and you, you knew the hand of the devil.
and you, you kept us awake with wolf’s teeth.

I stayed like that. Broken. Ankle deep in the salty waters that easily swept between us. His response to my wallowing cry couldn’t make me feel any better. If it had been irreplaceable, he wouldn’t have gone out and slept with her. If he knew how it would affect me, why is he still here? All of those who had done it to me before always left – but he stayed. Why? Perhaps to listen to the rest of my little rant? That wouldn’t have been good. And I could feel the salty air change as I spoke my last sentence. The air seemed to still, everything grew quiet. It was just him and I as he uttered the words I had just spoken. Tears still streaming down my face as he said “loved” as if he couldn’t believe it.

That makes two of us.

I was still trying to grasp the fact that he could go out and sleep with her if there was even a chance of us getting back together. And to not tell me he had done it until the possibility of her pregnancy also bothered me. I had confessed to him that I had been sleeping with Caleb. I didn’t wait until I was pregnant. And with that, I was both broken and also growing stronger. Sometimes everyone needs dark times in their lives to be able to enjoy the happiness. But at this point, all I had been suffering was darkness. I had enjoyed my times with Tembovu, but they were still shrouded in the darkness that was both of our infidelity.

He had grown quiet by now. I still couldn’t look at him. But I felt him move closer, if not for the water but the scent of blood that grew closer to me. His familiar warmth of his large mammoth body enveloping me in the heat as he reached with his muzzle to smooth away a tear from my face. I couldn’t move. My eyes just stared straight ahead as he continued. His lips gentle, like velvet. I began to wonder if this would be the last time I felt his touch. The thought killed me, but it was also comforting. Knowing that despite the things I had said, despite the things he – we – had done. He still appreciated me. I just didn’t know if I would ever be able to appreciate him as well. He stayed for moments before he spoke nearly breathlessly against my pelt. The feeling causing slight tremors to run down my back. Where it was usually a pleasant trickle, now held more of a surprised almost anxious tone to it. He told me he was sorry, called me his princess again. And when he turned to leave all I could do was look at him, watch him leave and utter a raspy, wavering reply. “Goodbye Tembovu.”

"Talk?"