Dar slowly exhaled and curled her fingers around Kerry’s wrist, which was resting on the desk’s surface. “No, what he did, what Kyle did, that was ruthless. What you did was justice.”
“Maybe,” Kerry murmured.
“I know you care about your family, Kerry, and this wasn’t an easy thing for you to do.” Dar gave her a sympathetic look. “In a way, we’ve both lost our families.”
A slow, almost puzzled smile crossed Kerry’s face. “But there are two kinds of families, Dar. The ones you’re born into, and the ones you make yourself.” She looked up and met the blue eyes regarding her. “And our friendship binds us closer than blood ever could.” Memory chimed, clear and piercing as a bell.
Dar smiled acknowledgment, holding up one hand, palm outstretched, and watching Kerry’s fingers curl into hers. “You are my family,” she agreed, then reached into her shirt pocket. “By the way, thought you might want this back.” She turned Kerry’s palm over and set a golden circle into it. “It’s an interesting piece.”
Kerry took the ring up between her forefinger and thumb and peered at it. “I always felt there was something behind it, some story, you know?” She turned it over. “Probably just an overactive imagination on my part. Though when my great-aunt gave it to me, it was kind of strange. She hadn’t seen me since I was a… Jesus, probably three, four years old. I went to visit her after I got out of college, and when she saw me, she had me stand in the light and just looked at me for about ten minutes—not saying anything. Then she laughed and got this out and gave it to me.”
“That is kind of strange,” Dar agreed. “What kind of person was she, did she do a particular thing, or…”
“Hmm? Oh, she was a writer.” Kerry sighed. “Poetry and these lyric, old-fashioned stories about the past, and knights, and things like that.” A shake of her head. “The family mostly thought she was a little crazy. I liked reading her stuff, though. She even had a story about Paladins.” Her eyes twinkled 462 Melissa Good teasingly at Dar. Who rolled her eyes and chuckled a little.
Kerry was silent for a moment, then she looked up. “What your father did was kind of scary, wasn’t it?”
Dar nodded soberly. “Yes, it was.”
“Yeah.” Kerry chewed her lip. “Is that…I mean, what he did, is that really what you wanted to do?” She looked up and searched Dar’s face.
A sigh. “I thought I did. Yes, for a long time.”
“What about now?”
Dar remained silent, considering the question. “I think you hit a point where you…I mean, when I was sixteen or so, and taking those tests, I was hot for it. It seemed like the most exciting, the most incredible life I could imagine.
I wanted it, really bad.” A pause. “But now, I look back and think…Jesus, was I nuts? “ Dar sighed. “I’m glad, in a lot of ways, it worked out differently.”
“Me, too.” Kerry twined their fingers and looked up into her eyes. “For one thing, we probably would have never met, and for another, I think that kind of thing puts a very heavy toll on your conscience. I can’t imagine that.”
“No, I’m glad I don’t have to bear that burden,” Dar acknowledged softly. “Life’s hard enough, I’m glad I didn’t take that path after all.”
The green eyes gazing at her took on extra depth as Kerry stood, putting a hand against her cheek tenderly. “So am I, tiger.”
Dar felt a warm fist of emotion squeeze against her heart. “Tiger?” she murmured. “Haven’t been called that in a long time.” She laced her fingers around the back of Kerry’s neck and gazed at her, blinking a little as a faint haze seemed to obscure her vision for just a moment. “Brings back a lot of memories.”
“Does it?” Kerry whispered, feeling a tremor run through her knees as their bodies drew closer and joined, and their lips met. An emotion half joy and half relief coursed through her as they paused, and she leaned back, meeting eyes both newly met and well known.
“Welcome home.” Dar’s voice burred the words, low and sweet, as they joined again in the warm light of a tropical winter’s day.
The End