He’s trying to comfort me while his guts are spilling out onto the beach. My heart hurts, even as my cootie purrs and purrs. A strange sense of calm washes over me, powered by shame. I’ve wailed and wept like La Llorona through this entire crisis, and T’chai’s falling apart in front of me…and his only thought is to comfort me? I need to do better. I shake my head and press my hands to his stomach, trying to staunch the bleeding. “It’s okay,” I whisper to my mate. “I’ve got you now.”
Mari finally steps up to be brave for T'chai
