In Which Morgan Is Still There

March 18, 1189

"You know, it's been a while since I just went for a walk for the sake of it." A bit of Lonriad's neat hair flopped about in the breeze and Morgan tried not to notice. Her late husband too had been tall and dark and more than a little handsome, but he'd been varying degrees of infirm for their entire courtship. Lonriad had a health and vigor to him so alien that it was a fight to look away. While Morgan had made her peace with Lonan's death--what other choice had she had?--there was a twinge of guilt at the thought that someone else might compare to him favorably.

Not that there was anything wrong with being sickly. Obviously, it hadn't had any affect on her sweet husband's character, and he'd remained strong in spirit to the end. That was what counted, surely.

Not that she could just assume that Lonriad's spirit left something to be desired! They didn't know each other well, and never before today had they been alone together, but he seemed to have a good soul. She hoped he did, anyway.

For a simple, quiet little walk around the village, she was rather enjoying herself.

"Same here. I'm split between work and Viridis these days; obviously I love both, but it's nice to have a minute to myself."

"Sorry you're stuck sharing it with me, then." Lonriad chuckled. "But I know what you mean. With four kids, one of them is bound to always be up with something. At least Sevvie and Adonis are old enough to look after themselves now."

"I guess I'd better enjoy the next three or four years to the fullest, then. It's only a matter of time before Viridis will be embarrassed to go anywhere with her mother."

"And Alina with her father! But going by my older nieces and nephews, they seem to grow out of that parents-are-the-worst phase eventually."

"You and your siblings certainly got over it with your father and stepmother."

"And if I can be half the parent either of them are, it'll be a job well done." He smiled--but a little spark of sobriety lurked behind his lips. "I just hope that when I see Asalaye again, she thinks I succeeded."

"I'm sure she will." She hoped Viridis's biological parents would think the same of her. "I only met Asalaye a few times, but she always seemed interesting. The good kind of interesting."

"There was never a dull moment when Asalaye was around, that's for sure." The next grin was pure fondness. "What was your husband like, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't mind. He was a very kind man. Had his body been as strong as his heart, he'd have lived to be a hundred."

"The good do tend to die young, don't they?"

Maybe, from what they'd seen. Though, she might have said those who died young tended to be good. "Well, we're both still here."

"That we are!" He laughed--a hearty laugh. God, what was it about a man unafraid to laugh? "Maybe we'll prove that old rule wrong. I never saw the appeal of living too long, but I suppose old age will be bearable if we can laugh about it."

"I should hope it's more than merely bearable."

"We'll find out when we get there, so I guess we'd best promise not to die any time soon." A little morbid--but, not in such horrible taste. "You know, I'm glad Rona not-so-subtly asked us out. I know we spent a lot of time silent, but it's been a while since I've enjoyed spending time with another adult so much."

"You know?" Morgan smiled. "Me too."

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