The 17 Arrhazon Society of Thespians and Musicians awards won by llhaesa led to her image gracing the front page of no less than eight weekly publications. She was now a hot news commodity.

The pictures varied from a singular shot of llhaesa holding one award, her toothy smile never more evident, to her standing by the quickly improvised table set up as a temporary place to hold the 17 awards that came llhaesa’s way during the programme – with llhaesa looking on just a tad unbelieving.

Publishers quickly sent llhaesa a very tasteful framed paper print of their particular front page, something carrying no small cost in the age of an electronic publishing society, where the only reason paper was manufactured – and then only in small quantities –was for ceremonial or celebratory purposes.

Jahrae hung the award pictures on one wall of llhaesa’s music studio, her judgment lost in the great pride she felt in her partner’s accomplishments. Llhaesa promptly took them all down, remarking “I know you are proud of me, Jahrae, and believe me, I appreciate your love and support, but I’m not about to live in a shrine to myself, or live my life with some misplaced and misguided sense of self-importance.”

While she ought to be upset at what seemed at first to be a mild rebuke, she knew llhaesa was not rebuking her, rather rebuking some notion she was better than others were. Llhaesa hated such thinking right to the core of her being, and her egalitarian outlook – at least in Jahrae’s eyes – was one of her most beautiful traits.

Still, Jahrae felt badly stuffing the award pictures in some hidden away place, and so she devised a plan: she would give four to llhaesa’s parents, and four to her own parents. Llhaesa would be annoyed, but Jahrae knew their parents would tenaciously guard and defend their right to hang the pictures. In time, llhaesa would accept this in the same way a child came to accept their parents showing others their more candid baby pictures – with an eye roll, and then moving on. The ‘baby picture’ analogy triggered a slight giggle in Jahrae, her thoughts flashing back to the Hrensa concert a few months before.

Jahrae had no intent to be deceitful; she would not surreptitiously send the pictures to their parents. No, she would simply invite them over, and then raise the matter as an idea. Once their parents latched on to this idea, which she assumed they would with the ferocity of some forest creature protecting her cub, llhaesa would have little choice but to accede to the plan.

While modesty and such was important to llhaesa, the rest of her family had a right to celebrate the accomplishments of someone they so dearly loved.

Three days later, Djellrin and Hrilleae joined Saehressa and Mrevan for an afternoon at Jahrae’s and llhaesa’s flat. Basking in the brilliant and warming rays of Arrhka on their rooftop patio, Jahrae squelched the butterflies in her stomach and casually raised the issue.

“I’m certain you’ve all seen the front pages of various weekly media – the ones with llhaesa’s smiling or somewhat bewildered face. Over the last several days, each publisher sent a framed copy of their front page, and without showing them to you in the moment, trust me when I say they are quite elegantly and tastefully prepared.

Llhaesa is uncomfortable with them hanging in our home – we’ve come to expect this of our llhaesa, right?” Jahrae paused, looking around at each parent, who nodded affirmatively, then continued.

It seems a huge waste to stuff them in a closet somewhere, when some of us do find pride in her accomplishments. A thought occurred to me – instead of shoving them in a closet, why not give some to each of our parents?” This time, llhaesa spoke up.

“I doubt our parents wish to display this stuff in their homes, Jahrae. Please… I am proud of the 17 awards. Does that mean I must endure my own image staring back at me? I am hardly narcissistic!”

“You are the antithesis of narcissistic!” Mrevan spoke up, his hands assisting with and accenting his comments. “That in turn does not mean your parents have ceded the right to display our love and affection for you when an opportunity presents itself. This is a time-honoured parental thing, llhaesa. Perhaps one day both of you will know the joy to be found in this, but for now, humour us!”

The other three parents displayed their own enthusiastic support for Mrevan’s comments through animated movements and commenting almost in unison. For her part, llhaesa sensed it was hopeless to pursue the matter, and meekly succumbed with a very quiet “all right,” while simultaneously pulling her face into a pout. It was the first time Jahrae ever saw her wife display anything resembling a pout.

“Llhaesa,” Saehressa spoke now, offering her motherly perspective. “It isn’t that we are trying to make you larger than life – that is impossible. We know you on a human scale. Goddess of Arrhazon, I carried you within me, felt you stir, and could sense your great desire and anticipation to get on with life.

I knew from the first you would meld humility with a sense of social purpose, as well as with your great love of music and drive to succeed. When we display these pictures, they are not our attempt to say ‘look world, our daughter is great,’ it is our attempt to say, ‘look world, we love our daughter. We love her for millions of reasons that are impossible to display anywhere but in our hearts and minds.”

No one spoke for a moment, digesting all that Saehressa placed on the table for consideration. Finally, llhaesa rose from her seat and crossed over to her mum, giving her a huge hug. “Thanks mum. You always have a way of seeing the way through something. That makes a boatload of sense, and I thank you for easing my concerns.”

“Now speaking of boats… Jahrae and I purchased one.” Llhaesa said this wearing a Cheshire cat grin, in part for the purchase, in part for successfully changing the subject.

“Boat?” Hrilleae interjected. This was her element, her forte. Djellrin ran a close second, but in years past, Hrilleae was best sailor in their extended family by acclamation. Both parents shared their knowledge with Jahrae, and she learned well. If the subject came up, Hrilleae would call Jahrae the better sailor. They taught her well.

“Two weeks before the awards, as you know we took a bit of vacation time. Initially we planned on a three-day weekend, but our plan went awry,” llhaesa paused there, with Jahrae stepping in to continue the story.

“On the second day, llhaesa spent time swimming with an empohnim, one she quickly named ‘Empo.’ Moment by moment, I could see llhaesa coming alive with an experience she never anticipated. This was after watching her fall head over heels in love with slicing through the water powered by nothing but the wind, unhindered by artificial noise.

Once we were back in the boat, llhaesa broached a proposal: return to the harbour, return the boat, buy our very own, and then set sail, while resetting the three-day vacation clock.

I counter-proposed, successfully negotiating for a full week of new time at sea.” Jahrae finished, her own smile growing wide at the memory.

“Aren’t empohnims a world of fun?” Hrilleae asked llhaesa, her eyes aglow with her own memories. “I’ve spent many a time in the water with them, they are adorable, friendly, and graceful creatures – and fierce protectors if they sense a threat to you by other sea creatures.”

“Tell us about your boat!” Mrevan threw a question into the discussion before adding, “Do you have imagery of the boat?”

“Yes we do, dad” llhaesa offered, I’ll be right back.” Llhaesa disappeared for a few short minutes, then returned with a digital photo device.

“Ooh, a real beauty! Mrevan exclaimed, a quick and muted whistle following his comment. The album made the rounds of the room, and Djellrin confessed he was “absolutely smitten with your new boat!”

Saehressa asked after the name of the boat, with Jahrae providing the answer. She wished to add another tangent to the discussion, and offered up what was on her mind.

“Llhaesa and I have discussed this, and please know the boat is available for any and all of us to use. All we ask is that any plans made in advance be shared, that way we all can co-ordinate when it is in use or available for use.”

Llhaesa spoke up, suggesting they spend a weekend on the boat together. It would easily accommodate the six of them. The six made and affirmed plans for the second following weekend, where they would introduce Saehressa and Mrevan to the joys of Bay life.

Mrevan was skittish; Saehressa found it ‘an exciting idea!” Llhaesa could not wait to get her parents aboard, where she would spend extra effort to help her dad enjoy the experience.

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