The first night on the Naval Academy yacht, llhaesa felt the Jahrae connection stronger than ever, leaving her to conclude Jahrae drew ever closer.

There was no crossing of energy this time, just a general sense – whether wishful thinking or otherwise – of a decreasing distance between them.

New elements came into play, one that added another surprise, as well as one that created great sadness for llhaesa. She sensed others accompanied Jahrae, one of which was her mum, Saehressa. Her dad, Mrevan… llhaesa sensed was no longer among the living, and at this, she openly wept.

Unable to hold back the flow of tears once the first tumbled and slid along her cheek, llhaesa let loose with a torrent of sluicing tears. Her body trembled and contorted as she cried, the tears and trembling accompanied by muffled wailing sounds that still managed to roust Ronnie from sleep.

Ronnie hurried to llhaesa’s cabin, but still observed decorum and knocked first – though she did not wait for an answer. Llhaesa was distressed, and Ronnie intended to get to llhaesa to provide comfort and support, no matter the triggering circumstance. Ronnie found llhaesa sitting up in bed, a covering blanket bunched around her waist. Llhaesa remained in the throes of sadness, consumed by a pent up and overflowing reservoir of emotion, perhaps a combination of all that she had endured over 15 years – this was her first honest to goodness cry, and nothing could – or should, in Ronnie’s point of view – stand in llhaesa’s way.

Llhaesa felt Ronnie’s arm gently slip around her back, her hand softly messaging in a circular fashion, while Ronnie added soothing words of comfort and encouragement. After a moment, Ronnie took llhaesa into her arms, started slowly and smoothly swaying back and forth, the repeating rhythm serving to placate the inner energy that otherwise would find its way to drive upward tears.

Ronnie felt positively horrid; she had never seen llhaesa so upset. Her heart poured outward, after all llhaesa was still her partner, and Ronnie felt the pull of love calling upon her to ease llhaesa’s pain. After a solid twenty minutes of full out cry and full-blown counter measures by Ronnie, llhaesa brought her emotions under control, and could finally begin to wipe away tears.

Ronnie pulled away slightly to give llhaesa space to self-attend, still not knowing the source of this emotional eruption. “Llhaesa, do you wish to talk?” Ronnie offered in a soft and encouraging voice.

Llhaesa looked toward Ronnie, saw the intent, the worry, the concern, and replied, “Yes… yes, Ronnie, I would like that.” Llhaesa paused, her hand still holding a half soaked tissue upon her face, occasionally dabbing at residual tears. After several seconds passed, llhaesa began to share what triggered the tears, though her voice carried a subdued and resigned feel.

“As is my custom, I engaged in Aailhra prior to sleep. Once again, I felt Jahrae’s presence – closer now, and for the first time, I felt my mum’s presence – Saehressa – she is with Jahrae. My dad…” mentioning his name, llhaesa burst into tears once again, but Ronnie now had a solid sense of why, to be sure also a sense of foreboding, but a sense of what prompted llhaesa’s tears.

Llhaesa quickly brushed away this new round of tears, and rediscovered her voice. “My dad – Mrevan – is gone; I fear due to my loss, Ronnie.”

Ronnie waited a few seconds before speaking, her voice continuing to be soft, gentle, and loving. “I cannot think of a worse fate than to lose a child, llhaesa. Your dad faced an incalculable and unfathomable pain, heartbreaking, really. He obviously loved you to pieces.”

Llhaesa nodded, knowing this was true – she would have great difficulty if something happened to either of their children. Once again pausing as she searched her thoughts, older memories came forward, and she shared some of her family history.

“Ronnie, have I mentioned Cshrehyi to you?” llhaesa asked, not at all certain of what she had and had not shared to this point.

“No, I do not believe you have. Who is Cshrehyi?”

“My brother.”

“Oh. I did not know you had siblings. Do you have any other siblings?”

“No. Cshrehyi was my older brother. I never met him, for he died 4 years before I was born.”

“Llhaesa, I am so sorry. Your parents have endured so very much. What do you know of him?”

“Only that he loved to write, and excelled at it in fact. According to mum, Cshrehyi performed on a far higher level than his age equivalent of six. I have read some of his stories, and they are rather remarkable creations from the mind of a child of that age.

“Six, you say that as if that was…”

“He died at six, Ronnie. Mum and Cshrehyi were out in front of our home, flying kites. His kite failed on the first attempt to fly, but it soared on the second.” Llhaesa went on to describe what occurred, of how Cshrehyi was thrilled with his success and with the seeming magic of the sail caught in the invisible but moving air, of how he ran across their property, into the road, and into the path of an oncoming transport, the driver of which was busy talking on his mobile.

Ronnie looked horrified, now sharing some of llhaesa’s pain. “How awful, and your mum… was right there?”

“Yes. She saw it unfold; mum would tell you she screamed a warning as she ran toward him, but Cshrehyi failed to hear her. It happened right in front of my mum, not from here to the door to this cabin.”

“Your dad…”

“My dad took it very hard. My mum could channel the pain – she has always been strong, and a lifelong practitioner of Aailhra. My dad could not reach inside and pull the hurt out of him – it would just eat away at his insides. When I was born, he had a diversionary means of channelling, and he was a great dad – always there for me, encouraging me to be strong, to stand up for what is right. When I played, be it in elementary grades, high school, college, or when I toured, he was my biggest fan – I cannot recall ever hearing a negative comment from him through my life, and when I graduated from N’rellia, I think he was the happiest person on Arrhazon in that moment.”

“Given this history, your loss would likely be an emotional burden he carried no capability of managing. Oh, dear. That insidious leader of yours, the damage he did to your family is incalculable, and it reaches all the way here to ours. At least we live; your dad… was not so fortunate.”

Llhaesa looked at Ronnie, her eyes reaching deep into Ronnie eyes, with her trademark look that reflected a mind on a mission, searching for Ronnie’s soul. When llhaesa found the connection for which she searched, she conveyed a message with clear and deep intent. “Ronnie, yes Brellian did reach all the way here to this world, but it was not to ‘our’ family, as if I had family on Arrhazon and family here; there is but one family – you, me, the children, Jahrae, and Saehressa – we are family, one family.”

Ronnie felt moved to formulate her own tears, and so she did. The only recourse was to embrace the person who uttered the words, and the two held the embrace, sealing their familial deal, for minutes on end.

“Llhaesa, that was an incredibly gracious statement, and I am honoured that you see us as one family. Your vision is one I accept, with said honour!

Llhaesa,” Ronnie moved back to the subject of llhaesa’s dad, he is with you now, I suspect both he and Cshrehyi are. They likely are rooting for you, knowing all of this makes you stronger, a better person, musician, and… leader.”

“There is that word again, a word I have not had tossed in my direction in a long, long time!” llhaesa smirked whilst giving this answer. “Fifteen years ago, it was a rather annoying word for me. Dear friends, and Jahrae to a lesser extent, thought I should go after the Chief of Government position, and well… we had a few debates over the issue. At least on this world, no one can tease for me to be president, the Constitution forbids anyone other than natural born citizens from holding that office. Imagine an off worlder running, wow… that would make the Fox news shows go wild with frenzy!”

“From a distance, it seems that was a lot of pressure to place upon someone so young – you were in your early twenties then, right?” Ronnie asked, not at all sure of llhaesa’s actual date of birth.

“Yes, and I was exiled at 25. I am 39 now.”

“You still look 25,” Ronnie added sincerely.

“Perhaps that is the result of my two missing teeth, it produces such an age defying effect and look!” llhaesa self-deprecatingly answered.

“Both of your parents must have carried great pride in you, llhaesa. An accomplished musician, someone who has head of government mentioned in the same sentence with your name…

Which reminds me, I have been meaning to ask you how our worlds are different.”

Llhaesa thought for a while, searching for contrasts and comparisons. “Both worlds have their strengths and weaknesses, Ronnie. Geographically, both carry superb natural wonders, each with its own inherent beauty and harsh elements.

In terms of culture, there are distinct differences, but there are similarities as well. We are cousins after all. Perhaps the greatest contrast in culture comes with the tendency here to engage in war, to have a world that has many countries suspicious of the intent of one another, and who look to settle differences by fighting. I would add people get nasty here over religion, thinking their belief the one correct belief to the exclusion of all others. You would not see this attitude on Arrhazon.

Killing to achieve power – Brellian was so unusual, so out of Arrhazonan character. Perhaps we became too complacent, lost sight of what we need to cherish and work for in society. We need to be vigilant, and never lose sight of how precious freedom, equality, and diversity are. There are lessons for both worlds arising on both worlds.

I will work for change here, Ronnie. I cannot help what stirs within me. Women on this world, as with Arrhazon, do not have equal rights. I cannot set idly by and let that pass without comment, without effort, without working for change.

My mum was a powerful influence upon me; she stood for her rights, knowing I watched, knowing I learned. Addison and Serada, their lives are impacted by the societal framework we leave them. We need to leave them a better world, one that recognises their gender as equal.

My dad… my dad believed heart and soul in equal rights for women, and he too set a fine example for me. I cannot believe he is gone, Ronnie.

For now, I will try to refocus my thoughts on mum and Jahrae; it has been far too long since we were together.

I am going – I need – to change the subject, and get my mind off this lament, refocus forward upon positives.”

Ronnie marvelled at llhaesa’s ability to adapt, to right her own ship when distress called upon her. “I may have lost Tim,” Ronnie thought, “But Tim was a projection of the real person. The person with me – the real person – carries so much depth, and it would have been a shame for llhaesa to not reclaim the totality of her being.”

This observation passed, Ronnie asked llhaesa what positives she had in mind in the moment.

“Solving a great problem of my current life, Ronnie,” llhaesa joked. “Barbara has promised to have a dentist see to my missing teeth, though I am unsure how she will manage this. She mentioned the President’s dentist…

I have another vain indulgence to address, my hair. I have had bottom of shoulder blade length hair from childhood onward. It is time for a change, time for a more moderate length; though I am not inclined to a butch do – at least not yet!”

Llhaesa giggled at the thought of the earthly butch-femme stereotypical framework people expected in lesbian relationships, and shared her view with Ronnie. “In truth, Ronnie, the reality is far different – we form partnerships of infinite types, mix and match as suits each partner. So my indulgence is simply to take my hair to shoulder length, perhaps play up the curl a bit, maybe mess with colouring – har, wonder if Barbara can manage a stylist at sea…hmmm!”