Renata
Her heart stopped racing and started sinking when Tahoma didn't answer right away. She naively hoped he would say only a couple of months or even a year at most. "Tahoma?" She repeated, unable to stand the suspense any longer.
He swallowed and placed a kiss on her temple. "Priya, it's been a little over fifteen years for them."
It took her a while to register the number itself. The air froze in her throat, matching the cold yet hot waves washing through her from head to toe. "Fifteen years?" The answer tasted rotten on her tongue. Wrong. "We were only gone two days, if that." But it made sense, perfect sense. When she'd lingered longer than a moment, when she lingered for only a minute or two more, she was gone for months. Of course days means far too many years.
"I'm so sorry." She didn't understand why he was apologizing. "You've endured so much already, for all of us, the last thing you deserve is this kind of news."
The back of her eyes and throat burned with devastation. "It's not your fault." She sniffled. "None of this is your fault."
"Or yours," he added.
She looked down at her chest to see she was dressed in fresh clothes. She could still feel the echo of pain from her heart being ripped out, though it was more memory than actual pain. Tahoma pressed a palm over the spot, and she wished she could take his guilt away. "How did you know it would work?"
She cringed, not wanting to admit the truth. "I just did...and didn't. My mind was a mess."
Tahoma nodded along. "I could tell I was losing you. It's like you were turning into a completely different person. This hollow shell filled with one single purpose."
She wasn't in the mood to discuss that traumatic moment just yet, at least not any further. She reached up to clasp some of his locks between her fingers. "Humanity doesn't look so bad on you, you know."
He smiled, pretending to be self conscious. "I hope your attraction for me hasn't lessened just because I'm not a sexy vampire anymore."
Renata appreciated that he could always keep pace with her. "Of course not. Don't worry." She leaned in so their lips nearly touched. It was eclectic as their eyes flitted between contact and studying the rest of each other's faces. "The attraction is still very much there, supernatural or not." They kissed, savoring each other once more, as though it was impossible for them to get their fill of this passion but would relish in trying.
She reluctantly pulled back, satisfied when she saw his lips were just a tad bit swollen. She imagined she didn't look much different. "Where are we? Where are Rocio and Diamond?"
He sighed, though it was a lighter sound. "We're actually in their home. They settled into a town nearby the bunker. I only saw a little on our way in, but it's really nice here. Definitely not like how we remember," His eyes turned distant for the shortest moment. "I'm still a bit shocked myself that it's been so long."
The reminder sent her mind back into chaos. "I want to see them."
Tahoma pulled away from their embrace but kept his hand on her. "I should warn you, they aren't the same people. I mean, they're not strangers, but..."
Renata did the math. "Fifteen years? That's a lifetime."
He placed another kiss on her temple. "It's going to be okay. At least they're alive."
"Right," she whispered, still not quite digesting it all.
"Should I go get them, or would you prefer we meet them downstairs?" He rose out of the bed. She took a second to admire his dark blue jeans and tight back t-shirt. She considered getting in a quickie before they did anything else, and from the way his mouth curled in response to her silence, her thoughts were clearly not so secret.
Soon. His eyes promised.
She would hold him to it. "No," she twisted so she sat on the edge of the bed. "I need to stretch my legs." It was easier than she anticipated when she pushed herself up into a stance. "Is this the bathroom?" She pointed at the white door closest to her.
"No, that's the closet. Here's the bathroom." He gestured toward the correct door.
She squeezed his bicep as she passed him. When she shut the door behind her, his muffled voice called out, "I'll just be outside. Take your time."
The bathroom was mostly white with silver accents. Extremely clean though not cold. It was a simple tub/shower combo along with a sink and a toilet. She emptied her bladder and enjoyed the warm water as she washed her hands. She studied her own face. She didn't look awful. Her brown skin was a little pastier than usual. There were light bags beneath her big brown eyes. Her poor hair was pulled into a knotted mess on the top of her head.
That just won't do.
She searched and searched until she found a half decent brush. First, she bent over to put her head in the sink to soak her hair. There was no way she was going to detangle her hair when it was dry. Once it was fairly drenched, she used her fingers to tackle the tangles. She gritted her teeth as she got through a few really painful ones. She moved on to using the brush, starting and the ends and making her way up.
She wished she had other products to get her hair under control, but this would have to do. Thankfully, she found a couple ponytails. With a middle part, she pulled her hair tight at the nape of her neck. She braided the rest and tied it off at the end.
She washed her face with water and rinsed out her mouth.
Much better.
She adjusted her white cotton shirt and grey cotton shorts and finally exited the bathroom.
Tahoma waited on the other end of the bedroom door. He turned, rewarding her hard work with his lovely smile. He feigned ignorance. "Something's different? Hmm...I just can't put my finger on it."
She rolled her eyes. "Shut up."
He threw his free hand up. "Are you ready?"
She sighed. "I guessâwait, where is Keone?"
The stairs descending downward were actually right in front of the bedroom, so they headed down in the next instant. "He's still asleep in one of the other guest bedrooms, healing," Tahoma answered.
Satisfied, Renata decided to study all she could in the meantime.
This was certainly a rustic style home. Plenty of exposed wood and the beams in the ceiling. Browns. Yellows. Oranges. Reds. Lived in furniture. Comfy quilts. Long windows. Plenty of daylight filtered in. She studied the walls, and to her shock, there were pictures of Rocio and Diamond. Sometimes alone. Most of them were together, looking completely and utterly in love. There was one in particular that caught her eye, and she thought it was a trick, but their aged faces were still so very beautiful.
They passed a spacious front room and sitting room, eventually reaching the kitchen.
And there they were.
Renata and Tahoma stood at the edge of the space, just being there in silence. The two women were cooking. Well, Diamond was cooking.
Diamond.
Her blue hair was long forgotten, replaced by a gorgeous jet black bob. Though when the sunlight hit her strands, the smallest silver streaks ran throughout her head.
Rocio.
Her sister donned the same set of crisply twisted locs. Renata assumed she'd just gotten them retouched. Her eyes were dark brown and still as lively as ever.
They looked so comfortable together. As easy as breathing. Their stretching smiles and bright eyes said so many unspoken things about their relationship and how they felt about each other.
Renata had no idea how to feel. First and foremost, she was relieved to see they were both alive and well. While she was in the land of death, she was terrified by the idea that either of them had been taken out by the shadows unbeknownst to her.
Yet Renata had only just learned of their relations only days ago.
For them, it's been over a decade and a half.
A lifetime.
Coping with that seemed impossible at that moment.
Tahoma cleared his throat, making the pair come to attention, and also making Renata want to rip his head offâa momentary flash of anger she knew was out of line, but hey, no one was perfect.
Renata moved closer to Tahoma as both women rushed over, practically shouting her name and spouting out sayings along the lines of 'I'm glad you're alive', 'thank God', and 'I can't believe it'.
Realizing she was acting like a complete child by trying to hide behind Tahoma and reading the hurt on their faces when she didn't immediately match their energy, she removed herself and stepped toward them.
Rocio came forward first, taking Renata into her arms, sobbing unlike either of them had seen. Not even when their mothers died and the hardships that followed in foster care. "I can't believe you're here," she cried. "We tried to hold onto hope, but so many years have come and gone. I love you, Nata, I love you more thanâGod, I missed you so bad. I can't believe you're here."
They were both trembling as they pulled back to examine each other. "You've aged nicely," Renata finally said, "I knew you would."
Rocio shook her head, in more shock than Renata. "You're exactly as I remember." She touched her, as though still unbelieving that she was there in the first place. "It doesn't make sense."
"I know," Renata agreed. "I can't really make sense of it myselfâ"
"I'm sorry, honey, but I can't wait any longer," Diamond's voice rang out before Rocio was gently pushed out of the way.
They both were hesitant but succumbed to the pull of love between them. It was Diamond's turn to cry into her. Renata finally acknowledged her own mounting emotion and felt as tears spilled. She hugged her back and sighed, feeling some of the weight from all of the bitterness festering in her heart lighten, though not all of it. "We really thought you were gone forever," Diamond whispered, and it sounded like she was on the edge of falling into a complete emotional breakdown.
"Nope," Renata breathed, looking over to see Rocio watching them with joy and slight fear. "Still here."
"Here," Tahoma interjected. "Why don't we sit down?"
"Oh shit!" Rocio scurried away. "The sausage is burning!"
Renata's stomach grumbled once she inhaled the delicious scent of sausage, pancakes, and eggs. "Yeah, let's do that."
**********
Renata sat back with a full stomach and a full mind, semi regretting the former as her stomach suffered from a small bout of nausea.
Everyone remained in silence, allowing each other to sort through this new reality, not that it was possible in only a few quiet minutes.
Diamond had a look of awe in her face that Renata just couldn't stand for some reason. "You actually saved the world. You saved us all." Rocio nodded along.
"Seems like you were all doing just fine without me," she bit out back, unable to control herself. She even eyed their joined hands without meaning to. Their simple, silver rings of marriage shone in the morning light.
They immediately detached from one another, casting their eyes downward.
Renata felt wrong for eliciting such a response. "I'm sorry," and she meant it, "it's been over ten years for you, only two days for meâI'm sorry."
"No," Rocio shook her head, "we're sorry. We should have been more sensitive to your side of this, not shoving it in your face."
It didn't sit well with Renata having them feel like they were the villains in this situation. "And I should be more sensitive to yours. You've been married for over ten years." She laughed. "I mean, you've known my best friend now longer than I have. Wow." She sat back even further after that realization. "This is a lot."
Tahoma rubbed his palm across the back of her shoulders, grounding her. "Just breathe, it's going to be okay."
"What can we do?" Diamond begged.
"I can't be here," Renata breathed. "It's too soon."
"You want to leave?" Diamond sounded like she wanted to cry, which made her feel worse for feeling the way she did. "But we just got you back."
"I was only gone for two days!" Renata shouted, coming to a stand. Her chair fell behind her. "I faced off with the grim fucking reaper, took his place, had my heart ripped out only to wake up to find I missed over a decade of my sister's life and my best friend's life, who just so happened to live happily ever after together! Oh my god, I'm losing it." Embarrassed by her own outburst, she walked away, toward the backyard.
Thankfully, no one followed after.
She got to the backyard, blanketed by the warm summer air. The screen door slammed behind her. She looked around, not searching for anything in particular.
Her eyes landed on a small area. Needing to get her mind off what just happened, she closed the distance between her and the mysterious sculpture.
She was breathless as she realized it was a beautiful altar.
Una ofrenda.
It was crafted with utmost respect. A thick, study wooden table with at least three levels of shelves to hold framed pictures, real ones Renata wasn't sure how they could have obtainedâunless they embarked on a most perilous journey for them that she didn't dare think on much longer. There were old, melted candles. Some of the cream ones looked newer. There were shriveled petals and additional, fresher flowers. Intricately carved crosses with various names on them. Older, cruder versions next to them. Drawings, and she recognized the style as Diamond's.
Renata also recognized the names and faces, including her own.
She huddled under the dome-shaped roof hovering above the altar. Sturdy wooden beams supported it, keeping it floating.
She gasped for breath as she felt the love and grief exuding from this structure. She hunched over, bombarded by her own chaos of thoughts.
She cried and cried and cried, crying for herself, crying for Rocio and Diamond and Tahoma and Keone and Nirvi and Angel and everyone in the whole fucking world who suffered from her dance with Death.
Even now, she felt like a failure and prayed to whoever would listen that this feeling faded away sooner rather than later.
As she calmed down, she heard Tahoma's familiar steps join her. He mirrored her crouched position and without question, she leaned into him for support. "Can we go? I feel terrible, but I just want to go."
"Yes, we can go. They're seeing about an empty house a couple miles outside of town, not far from here. We can recuperate there."
She sniffled. "I feel terrible, but I justâI need time."
He gave her the softest, sweetest, most understanding smile. "Then, let's get that for you."