"So, are you still with Orielle?" Link asked as they approached the house neighboring Link's.
"No," Groose said in reply. "No, I'm not."
It was obvious Link was expecting the opposite answer.
"Oh," Link said, regretting bringing it up and not pressing any further.
"She could tell I was keeping secrets," Groose said anyway. "And to be fair, I was. At a certain point, us getting to know each other meant her learning about Impa, the Sheikah, the Triforce, everything that had happened that I just couldn't tell her. So, she told me she couldn't trust me if I couldn't trust her and that was that."
"I'm sorry," Link said.
Groose sighed.
"It's not your fault," the burly knight replied, them now at Karane and Pipit's door. "I suppose it was inevitable."
"If you could have told her," Link said. "Would you have?"
"Yeah," Groose said with sadness. "I would have. That and…other things…"
Link inhaled to repeat his apology as Groose reached for the doorknob, it apparent that he didn't want to discuss it any further. He watched Groose open the door to Karane and Pipit's house.
"You don't knock?" Link asked.
"They usually don't have the free hands to come to the door," Groose said casually, inviting himself in as they both stepped through the doorway.
"Karane?" Link heard Pipit call out from an entirely different room. "Is that you?"
"Not even close!" Groose yelled back.
"I'm surprised you're back so early, Groose," Pipit said as he used his shoulder to nudge through the half-open door. "You're usually at the temple for atlea…"
Pipit froze completely, Link taking a slow, shaky inhale at the tiny little boy in his arms.
The baby had fuzzy brown hair atop his head, the same shade as Pipit's, and blue eyes shaped like his mother Karane. His small head was drooped onto Pipit's shoulder, yet his blue eyes fixated on Link.
"Link," Pipit finally said.
He looked from Link to the child, then back to Link.
"I…I'm sorry," Pipit said, before placing his three month-old son in a nearby wooden crib. "If…if I knew you were coming I…"
Link cleared his throat.
"No, that's okay," Link said. "Don't…don't apologize."
Pipit walked forward eagerly, hugging Link. This one was more formal and more anticipated than Groose's, so Link knew to return it as it was happening.
"It's so good to have you back," Pipit remarked as he released. That sadness was in his eyes, too. They had all changed. "Have you seen Zelda yet? Don't tell me you came here first."
"She was sleeping so…"
The three month-old in the crib started to wail, interrupting Link and prompting Pipit to rush to hold him.
Link tried to help his jealousy as Pipit soothed his son.
"Sorry," Pipit said. "I've been trying to get Ol to sleep. Please, make yourself at home."
Link and Groose sat on the couches.
"O-Ol?" Link asked.
He didn't really feel like asking the question, but he felt it would break the ice nonetheless. The ice that chilled him with that jealousy, that Karane and Pipit had a child, a healthy birth, and Link and Zelda did not.
Link braced his hands on his thighs. He'd have to get past it eventually, these being dear friends. It's not like they did anything on purpose.
"Oliver," Pipit said. "His full name."
"That's cute," Link said with a small smile, the baby substantially calmed by now.
Pipit gave a sigh.
"Link, I really didn't mean to flaunt…"
Link shook his head, stopping Pipit.
"It's really fine," Link said in reply.
"Pipit!" Karane exclaimed as she entered the house, carrying a rather full bag of assorted food. "Can you help me with the groceries?"
"Sure," Pipit piped back, already halfway to her.
They looked at each other, one with a heavy bag and one with a baby.
"Trade?" She asked.
"Karane, you might not want to be holding Ol right now," Pipit said.
"Why not?" Karane asked before her glance shifted slightly to their company.
Karane dropped the bag immediately, all sorts of food splattering the floor as she noticed Link with wide eyes.
"That's why," Pipit said, looking at the mess.
"Oh goddesses!" She said, placing both hands on her mouth.
"Link!" She exclaimed before racing to him and hugging him where he sat on the couch. "What a miracle! We were so worried!"
Link chuckled as she released him, sitting right next to him in the couch.
"Did you go to Zelda?" She pressed, Karane waiting for an answer intently.
Groose had started to clean up the mess and salvage what was still edible while Pipit resigned himself to putting Oliver asleep in the bedroom.
"She was asleep," Link said. "I…I didn't want to wake her in case…I don't know."
"I told him he should have," they heard Groose add.
"No, I think you were right to let her sleep," Karane said. "Sometimes it's hard for her. But with you here, maybe she can finally start to heal."
"Can you tell me more about what happened? Before she wakes up?" Link asked.
Karane sighed, her eyes blinking into sadness.
"It was a hard time for all of us," Karane sighed. "We didn't know at all if or when you would wake up. Just that was enough to send us all into sadness, not to mention seeing Zelda keep up her hope for your return…it was hard to watch her disappointment, everyday."
Link's gaze went downward.
"The miscarriage wasn't too long after you fell asleep," Karane continued. "She was four months along when she started to feel a considerable amount of pain. Greba…the rest of us…we tried everything we could, but at a certain point it was inevitable. She was distraught, as anyone would be, not to mention it being quite the traumatic experience. We were all there to help her through it but…it broke my heart to hear her call out for you in her delirium. She was in so much pain, both physical and emotional…it was a long process for her to stop feeling both. Even now she still feels the latter greatly."
"So, the five months after…" Link prompted. "How has she been?"
"She was quick to deny the truth until she accepted it after a few days," Karane answered. "She was unresponsive the first month, but she got better, actually almost normal until recently."
"Recently?"
"She knows this is around the time she was due. She isn't unresponsive anymore, but she isn't herself. With her husband gone indefinitely and her child gone as well, she…she just…"
"Shut down," Link finished.
Karane nodded.
"Is she okay?" Link asked. "I mean…has she been eating? Taking care of herself?"
"I've made sure of that," Karane said with a great confidence. "She just doesn't have the motivation for a lot of things. Before I saw you I was worried she wouldn't get it back."
Link buried his face in his hands.
"This is all my fault," Link said. "I should have been here. I promised I would, no matter what."
"Link, you know better than anyone that if you had control over the situation, you would have been here. Zelda knows that too. She has waited for you with a great hope in her heart."
Link's hands fell to dangle off his knees, looking at nothing in front of him.
"What about Oliver?" Link asked without turning his head. "How did she feel when you gave birth two months after her miscarriage?"
Karane sighed.
"She said it didn't bother her, but I could tell it did. She's happy for us, but I don't think she can help being jealous. I don't blame her or you for feeling that way."
Link nodded, feeling Karane's supportive hand place itself on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" She asked. "Stepping into all this can't be easy."
Link's hands found each other, entangling his fingers.
"I'll be fine," he said. "I think I just need to see her, actually talk to her, you know."
"I think so too," Karane said, her hand sliding off his shoulder as he stood up to leave.
He took a couple steps before he turned his head to Karane.
"Can you come?" He asked. "Maybe tell her gently?"
Karane nodded with a smile.
"Of course."
Karane closed the door behind her, entering Zelda's room as she saw her blue eyes drift open in awakening.
"Hey," Karane said softly as she sat down on the bed. "Did you sleep well?"
Zelda nodded.
"How are you feeling?"
Zelda didn't sit up, eyes dull and sad.
She blinked a couple times before replying with,
"Fine."
More tears came to Link when he heard the despondency in her voice, him and Groose just outside the door.
"Groose, I…she…"
"Don't even start, Link," Groose said, knowing exactly that Link was about to voice his guilt for her sadness.
"I have something to tell you," Karane said. "But I want you to be calm when you hear it. Can you do that for me?"
Zelda nodded, sitting up against the back of the bed.
"Link is awake."
She closed her eyes with a sigh, tears starting to fall.
"Would you like to see him?" Karane asked.
Zelda shook her head 'no'.
"That's okay," Karane said softly.
"Does he know?" Zelda said, her voice a squeak as she cried.
Karane nodded.
"Yes, he knows."
A sniffle of her nose confirmed to Link that she was, indeed, crying. Link stepped forward to rush to her side without a thought. Yet, Groose placed his arm in front of Link to stop him, Link reminded of Zelda's wishes.
Link's tears started to fall quicker, bringing a hand to his mouth.
"Is there anything you would like me to tell him?" Karane asked gently.
Zelda sniffled her nose to try to compose herself, her voice coming out wobbly.
"No, I…" she said. "I can't."
Karane nodded, stealing a glance at the crack in the doorway Zelda paid no mind.
"If there was something he wanted to say to you," Karane started to ask. "Would you want to hear it?"
Zelda's eyes perked up for a second at the thought, before they lowered once again.
She shook her head 'no'.
"Okay," Karane said as she stood up. "I'll bring you over some dinner in a bit, and then maybe after we can go on our walk."
Zelda relented a small smile before nodding.
Karane returned the smile, taking Zelda's hand and squeezing it before she stood up to leave. Zelda sat in new-fangled thoughts as she hugged her knees close to her chest.
When Karane opened the door to Link and Groose, one was crying on the other's shoulder.
Karane was stunned for a moment, having never seen Link really cry before, at least not to this extent. She wagered it was everything coming out at once, all the emotions of the entire situation that had been built up and suppressed.
"Oh, Link," she said with a deep concern, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her and Groose shared a look of sadness for the poor man, clutching at Groose's tunic.
"Let's get him downstairs," Karane prompted. "He'll be more comfortable there."