spare inch of space. The occasional rare book lay nestled among them. Normally, Marina would wrinkle her nose at such a mess, but there was something familiar and comforting about Auntie Lena's chaos. The smell of almonds and cinnamon filled the air. Marina smiled. Her aunt's home always smelled of almonds and cinnamon.

"Come in, come in both of you. Sit down," said Auntie Lena, ushering Marina and Connor into her living room. Marina pushed aside a few of the blankets on the couch until there was just enough room for her and Connor to perch awkwardly among the nest of fabrics.

Auntie Lena hurried behind a low wall that separated her kitchen from the living room. "Tea?" she asked, and Marina heard her filling the kettle with water.

"Yes," said Marina, "Black, please." It was the only kind that Lena ever had on hand. Marina knew that quite well by now. Auntie Lena set about muttering happily to herself about her niece finally bringing home a handsome young man, and within minutes, the kettle was beeping to announce freshly boiled water.

From his seat beside Marina, Connor raised an eyebrow at the messy home and Auntie Lena's antics. Marina simply gave him a warning look and shook her head.

"Now," said Auntie Lena when she finally emerged from the kitchen. She shuffled over to Connor and Marina, carrying two mismatched mugs of tea, which she promptly set on top of two piles of datacards that lay at their feet. "Tell me everything."

Marina eyed the mugs cautiously. The floor would have been a much more stable spot to place them. A table was out of the question with the way that Lena kept her place. A moment passed, and nothing happened. Satisfied that the mugs weren't in immediate danger of toppling over, Marina weighed her answer. Lena likely didn't know about Tess's disappearance yet – she wasn't acting odd or upset. Marina would have thought it strange that her father hadn't contacted Auntie Lena just yet, but she knew just how distracted her family had been these past few days. Marina's stomach twisted. It would not be possible for Auntie Lena to believe Connor's and Tess's story from outside of Heart. A half-truth would be best.