Page 33 of Violet Moon
With another hug, Jo excused themselves and Sera was left with these wonderful and horrible raw emotions welling up inside her as memories flooded her mind.She glanced at the tea growing cold beside her and the back door, willing Parisa to walk through it.
More than anything, that was who she wanted to talk to.That was who she wanted to be with.Maybe she would talk about her feelings, maybe she wouldn't, but her messy life would feel so much more manageable with Parisa here.
Sera waited until the sun rose and she lost the fight against sleep, slumping against the sofa as she closed her eyes.
Sera woke to the sounds of her packmates cooking.She sat up, hair pointing at odd angles, and glanced in their direction.“What time is it?”she asked, voice thick with sleep.
“Just before dinner,” Lock replied, dumping vegetable trimmings in their compost container.“I don’t know how you did it, but you managed to sleep through our noise all day.”
“Dinner?”She looked around the room, processing.“The bakery!”
“It’s fine.We helped cover at the bakery and Wil took care of things in the office.”
Sera stood too quickly and she felt lightheaded.“I’m so sorry.I should have been there.I don’t know what happened.”
“You must have been exhausted.It’s fine.We all cover for each other sometimes.”
“Parisa.”Sera said under her breath, glancing at her door.She turned towards Lock.“Thank you for everything.I mean it.I’ll do better.I promise.”
“And I promise it’s fine.”He laughed softly.“Don’t worry about it.”
She nodded and hurried towards Parisa’s office.She flung the door open to find Parisa sitting at her desk talking on the phone.She held up a finger to ask Sera to wait a moment.
Sera froze with her hand on the door.
The moment Parisa ended her call, Sera burst.“Where have you been?It’s been days!And last night I waited for you and you never came home.”
“Clearly I did because I’m sitting right here.”It was Parisa’s attempt at a joke.It fell flat.The tension in the air didn’t allow for any levity.
Sera stepped in and shut the door.“So you’re just going to pretend like nothing happened?Like you didn’t disappear?”
Parisa leaned back in her chair, eyes trained on Sera.“I’m going to resume my daily life and put my own mess behind me.”
“What mess?What’s wrong?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Pari, if you need help —”
“I don’t.”
“Then what’s going on?Please don’t leave me in the dark.I’m your Beta, but I’m also your friend.”
“Of course you are.”Parisa shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath.“What is happening with me is something I’d rather handle myself.I’m not cutting you out intentionally.I just need to do this my way.”
“But if it gets to be too much to handle, you know I’m here, right?”
“I know that,azizam.”
Sera slumped against the door and savored the sight of Parisa in her office where she was supposed to be.“I missed you.”
Parisa’s smile was saturated with warm affection, despite the heaviness in her eyes.“I missed you, too.”
Sera walked into the greenhouse determined to find the perfect flowers for Parisa.Something was still wrong, but at least she’d been home, even if Parisa was a ghost of her usual self.
The violets didn’t seem like enough.The daisies weren’t right for what Parisa needed.Her roses had never quite taken off like she’d hoped, but they were still sprouting a few blooms in buttery yellows, crisp whites, and blushing pinks.
The greenhouse door cracked open and Sera turned to see Emmaline waving at her.
