Sub Terra: Et Reditus

Thirteen

Devi

The sky was dark, but not empty. A spectacular show of light dotted it.

"So those are stars, huh?" Daniel asked as I lay beside him on the rooftop of our temporary home. "Crazy how I'd never seen them until just a few years ago."

"They really are pretty." I remarked.

It was incredibly peaceful. No one was awake at this time, and it would've been perfectly quiet if it weren't for the noises of a loud insect some distance away from us.

"How was Laila?" He asked without turning his head. I was surprised he'd ask about a random child he'd only seen that day.

"She was an absolute angel," I answered wholeheartedly. "She talks a lot for her age and she can even say thank you in English, Arabic and Berber."

"Her parents must've taught her well."

"Yeah. Connor's a really great dad. Aren't you happy for how far he's come?"

"I'm happy for him. Say, did he tell you anything about... the... marriage?"

The marriage? I was surprised. Daniel never brought that topic up in the four years we'd been together.

"Well... he did, yeah. He told me that even if it did happen, he'd find a way out of it. I guess I would've been alright either way."

I would've, but not Daniel. Not my poor, precious Daniel.

"That's great to hear," he said, in his typical, dull way of talking. "He's married though, right?"

"Yeah, he is. To a Moroccan woman."

"Ah, that's why their daughter has a name like that. Have you met her yet?"

"Not yet." I told him simply. "But Connor said he'll take us to his house when times are less hectic."

I said 'us' as if Daniel would even be interested in visiting them.

I turned my eyes to his face and saw him mouth something, probably repeating the last word of my sentence.

"Daniel, do you want to say something?" I put my right hand on top of his left.

"What do you see in us? In the future, I mean?" He said sternly.

"W-what?"

"Be honest, D. What do you want out of us being together?"

"What kind of question is that? Isn't it obvious?"

"I'd like to hear it actually come from you, though."

I sighed. I didn't know what Daniel was trying to get at, but I answered him anyway.

"You know, I'd like us to get good jobs, be less dependent on Ally. Get a nice, big house. Tie the knot, too," I laughed, rubbing the back of his fingers with my thumb.

"I want that too," he said. "But please, go on."

"Adopt a little one or, maybe three, and your dad can help us take care of them when he gets better. How exciting's that?"