Scales and Swords ✓

52: Love

She hobbled her way past their front door, her legs visibly swollen. Her tummy seemed to have ballooned even more than it already was since I last saw her. But if she was in any sort of discomfort she was careful not to show it.

I wondered, as I watched her, what it felt like. To have to carry something so precious, so beautiful, to be so careful of one self knowing that another being lived within you. What a weight that must be. Knowing that their life depended on you, and everything you did had an effect on them one way or the other. Such an important task, such a risk taken, such joy it brought.

I brushed away my envious thoughts stepping in after her tentatively. I stood by the door taking in Uta and Hoku's sweet little home. To have it be Hoku's home seemed almost incorrect. With the flowers and vines and branches sticking in and out windows and floorboards, blooming and filling the room with its pleasant perfume. Uta stood in the kitchen stirring a pot that steamed and whose smell of spices and meat rivaled that of the flowers. Cozy and warm, was her little home.

"Make yourself at home," Uta said, her eyes trained on me like she'd been watching me the whole time, "dinners almost ready."

I found a seat on the only couch in the center of the living room, my eyes travelling over the area. I stopped at a shelf, lined with string-bound books, wondering which of the couple was fond of reading.

"I write a little, read a lot," Uta said coming to stand by the shelf. She wiped her hands dry on her apron and trailed a finger across their spines. "Do you read?"

"I can read. But as a hobby, not really. What sort of books do you write?" I shifted uncomfortably, trying my hand at conversation.

Her head wobbled. "Children's story mostly. They're a work in progress but the kids at the orphanage seem to enjoy them." A small smile dawned her face and I knew she loved those kids as much as she'd love her own.

I cleared my throat and prepared myself for my next question. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you say that? Why did you call me family?"

She chuckled lightly and came to sit beside me, taking my hands in hers. Her eyes sparkled like gems but a sadness lingered behind her bright eyes. "My child won't live life like I did. So I only hope there are people like her out there who will remind her just how precious she is."

"But she is," I rushed to say. "She doesn't need everyone else to think it. She just is."

She regarded me fondly. "So she is." She rubbed a hand over her tummy.

Then it was silent and my mind went loose, the happenings of the day overcoming me. Nareem and Lance, Xon and the general, KB, Neritha and Brise. But everything else melted away when I thought of Philip. My heart swelled at the thought of him and I yearned to be beside him, but all common sense told me those feelings weren't right. Friends didn't want to kiss friends.

"Uta," I hesitated, "if you don't mind, eh, uh, how did you know...that Hoku was the one?"

A sly smile stretched across her face. She thought for a moment. "Hoku and I have known each other since we were kids. In fact we were the best of friends. We did everything together, loved being in each other's company. But it was only when we became teenagers did we start to develop feelings for each other, or at least I did. Even before we became more than friends we loved each other dearly. But our parents had never approved of our relationship overspanning friendship. So we eloped. But it didn't last long. We were found and Hoku was drafted."

A soldier? A knight? Of course, that made sense.

"Many years passed," Uta continued, fondess filling her eyes. "And one fine day I received a knock to find my best friend. He'd turned into a man in the blink of an eye and I couldn't help wondering just how much different he must've become. But he took my hand and we never returned. We travelled around quite a bit but wherever we went we were met with upturned noses and wary gazes. We were an anomaly and whatever could come of our relationship would never be accepted. But we were stubborn and in love."