You can find the other parts of the story in my profile! (I'm too lazy to link to them all right now... maybe I'll do it later.)
Weeks later.
When Leyon entered and removed Kenno’s bonds one morning, Kenno stayed silent instead of greeting Leyon as had become their routine. He wanted to stay seated, but reluctantly he stood up so he could move around. It would be stupid to pass up that chance.
“What’s wrong?” Leyon asked.
Of course he’d noticed. Kenno’s instinct was to say Nothing. But he remembered all the questions that Leyon had answered and all the times he’d been willing to talk.
“Something I can’t tell you,” he said instead.
Leyon nodded in understanding. But Kenno wanted to say more. He carefully thought through what he could say without revealing too much.
“It’s the day of birth of…someone I love,” he said. And I haven’t seen them in weeks. And I might never see them again.
“I’m sure they’re thinking of you,” Leyon said quietly.
“I should be there,” Kenno responded.
“There are so many things,” Leyon said, “that should be.”
And Kenno got the sense that Leyon understood, even if he didn’t have the words to say. Though nothing was more solved than it was before, it was good to know that someone was there.
“Last week,” Leyon said, “it was four years ago that she died.”
“I’m sorry,” Kenno said. “I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t want you to know,” Leyon said in explanation.
Kenno turned his head to look at Leyon. “But you do now?” he asked.
Leyon gave a slight shrug in response.
