Chapter Thirty-Eight

Relena sat as confident as she could present herself, Lady Une to her right. The Senate Hall was fairly overbearing, all the Colonial senators seated in grand circles around the room. On the lowest level sat Merrick, Melody, the five representatives, and the cabinet members. She could see from her seat that they were all nervous in their own ways, but tried as hard as they could to show that they had nothing to do with the emergency calling of the council.

This was going to be an interesting meeting, of that she could be certain.

The President of the Senate, Wyatt Ashby, stood from his seat and cleared his throat. He was a man in his mid-40s, brown hair speckled with a silver sheen, his slightly overweight frame hugged with his navy blue suit and red tie. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have been brought together in this special appointment due to a rising concern in the Colonies. As you all are well aware, we are in the middle of a war with the Gundams and their own army."

He turned to the representatives, the cabinet, Merrick, and Melody, who all sat pensive. "But it has been brought to the attention of the Senate that the intentions behind this war are selfish and due to the desires of a single person, and that is of our current leader, Merrick Declan Wysor."

Melody ignored the urge to turn her head to look upon her father's expression. She kept her attention centered on Senator Ashby. His eyes turned to Merrick's, the elder senator's face downturned into a frown. "Merrick Declan Wysor, stand."

Merrick hesitated, but he did as he was told, pushing himself to his feet. "Senator Ashby, if I may defend myself, the Gundam pilots are wreaking havoc against the Colonists. My order to declare war against them was only for the best. I have nothing but the best of intentions for the Colonies."

"Mr. Wysor, I would appreciate if you didn't lie to the couple hundred people in this room about what your intentions are for the people of the Colonies," Senator Ashby replied, his voice firm. "We have evidence of what you have been doing with your power. The representatives of each colony cluster, as well as a high majority of the cabinet, have confessed to your threats on them and their families if they did not consent to quickly impeaching Lista Di Nevella as the secretary of defense and quickly installing you as leader of the Colonies. We have ample evidence of what you've done. The more you continue to produce excuses, the further into the hole you go."

The senator's voice grew in volume. "Your impeachment process has already begun, Mr. Wysor. Within two weeks' time, you will no longer be in control of the Colonies. And once that process has come to fruition, then your trial will be scheduled to determine the best punishment for everything you have done."

Merrick's eyes hardened as he looked down at his feet, saying nothing.

"In the meantime, to avoid any further chaos in the Colonies, your power will be limited until the impeachment process is complete," Senator Ashby continued. "We will be closely monitoring your every move. To be sure that everything continues without a hitch, Melody Wysor will be given emergency powers. And once your impeachment is complete, she will be given temporary full control until a new leader is properly elected into office."

Melody snapped her head, her eyes widening, as she listened to Senator Ashby's verdict. She was well aware of the new law that the second-in-command would take control if something were to happen to the leader, but somehow she thought this situation would turn out much different. She wasn't sure what to think of it, that the life of every colonist would very well be in the middle of her palm.

"Senator Ashby, if I could only explain my actions, then perhaps we could all see what a misunderstanding—"

"There is no misunderstanding," Senator Ashby interrupted. "And this is no place to defend yourself, Mr. Wysor. We have all studied the evidence, and there is nothing you could say or present to us to change our minds. We will do our jobs to protect the people of the Colonies, and if removing you from office will do so, then we will not hesitate. But we have no choice but to follow the laws forged by our forefathers. You will no longer have control over the armies of the Colonies. You will rescind your control immediately and spend the remainder of your term in your office. Any further military action on your part will merely give rise to your punishment later. Choose your future actions wisely. That is the only advice I can offer for everything you have done."

Merrick swallowed loudly and closed his eyes. "Very well."

Relena frowned. She couldn't believe the man was giving in so easily, that Senator Ashby's words did not spark such an anger in him. She knew Wyatt Ashby did not beat around the bush and that he was one of the most loyal men out there. He tolerated no terrorist threats against his people, no matter who committed them. To that, however, she could be thankful.

Relena's eyes fell on Melody, who continued to sit next to her father, her hands clutched together in her lap. Although she was no necessarily close, Relena could tell the younger girl was experiencing a flurry of emotions, all clashing together within her like storm clouds against a maddening wind. And just as the ocean in the middle of such a treacherous storm, Relena knew that now the tides would be changing.

Lying within Quatre's arms on the sofa, Lista watched the news intently. She knew it had been many months since being ousted from the cabinet, but she didn't like no longer being privy to the inner workings of the government.

"There really isn't much to report tonight, is there?" Quatre spoke up, his voice soft. "Perhaps we should call it a night."

Lista was prepared to agree with him, opting to lie in bed with him until sleep claimed them, but her cell phone went off on the side table. Quatre helped to push her up as she reached for it, wondering who it could be. She grabbed the vibrating phone in her palm. "It's Lady Une. I'll put her on speakerphone." Lista flipped the phone open and quickly pushed the speakerphone button before speaking. "Hello, Lady Une. How are things going?"

"Considering the circumstances, everything is going fairly well," Lady Une answered, her deep voice ringing around them. "And how are you, Lista? I gave Calia Vale clearance to visit you today for a checkup. Did that go well?"

"Well as can be expected," Lista replied with a nod. "She said I am doing well. The baby seems to be doing well, too, so we can't really have any complaints at the moment."

"Good. I am glad to know." There was silence in the room for a moment. "I thought I would call to inform you that Merrick has been made aware of his impeachment today."

Quatre and Lista exchanged worried glances with one another. "How did that go?" Quatre asked, making his presence known. "What was his reaction? I can't imagine it was a favorable one."

"Well, no. Not necessarily. He did try to defend himself, but Senator Ashby would hear none of it. His defense will have to be saved for his trial, which will take place sometime after his impeachment is complete. It's taking longer than expected since Merrick still has some supporters in the Senate, and some of them believe that someone has been producing lies and false evidence to remove him from power."

Lista scoffed. "Then they are fools. I always liked Wyatt Ashby. He doesn't take anything from anyone, and he is by far one of the most intelligent senators we have."

"Of that I can agree," Lady Une said, her smile hinted in her voice. "Also, it seems as if all military power has been absolved, so he shouldn't be able to summon the armies that have been commissioned for the Colonies."

"Well, that's certainly good news," Quatre said, elated. He grabbed Lista's hand. "Isn't that right, Lista?"

"Of course, but somehow I don't think that's going to stop him. Do you, Lady Une?" Lista asked, her expression marred with worry.

Lady Une's brown gaze fell. "No, I don't believe it will. There will surely be more battles for the Gundam pilots to contend with. But this is an unprecedented move for Merrick. He's going to need time to come up with a new plan, so I think they will have the opportunity for rest. It will give us the time we need to mold our own plans to counter him when he decides to attack. For right now, we will lie low. It is the best option. We don't wish to come out and look as if we are the instigators of this war."

"That is the best option, to be sure," Quatre agreed with a nod. "This will certainly work out to our favor."

"Yeah, until Merrick comes out and starts fighting again," Lista interrupted, incredulous. "Do you really believe this is going to stop his resolve? He wants us all dead. He wants chaos. He wants revenge for the death of his wife, and he is blaming us even though we had absolutely nothing to do with it. Melody's mother died of a disease, but he is holding humankind responsible for not having the right technology to save her. This is just a selfish ambition of his to sate his own guilt."

"Perhaps. That is not an excuse, though, for everything he has done. We will do what we must to protect the Colonists," Lady Une replied.

Lista frowned. "You need help. You shouldn't have to do this alone. It's been a miracle that you guys have managed this far without all of us together as a team. There's nothing I can do in my current state, but…Quatre can do something." She turned to her husband, staring at him with urgency. "You could go back to them. You could help them. They need your expertise on the battlefield. With your assistance, I'm sure we could outsmart him."

"I'm not leaving you unguarded," Quatre said with a shake of his head. "I came here to be with you for a reason. Our friends understood that my place was to be with you and our son."

"But I'm not unguarded," Lista reminded him. "I have Preventer agents watching the colony. You know that. I don't even leave the house, Quatre. Merrick doesn't know we're here. Put Sandrock to good use. With Zechs and Noin off protecting our families, it's just collecting dust in a hangar."

"You're not understanding, Lista," Quatre replied with a frown. "I…I can't trust you by yourself, not in the condition you're in. I won't leave you to rush off into another battle where you endanger not only your life, but the life of our son. I won't do it."

Lista's eyes widened, and she snapped back, pulling her hand out of his. "Is that what this is about? You're afraid I'm going to do something rash and try to join in a battle?" Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. "Duo was the one who was there protecting me and our son while you were with Melody! I owe everything to him!"

Quatre opened his mouth to rebuke but remembered that Lady Une was still listening in on the other line. He cleared his throat and turned back to the phone. "Forgive me, Lady Une. You shouldn't have to hear any of this."

There was a hesitation in the silence. "It's all right, Quatre. It's been a rather tumultuous time for all of us. But I will have to side with you for the moment. Stay with Lista and keep her safe. I'm sure your friends would prefer for you to be there with her. For right now, the situation does not call for your aid, and we know where you would rather be. In the meantime, stay low and let us handle everything."

"But, Lady Une!" Lista started. "You need our help!"

"Lista, you need to keep yourself focused on the protection of your son. Merrick does not care anything for you and that child. It would not stop him from harming you. The battlefield is not your place right now, nor is it Quatre's. We will not discuss it any further," Lady Une scolded. "I should go. Take care of yourselves. I will keep in touch and let you know of anything else important."

"Thank you, Lady Une. Be careful," Quatre said, his voice a meek whisper. He was already reaching over for the phone on the coffee table and shut it just as Lady Une bid them both a goodbye. As soon as the phone snapped shut, Lista shuffled to her feet and stomped from the room in an angry huff. Quatre sighed deeply and rested his face in his hands, wondering when things would go back to seeming like a fairytale instead of a painful reality.

Three days later, Lista sat at the piano, her fingers moving over the keys as she looked at the sheet music before her. It was a song she always seemed to have trouble with, but she dared not to ask Quatre for his assistance after the argument they had during their conversation with Lady Une. She had scarcely spoken to him since then. She couldn't help but be angry with him, a feeling she wasn't accustomed to. It unnerved her.

Slamming her fingers down onto the keys, producing a cacophony of clashing notes, she turned to the window, staring out into the dawn. It was such a beautiful day, much an opposite of the way things were going around them. Although Merrick was getting closer to his impeachment with every passing minute, Quatre didn't seem to see things in the same way she did, which was a shock in itself. They always understood one another, so why was it so different for them now?

Sighing in disgust, she lowered her head, closing her eyes in thought. So, he didn't want to leave her. But there had to be something they could do to help their friends that would leave them all satisfied in the end.

Coming to a swift and obvious resolution, she turned from the room and rushed for the kitchen, where she had left Quatre to clean up after a tense breakfast. Her husband was hovering over the sink, washing his hands after placing their dishes in the dishwasher.

He turned around to look at her, confused. "Lista? Is something the matter?"

"We should leave for Relena's right away!" she announced, a proud smile plastered on her face. "I'm still cleared for shuttle flight for a little while longer, so I can come with you and there would be no harm to the baby. You want me to be with you at all times, and I want you to join our friends in battle. I think this is a welcome solution. I would be protected enough at Relena's estate with all of you there with your Gundams, not to mention Preventer would be watching over carefully since Melody and Relena are there. And we'd have the element of surprise on our side. Merrick isn't going to expect you back on the battlefield. The advantage will be ours." Her heart was beating hard and fast, her breathing quickened as she finished her explanation.

Quatre lowered his head and sighed, shaking his head. "No. We're not leaving the colony."

Lista's smile melted away in an instant. "What? Why? Quatre, they need you! What's wrong with us going to their aid?"

"Do you think it would alleviate my fears if I put you even closer to a battleground?" he asked, lifting his head to stare at her with an intense teal gaze. "It doesn't matter to me whether you have a mobile suit at your disposal. You are unstable with your emotions, and I will not let them be the death of you. If I have to protect you from yourself, then so be it. Why are you so quick to run towards a battle?"

Lista clenched her hands into fists at her sides. "That's not what I'm doing! I wouldn't be the one fighting! You would! You don't have to worry about me rushing off into battle when all of you will be out there! Why can't you understand that I would feel better if you were out there helping our friends? They could use you! If I can't do something to help them, then at least you can! I don't want to sit by anymore and see them getting hurt because we can't do something for them!"

Quatre moved forward, grabbing her arms tight. "Listen to yourself, Lista. Are you really so insistent of putting you and our son in danger just to sate your desire of being needed? You will only be a hazard with your presence. I know that, and the others know that. That's why you're away from them. I know I wouldn't be focused knowing your life is in direct danger while trying to focus on a battle. You are not thinking clearly at all, and that's why I have to be here with you. If you won't see it yourself, then at least I do so I can stop you from making an foolish decision that could cost me your life as well as our son's!"

She stared at him, moving her head back as if he'd slapped her. His words were almost cold and frosty as a snowstorm, biting into her relentlessly. She jerked from his hold and spun around, starting from the room as tears began to break through her eyes.

Quatre sighed exasperatingly and knew that leaving their discussion on this note would only make matters worse. He moved for her, grabbing her wrist. "Lista, wait."

Her head snapped over her shoulder at him, showing off the beading tears trickling down her reddened cheeks. "You said what you wanted to, Quatre. This conversation is over," she said, her voice wavering as she fought back against her coming sobs. "I don't want to say something that I don't mean. I need to go."

"Don't walk away from this," Quatre urged. "This is something we need to discuss. We have to come to a peaceful consensus."

"No," Lista said, shaking her head. She tried to pull herself from his hold, but he wouldn't let her. "Let me go, Quatre. I don't want to talk anymore. Let me go. Please."

Quatre frowned. "Lista, are you really so quick to run away from me? You can't escape me. You're my wife. We're in this together. I won't let our marriage take this route. We're better than this. Do you really believe that our friends mean more to you than they do to me?"

"How can you even ask me that?" Lista snapped, spinning to look at him. "Of course I know they mean a lot to you! They're our friends! But I thought you would understand that you are needed more with them than here with me! Do you really want our son born in the middle of a war just so Merrick can show up and try to kill him?"

Quatre clenched his teeth, a spark of anger flickering to life in the pit of his stomach. "That will never happen. I won't allow it. You shouldn't even think about something like that."

"Well, I do! I worry constantly about our baby and about our friends!" she continued, her sobs intensifying. "Do you think I don't think about all the times I almost watched them die, almost watched you die, and knew there was nothing I could do about it? I wasn't about to let anything like that happen to Duo when I had already lost you to Melody! I didn't know then that I would even get you back. I felt like Duo was the only one I had left, so I went out after him. You would have done the same for me and for anyone else, no matter what!"

Quatre turned his head away from her. "I would have been more rational than you on the matter. You rushed out into battle when you weren't even needed, and if something worse would have happened, our son would have paid the consequences of your actions. Do you really feel so little for me and our baby that you would rush to your death when Trowa had the situation well under control before your interference?"

Lista recoiled, feeling her blood run cold. "What?"

Quatre shook his head. "No, you didn't know that, of course. Trowa told me he had Duo in range. He was prepared to fire on the mobile dolls. But then you got in the way, and he couldn't maneuver around your movements. They were too erratic," Quatre explained, his voice low. "You were too emotional. You didn't know anything that was going on around you; otherwise, you would have noticed that everything was well in hand. You and Duo ending up in the hospital, and Duo almost dying, was your fault. Your decision nearly cost the lives of three people, one of which was our child. If you would have sat back and allowed things to play out, everything would have been fine. But you couldn't see that. You weren't able to."

He watched her sniffling, his heart wrenching in pain at the sight of her. "When I found out you were pregnant, it should have been a happy occasion for me. But instead, I couldn't help but think why you would be so careless as to rush out into battle knowing you were carrying my son. You're stubborn, but you're not careless, not usually. I would have lost you and a child I had known nothing about. Don't you know how much pain that would have caused me? I wouldn't have wanted to continue living."

Lista shook her head, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "You know why I kept my pregnancy from you. I did it because of Merrick. And this wasn't something I could just tell you on the phone! It was too big, Quatre!"

Quatre raked his fingers through his bangs, feeling his frustration rising back to the surface once more. "We can move past this. This is no longer an issue. I stayed with Melody to protect you, and you didn't tell me you were pregnant because you didn't want that information to fall into Merrick's hands. I know that. My concern was your selfishness. You wanted to be needed, and so you rushed out to fight alongside Duo. I realize that you wanted to keep him safe. I know you love him, but you were being careless, and all I can think about was the possibility of our son dying and you not giving that any thought."

Lista yanked her wrist from his hand and moved away from him, putting more feet between them. "You don't know a thing about me if you really believe that. I did what I did to protect everything sacred in our lives. I knew nothing about Trowa. Had I really known, I wouldn't have rushed out there. I was desperate to keep Duo safe. I'm not so quick to throw away my life or the life of our son. I'm not that heartless."

"No, you're not heartless," Quatre agreed, shaking his head. When he looked up at her, it was with displeasure. "But you are still stubborn and arrogant, and it nearly cost us our son's life. Do you not feel an ounce of guilt for that?" Lista didn't answer him. She tore her gaze from him. "You're trying to act the martyr, Lista, and it's going to get you killed. You can't always act on your emotions."

Lista scoffed and folded her arms over her chest in a huff, snapping her hard eyes back in his direction. "Oh, really? What were you acting on when you built Wing Zero and blew up that colony?"

As soon as the cold words parted from her lips, her eyes widened and she snapped a palm over her mouth. She stared at him for a moment, watching his expression falter. His brows lifted, his hands unclenched at his sides, and he turned from the room, leaving nothing behind but the cold wind of his hurt gaze.

Lista fell back against the counter and succumbed to her cries, a hand still pressed against her mouth while the other balanced her trembling body against the counter, and all she could think about was what demon could possibly possess her to say such words.

Lista sat like a mindless drone in the nursery, rocking slowly in the chair in the corner. Her hands were folded in her lap as she stared into nothingness, pondering everything that happened hours earlier.

She snapped her eyes shut, fighting back against yet another round of cries. Quatre's words were sharp and hurtful, but they were true. She knew nothing about being a mother; otherwise, she would have never rushed out into battle. She knew that her son's life should have taken precedence over Duo's. Her emotions had taken off in a rage that could not be stopped.

That thought made her sick. She hunched over as much as her pregnant form could allow, gripping her hair between her fingers. Her worries branched off, and she suddenly wondered if she was even fit to bear this child. What if the baby cried and she couldn't get him to stop? What if she couldn't get him to fall asleep for her? What if something happened to him during the birth that turned out to be her fault?

Worse off, what if Quatre came to resent her for her poor skills as a mother? He already made his feelings clear on her choice to rush to Duo's aid. She let him down in the worst possible way, and yet, he was the last person on her mind when she made the choice to commandeer Sandrock and propel herself into the middle of blazing destruction, taking his son along with her.

What if she wouldn't be able to control her emotions in front of their son? What if she and Quatre fought on a regular basis because she couldn't stop herself from making irrational decisions? What would he think of her then? What would their son think? She couldn't bear to imagine of it.

Feeling very boxed in, she pushed herself from the rocking chair and burst from the room, seeking air. As soon as she rounded the corner, she bumped right into a rock-hard object, forcing the wind out of her lungs. She snapped her head up and found herself staring right up into the tired teal eyes of her husband, the same man she had ridiculed several hours earlier.

Wincing, she mumbled her apologies and started to move past him, but his hands came down on her arms. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice tinted with genuine concern. "Your face is pale."

"Nothing," she answered breathlessly, keeping her eyes away from his. "I…I just need to get away from the nursery. I need to learn how to be a mother before I go in there again."

A brow quirked on Quatre's face. "What? What makes you think you don't know how to be a mother?"

Lista couldn't help but scoff. "You said it yourself, Quatre. I almost killed him. I don't know what I'm doing now, so how will I know what to do when he's here? I thought when the time came, I would know exactly what to do, but all I feel is lost. I'm…I'm not at all ready for this. I can't do this, especially with a war going on. I can't do this." She was shaking her head, her voice breaking off as a sob threatened to shatter through.

Quatre's hands squeezed her arms. "Calm down. You're going to make yourself sick over this."

"I'm already sick over it!" Lista exclaimed, lifting her head to peer at him. "This isn't right! I can't be a mother right now when I don't even know how to make the right decisions for the people who mean the most to me!"

"Stop," he urged. His hands moved away from her arms, but a palm closed over hers, pulling her towards the kitchen. He led her inside and helped her onto one of the stools lining the island. He pulled out a glass and filled it up with water before presenting it before her. "Drink this and calm down." He sat down next to her as one of her hands shakily took the glass. She carefully sipped at it. Quatre watched the ripples in the water from the tremble in her hands. "Now, start at the beginning. Tell me why you're feeling like this."

Lista lowered the glass back onto the island. She took a deep breath, her eyes watching the water ripples fade off into calmness. "You know why," she whispered. "I don't know the first thing about being a mother. No matter how many books I read about it, it will never teach me what I really need to know. I don't want to fail you or our son."

"Lista, you grew up in a household with three younger sisters. You were always trying to do right by them, so really, you have had a taste of what it's like to be a mother," Quatre pointed out.

Lista shook her head. "No. I never acted like an older sibling to any of them. I was a child just like the rest of them. I knew my days were numbered. I knew my father was going to be throwing me into the military life, and then one day, there I was, training to be a soldier. And that's basically been my life. I was a child one day and an adult the next. I don't know why I had all of those things. I shouldn't have been. I didn't even want to be a soldier, and before I knew it, I was. I should have had more of an opportunity to be an older sibling. I should have had the opportunity to be more of a child, for that matter. But they were all taken away from me."

"It was taken away from all of us," Quatre reminded her. "We all adapted. We didn't have a choice if we wanted to live and do what we had to do."

Lista frowned. "Oh, I adapted, Quatre. I adapted so much that I almost killed my own father in a fit of rage when I found out he was a traitor. He spent so much time drilling military tactics into my head for the Alliance, and he turned around and joined OZ. That was my first indication that I should have never been a soldier. I had the skill for it, to be sure. I'll admit that, as arrogant as it may sound, but it was true. In a morbid way, battles grew on me. I liked being needed. I guess I will never shake that off."

She looked up at him, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "But I'm done with that. I want to be a normal woman. I never had the chance to be one. I'm tired of being a military target. I'm not a soldier anymore, and I don't want to go back to that life. I just want to be Lista Winner now. That's all."

Quatre sat silent for a moment, a little stunned at her words. He cleared his throat and reached for her hand, resting his palm over it. "Lista, are there other things bothering you? There's more, isn't there?"

Lista's face fell. "My mind never stops, Quatre. I worry constantly. I can't help it. I always acted on my emotions, and I know soldiers were never meant to do that. I was reprimanded constantly over it, but I didn't care. I was supposed to be some killing machine, and really, I think my father wanted to mold me as one. It's not different to use a mobile suit as a tool rather than standing in front of people with a gun and massacring them. I always knew there were people behind that armor. I hated it, and I know you hated it, too."

"Of course I did," Quatre agreed with a weak nod. "I have always supported pacifism, but I knew it was better to have me out there fighting for peace than any of my loved ones. I was willing to sacrifice myself for that cause. I thought it worthy. And so did you, which is why you kept doing it anyway, despite your obvious hate for it. And you did it to make your father happy and proud of you."

Lista mulled over his words before continuing. "When this is all over, I want to be a normal woman. I want a welcome change, something within the realm of my control rather than someone else's."

"What kind of change?" Quatre asked, leaning towards her in earnest. It was as if he could almost see his wife going through a transformation from within, and it was blossoming to the surface.

"I want to do my part to keep war from ever happening again," Lista confessed. "My military life is over. I want our son to be raised into a world of peace, something we never saw ourselves. And I want to do what I can to see that happen. So, if it's okay with you, after the baby is born, I would like to officially become a part of Preventer."

Quatre smiled for the first time since the beginning of the day. He reached for her, cupping her cheek in his palm. "Sweetheart, I think it's a wonderful idea. I will be supportive of you the whole way if it's something you really want to do with your life." He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss against the center of her forehead. "And as for being a parent, I don't know anything about it, either, but it's something that we will be learning together. You have nothing to be concerned over. Our son will be loved and well-protected by the both of us."

Lista tilted her head into his warm palm, closing her eyes and thankful that the air between them was no longer dark and cold. "Thank you, Quatre." She opened her eyes and looked at him for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Quatre, listen, about what I said before—"

"Just let it go, Lista," Quatre urged, shaking his head. "We don't need to discuss it right now."

"But, Quatre—"

"No. We'll talk about it some other time. But for right now, I just want to sit right here with you," he continued, his voice softening.

Lista opened her mouth to rebuke again, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was serious. So instead, they sat next to one another at the island, his palm still encasing her cheek, while his other hand gripped hers atop the counter, hoping this was a sign of better things to come.