Don't Let Me Go

Don't Let Me Go

Another day, another patient to help. Balqis was taking the interspecies cart from the subway train to travel home. To avoid any suspicion, she wore a face-mask that hides her face while her head donned a beautiful purple headscarf that matched her long-sleeved blouse.

Shades of purple were her favourite colours since they have a calming yet creative demeanour.

Balqis still has another patient to help but this one wanted to talk to her on the phone rather than showing up at the clinic. She understood since not many would want to travel far or show themselves if they are uncomfortable.

She decided to schedule the session in her own home where she lived with her beloved husband. While talking to her patient, she began to prep meals for the both of them. Tonight might be something with rice since she knows carnivores love to eat carbohydrates to make up for not eating meat.

With that, she applied more moisturiser cream on her hands and dabbed a specific disinfectant to her face under the mask. She doesn't want anyone to know that she has sensitive skin since most of them would be disgusted.

...

During her talk with her patient, Balqis felt a torrent of emotions trying to help. She felt her patient's pain and emotion, to the point she even cried just because she doesn't want her patients to feel alone when they talk to her.

She was done with the cooking and taking to her patient when she felt a pair of strong, scaley arms wrapped around her waist. Balqis giggled, leaning up to stroke the cheek lovingly. She turned around for a bit to kiss him on the snout.

"Don't worry, I applied my prescribed lip balm," she assured him, seeing his tensed expression relaxed.

"I know, my dear," he sighed, his claws holding her close. "I'm just happy that you are back."

"I'm happy to be home, Gosha."

It was an odd-pairing: a human and a Komodo dragon as a couple. What is even more baffling was the age gap between them which was 20 years apart. Yet, they both are comfortable in each other's company, sharing stories about their days and spending time together every night.

They never had children for the both of them are occupied with the life they have built for themselves.

The only ones who knew about their strange relationship were Legosi, Gosha's wolf grandson and his family. To a certain extend, the animals at the hybrid kindergarten and old police chief Yafya.

"You had a call with a patient?"

Balqis nodded, telling him about her day which consists of different patients that need someone to talk to or to advise on their problems. Gosha may not talk much but his eyes and attentive head was enough to know that he is listening. She then asked him about his day to which he told her his routine and visiting his grandson.

The old woman smiled, love to hear him talk about his family. She has learnt about his past when they started dating thirty years ago. Even in his eighties, Gosha has never looked old. He was just as handsome as the day she met him at the public library.

From library meet-ups, to having the courage to go out with him, Balqis has never felt so happy to have someone who understands and helped her at her lowest point. As for Gosha himself, he hasn't felt this sort of love for so long and developed his own courage to go to public places with her without fear of what others might say.

The memory he cherished dearly was when they both went to a public onsen bathhouse together.

After dinner, the both of them went to bed. Not to sleep yet but to enjoy each other's company while Balqis scribbles her thoughts in her journal while he closed his eyes. The humming of the air conditioner built for reptiles filled in the silence.