Dear Lin,
I hope you and Aunt Toph are doing well. I am writing because –
Tenzin ran his pen furiously over the paper before tearing a hole and finally crumpling it. Spirits, it's just a simple letter! How hard can it be to write one? It has been five months since they parted ways, and he thought writing a letter would be easy. Tossing the crumpled piece of paper aside, he opened his drawer to retrieve a fresh sheet. He didn't notice his mother enter the room.
"Is everything alright?"
"Mom!" Tenzin almost fell off his chair.
Katara chuckled. "You look like you've seen a ghost," she joked, stooping to pick up the clutter. "I noticed you were absent from meditation today. Pema has been looking for you – are you sure you're feeling okay?"
Tenzin nodded. "I'm just busy writing letters."
"You haven't written much, from what I see through this mess," she deadpanned. "I'm your mother, Tenzin. I know when something's bothering you."
"It's Lin." He sat on the floor, right beside his mother. With a deep breath, he began – "I'm worried about her, Mom. I learned that Aunt Toph had to take her to Gaoling because she wasn't feeling well – that was five months ago, and have we heard anything from any of them? That's right, we haven't!"
Katara sighed, thinking that what she has been worrying over for the past few months was true – Tenzin wasn't over Lin yet. "Perhaps they want to keep matters private."
"There are no secrets between us! She can't just go somewhere without telling me anyth -"
"You forget, son, that Lin and you –"
Tenzin forced out a laugh that ended up sounding halfway between a snort and a sob. "Right. What was I even thinking? You know what, Mom? I – I think I am not quite over Lin – over us – quite yet. We grew up together, Mother – and ever since that day, during the Spirit Lights Festival when I was seventeen, I thought we would get married someday and raise a family like you and Dad did. It broke my heart to find out we weren't seeing each other eye to eye anymore."
She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Son, priorities change – it happens to everyone. Perhaps Lin has found out what she really wanted. Sometimes you need to realize that people you have known forever won't always see things the way you do."
"What am I supposed to do Mother?"
"Keep the wonderful memories and move on," she replied, making him smile. "I believe there is a girl willing to help you do so."
"Sorry to interrupt," Aang said, running into the room. "But a telegram just arrived."
Katara looked at him anxiously. "What is it, sweetie?"
"It's from Lin -"
Tenzin felt his muscles tense.
"- Toph's mom just passed away."
Toph went about the funeral preparations swiftly and efficiently, which Lin found marvelous. Suyin, meanwhile, locked herself up in her room – Lin could sometimes hear her wailing. Grandma Beifong (she has never learned to call Poppy any other name) passed away quietly in her sleep the night before, and although Toph Beifong wept a little, she was soon up and about, barking orders here and there.
Honestly, she doesn't know what to feel. Unlike Suyin who grew up doted upon by both grandparents, she only met her grandparents a few times during her childhood. The stigma of their daughter's single motherhood and her distasteful job made sure of that. Her earliest memories of her grandparents included awkward dinners, with her mother inevitably getting into an argument with either Lao or Poppy (or both); Lao or Poppy (or both) walking out the room, fuming; and Lin confused and crying. Lin grew up hating those visits – she thought her grandparents were downright nasty for hurting her mother; it also didn't help when they tried to take Lin away to live with them in Gaoling.
Toph was head of the Beifong family now, and although she was very adept at matters of business and other such trifles, she left all the reading to Lin, because she "could comprehend the jargon well" and because she "had a way with words". Lin asked the servants to dispatch telegrams all over the Earth Kingdom – to close family friends, business partners, and cadet branches of the Beifong family – as well as to the Fire Lord (whom she always called Uncle Zuko) and to the Avatar and his family.
"I wonder if your father has read the telegram yet," she whispered. Lately, she has developed this habit of talking to the babies in her womb. It soothed her, especially now that the pregnancy is beginning to take its toll. A few months ago she could easily do her usual earthbending forms, but now that she was six months into the pregnancy, the best she could manage is to flick rocks here and there – she was getting more and more exhausted even by the slightest exertions.
"A telegram, Mistress Lin," a servant announced.
Lin turned off the radio, which was now playing a rather floozy ballad about a girl lamenting her lost love, and motioned for the servant to hand her the telegram. "Thank you."
Will come soon as we can. Will stay a night there. We have Oogi.
Aang.
"Seems to me like we'll be having guests," she began. "I want you to prepare two rooms, one for Uncle Aang and his wife, and another for their son. Make sure to give them the rooms with the widest windows. I want fresh sheets on the beds and the rooms all tidied up before nightfall today."
"Any other requests?" the servant asked.
"Well – Uncle Aang and his son are vegetarians. Prepare food accordingly. Oh, and they'll be bringing an animal as well."
"Animal, milady?"
"A sky bison."
"S-sky bison?"
She snapped the radio on again – thankfully it was playing a different song – "Yes! Sky bison – you know, huge, hairy flying creature? Ugh. Just make sure the stables are clean and stocked with lots of hay and water. Let's deal with it when Oogi's here."
"Of course," the servant walked out of the room, scratching his head, no doubt wondering where to get hay for the huge flying beast.
She turned the volume up.
And I will wait for your return my love,
With open arms and a happy heart;
Until then my darling dear
I send you all my love.
"Why, this song's even worse than 'Secret Tunnel'!" Lin cried.
