Welcome to Gaia! ::

He tried to imagine it, but Malory couldn't find losing everything as causing him nearly as much deep hurt and weariness as Jaina clearly felt. There was only one thing that grounded him as him, and that was his own body, it's appearance and sensations, the way it moved about the world. And so instead of his family he imagined what it might be like to lose a limb, to disfigure his face.

In the depths of his chest and the colder part of his mind, there came a certainty that such a weary sadness would not be his reaction. That Jaina was a lot kinder to the rest of the world than he would ever manage.

"But there's only one of you," he answered plaintively. "And I want you here, with me and looking forward to some summer plans. There's plenty of ways to forget, after all."

With a small grin, he wrapped his little finger around hers in a silent pinky swear.