"Sister," Romani said, holding a bucket in her hand. It probably contained grasshoppers. For some reason she'd started to recently collect them. "Why have you been sad lately? Romani has noticed."
Cremia shook her head. "Look, you don't need to be worrying about this. Why don't you go bother Grog about the chickens?"
Romani didn't. She put the bucket on the ground and put her hands on her hips. "No. Romani says no."
"Look, you don't need to be hearing about this. Maybe in a few years, but not now."
"You're sad. You don't deserve to be sad."
Cremia sighed. She pointed to some nearby rocks. "Go sit down and we'll discuss it."
Her sister did so, and Cremia composed herself. A slight headache was forming, but she had to say this. Besides, she'd heard Romani speaking with her little friend about her feelings for Anju. Cremia would have been angry, but it was obvious that she had noticed. Never had Cremia been known for being able to hide her feelings. It was one reason the farm had nearly been stolen, because she had showed her grief. But she had fought back, and she'd showed her anger. The farm was hers now that her father was gone, and it would remain hers.
Cremia walked over and sat next to Romani. "Tell me that you aren't in love with anybody. Tell me that you and that kid in green are just friends."
Romani nodded. "Romani and Grasshopper are just friends."
Ignoring that, she was used to Romani's behavior by then (and it didn't cause any harm, so there was no used stopping it), she spoke again. "Love is awful, Romani."
Romani frowned. "But sister loves Romani."
Flashbacks of that night, that night so many weeks ago when everyone was sure that they would die, came back through Cremia's head. She had drugged her sister just so when the moon fell she wouldn't be in pain. Even though she'd had her reasons, that was still despicable.
"Yes, yes I do. But love in all forms, as good as it feels, can have its downsides." She sighed. "You know that I love Anju."
Rather than denying it, her sister nodded.
"But Anju loves Kafei. In fact, she's married to him now. And I have to deal with that."
Romani frowned.
Cremia wrapped an arm around her. "And as much as it hurts me, it won't hurt forever. Someday it won't bother me. Even though it bothers me now, I keep moving forward knowing it'll feel better."
Romani didn't reply, still frowning.
"And I've noticed another girl," she said.
Romani smiled again. "Who is it, sister?"
Cremia smiled. "That's a secret of my own."