ASHER
I kissed the top of her head.
"I know, my queen."
She stayed quiet after a while and just held on to me. Then after a few moments, she pulled back and wiped at her face quickly, looking embarrassed.
" Gosh, I've been crying a lot lately."
I looked down at her.
"You don't have to be embarrassed by your feelings."
She stared at me.
"You went through a lot in five years, Ariella. You were alone in the world with no one to help and pregnant with our boy. Then you came back and found out your father is gone and your mother is angry at you right now."
" You're trying to adjust to a whole new life and carry all of that at the same time. And that's a lot for one person." I brushed my thumb over her cheek. "So if you want to cry for the next week, the next month, or the next year, then cry to your heart's content."
She gave me a small smile.
"The next year?"
"The next ten years if needed."
She let out a tiny laugh through her tears.
"That sounds exhausting."
"I'll suffer through it."
She looked up at me for a few seconds. Really looked at me. Then her fingers slowly touched my face.
"You've been taking care of me a lot."
I frowned.
"That's my job."
"No," she said quietly, shaking her head. "No, Asher. You really have."
She looked down.
"And I know I haven't been easy...."
I immediately tilted her chin up.
"Don't do that."
She blinked.
"Don't apologise for hurting."
"I hate feeling like this..... And if it's so much for me, it must be even worse for you."
"Don't. You and I are for life for tears of joy or sadness."
She leaned forward and kissed me softly. Not desperately and not playfully. Just softly with gratitude and love. When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against mine.
"I think..." she whispered, "I still want to go today."
I sighed quietly. Of course, she did because Ariella had always been stubborn when she put her mind to doing something.
I looked down at her for a few seconds before nodding.
"Okay."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Okay?"

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