Page 41 of Wateredge

“Since when?”

“Since when what?” Seren squirmed under the direct glare.

“Since when do you come here in the evenings to see me? And don’t bother replying, the answer to this question is never. You stop by the Tavern. Or you grab ahold of me in town. Occasionally, you get me to stop by for coffee at your fancy place. But you never come here. And certainly not to see me.”

Seren decided not to touch the last part of the comment. She had been coming by a lot lately, surreptitiously. She thought she was being sneaky, dropping by just to catch a glimpse of Lark. So much for trying to fool her aunt.

“Since you started sending me lasagna after a long night at the firehouse?” Seren went for the jugular.

Victoria laughed, her eyes merry, her face relaxed.

“I see what I see, Rennie. And I know what I know. And you needed some help moving this whole mooning-over-each-other thing along. You know nothing gets past me, kiddo.”

Seren ducked her head, impressed her aunt did not avoid the conversation, and finally took a bite of the lasagna. Then she needed a whole other moment because there was a Goddess, and she was sitting opposite her in this kitchen.

“I don’t know how you do it. This is heaven,” she said between more bites.

“Heaven is in the fridge. Lark helped me bake a lemon and lime pie. There’s ice cream, too.” Victoria took a small bite herself, nodding once as she chewed.

“I don’t know why I don’t come here more often. This is not even the house that bastard Moreau lived and died in.” Seren watched her aunt’s eyes go wide and instantly regretted her words. Victoria’s life and choices were none of her business, and this was absolutely not what she came here to talk about.

“Did I ever tell you that I sold the old one to make sure wherever I lived didn’t smell like him?”

Victoria shrugged a thin shoulder and kept eating. Seren set her fork down.

“Why did you stay for as long as you did? He abused you, and you took care of him till the end.”

“Someone had to, Rennie. And penance is good for the soul.”

“Penance?” Seren recoiled. “For what? What could you have done that warranted you to be chained to some man who never cared for you?”

“Being a coward. Making poor choices. Let me count the many, many misdeeds.”

“Misdeeds? Victoria⁠—”

“I am not Rhiannon to flagellate myself for not making my spouse happy. That bullshit would have never flown with me. Had I loved him, I’d have perhaps left him sooner. And once he had the stroke, it was too late.”

Seren sat in silence for a long moment.

“I don’t get it…”

“There is nothing to get, Rennie. I should’ve had the guts to be with the one I cared for, at least. But I never loved him. He was the easy choice. The easy choice because he couldn’t hurt me, not where it really mattered. He knew it. I knew it. Your mother knew it. Everyone did. I thought he was the safer choice, and I was wrong. Anyway, leave it. Goddess, you’re like a dog with a bone. It’s done. He’s been dead for fifteen years. He couldn’t be more dead even if I’d have thrown him in that grave myself. I so rarely think of him, and yet this past half year, he’s been standing like a specter in this house so many times. It’s exhausting.”

“I should’ve been around more. Then.”

“Why? You were twenty.” Victoria took another bite of lasagna. “Did it seem like I couldn’t handle my life?”

“No, but⁠—”

“But nothing. The choices we make are the ones writing the pages of the life we then live. I had options. And I chose the wrong ones. I don’t know if there is a right choice for me anymore. I might have run out of time, my girl.”

Seren started at the words. She had so many questions. So many things still left to ask, even if she could see that Victoria had as good as closed the door to this particular subject.

“You have not had to make any of those yet, though, Rennie. It feels different watching those decisions leave your chest, live their own lives, and then come home to wreck you.” Victoria’s gaze was not gentle.

“What do you mean?” Seren felt her throat close.

“That there will come a time when you will have to make a choice. A hard one. Perhaps the hardest one any of your sisters ever had or will ever have to make.”