REUNION
The pillars of the Justicar temple stretched above me and toward the sky, as if they were arms attempting to reach the stars. As a child, I used to believe they actually did reach the sky. Even nowadays, if I were to lose myself in their magnificence, that childish illusion could at times become real once again. Today, though, my spirit was soaring so high, that not even the tallest point in the temple could reach it. Today, the many decades of sacrifice and effort I had to endure finally reached their culminating point. Today, I became a Justicar.
As I came close to the last pillars in the grand hallway of the temple, a figure emerged from behind one of them—my mother. Her gait was a procession of precisely measured steps, full of purpose and grace. The expression in her face was—as every time we were outside—stoic and dignified. This was the appearance of an exemplary Asari, someone the people could look up to for guidance and counsel. It was the mask she wore in this society of ours, which held appearances in high regard. However, once she was close, I was able to see past the facade.
She placed her hands on my shoulders and held them there, regarding me with her piercing gaze and down her nose. I could feel the barely contained need for contact in the trembling grasp of her hands, and where others would only be able to see the imperious elegance of her face, my eyes were focused on her eyes. To me, the sparkle of unshed tears spoke volumes more than her entire body. It spoke of the joy she felt and of how much she had missed me—just as I had missed her. Sometime in the past I had seen a similar expression in her eyes. She was also proud of me, she was happy to have me back. Alas, it would have been improper etiquette to make a public display of affection in the temple grounds, so we did not. When I joined the Justicar order, I was supposed to sever all ties to my previous life, hugging my mother was supposed to be beyond me now. If only they knew.
In any case, years before we decided that I was to join the Justicar order, my mother taught me how to correctly behave in a social context, as a proper Asari should. And so, I too reached with outstretched arms and placed my hands on her shoulders, perhaps holding onto them with far more strength than was necessary. A friendly embrace was not nearly enough greeting after being separated for about two centuries, but it would have to suffice until we were home, free of the behavioral shackles imposed by our society. I could barely wait to abandon this farce and have a proper reunion with my family.
The faintest smile graced my mother's lips before she finally spoke to me. "Words cannot begin to express how proud I currently feel, Mirala…"