Carol’s eyes widened. She looked at Tara, meeting her eyes and narrowing her own. “Is that the light I see in your eyes, sweet girl?”
“What do you mean?” Tara asked as she tilted her head.
“Don’t take this the wrong way because you know I’ve always seen the light inside of you,” Carol said gently. “But there has also been darkness. Your eyes have always held the pain of the loss of your parents, and because of it, the light has faded from your eyes more and more over the years. But now…” She paused and her lips turned up, the wrinkles in her cheeks becoming more prominent even as the light in her own eyes shone brightly at Tara. “But now, the darkness is gone, and your eyes are full of light and hope.”
Shelly swallowed down the emotions that were rising in her chest. She’d known there was darkness inside of Tara. She’d seen it many times over the years, but she also knew there was light, and Shelly constantly fought to pull the light to the forefront. Shelly had also noticed since Tara had met Elias, who shared his light and his soul with her, Tara looked as if she could finally breathe for the first time since Shelly had met her all those years ago in the park.
Elias leaned over and pressed his lips to Tara’s temple. She leaned into his touch. Shelly understood what she saw in her BFFF’s eyes. Comfort and relief. She recognized it because she felt it when Ra touched her. She was so thankful to Elias for giving that to her friend who’d become a sister over the years.
“I’m sorry, Carol,” Tara whispered. “I’m sorry I worried you for all those years when you did nothing but provide for me and love me.”
Carol walked over to her and lifted her wrinkled hand to Tara’s face. She caressed it gently like a mother would a daughter. “Tsk. You have nothing to apologize for, sweet child. You have been a joy to me. Has there been pain? Yes, but we cannot know joy without heartache. We cannot rejoice in triumph, like this, if we had not first experienced loss.”
Tears began to fall down Tara’s cheeks. “I love you, Carol. So very much.”
Shelly felt her chest tighten as she swallowed down her own tears. Carol and Tara needed this moment. They needed to say the things that had never been said before because she knew that Tara hadn’t been able to say them in the past.
Carol’s smile widened as her own tears fell, and she wrapped Tara in a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry I never told you that,” Tara said, her voice hoarse with emotion.
“You didn’t have to,” Carol said. “I knew. Even at the hardest of times, you showed me through the respect you’ve had for me.”
They stood like that for several minutes, and then Carol released Tara and took a deep breath. She turned to Ra and, after wiping her cheeks of the tears, asked, “I’m going to take a gander on you and say you aren’t normal either, am I right?”
Ra’s blank expression didn’t change as he answered. “I am human, but like the others of my group, I am also more.”
Carol’s eyebrows shot up as she looked first at Shelly and then at Tara. “More? You two?”
Tara sighed. “We should probably sit down for this.”
Shelly started to sit down but paused as she watched Ra walk over and, to her surprise, kneel down on one knee and bow his head. “It is an honor to meet the parents of my bonded.”
Shelly’s eyes widened, and her stomach dropped to her toes. Okay, so much for subtlety. She heard Elias chuckle behind them and had the strongest urge to throw something at him.
“It’s, uh, nice to meet you,” her mom responded. The statement sounded like a question, as if she wasn’t really sure if meeting Ra was in fact nice at all.
“Yes,” her dad added. “We are glad to make your acquaintance. I think.”
Ra stayed there a moment longer and then stood and walked back to the spot he’d claimed.
Elias was next, but he didn’t move from behind the spot Tara had claimed on the couch. “It is very nice to meet you both,” he said, and Shelly could hear the sincerity in his voice.
Shelly’s parents both nodded at him then turned their attention, albeit somewhat hesitantly, back to Shelly.
“I don’t want to sound rude,” her mom said, “but what the hell is going