Rachel wiped away the tears and looked down at the forest floor. She saw Leah Clearwater again.
"Am I interrupting?" Leah asked.
Rachel shook her head, wiped away some more tears. "I'm just up here... communing with nature."
"The trees or the sky?" Leah asked.
"Um, I guess the trees. I had hoped this tree would always talk to me, like Grandmother Willow from Pocahontas. But it's just a tree." Rachel tried to restrain herself from babbling.
"Would you like some company?" Leah asked. She shifted her weight nervously.
Rachel burst into tears, she didn't know what to say. She tried wiping away the tears but they just kept coming, suddenly she was folded into an embrace. She didn't resist it. The wound was still raw, rawer than she wanted to admit. She wept into Leah's arms.
Leah wasn't sure how to comfort someone, certainly not another girl, certainly not her imprint. It felt right to pull her into her arms and to stroke her hair. She could feel her shirt growing wet, but she didn't mind.
"I'm so sorry Leah, we just met and here I am getting snot and tears all over you." Rachel sniffed loudly.
"Well it's not my first encounter with snot, but I have to say I've never comforted anyone in a tree before." Leah said.
Rachel snorted and Leah smiled.
Leah wasn't used to this side of her, she was tough, had something to prove, no emotions shown. This was something different, she needed to be there and be something else for Rachel. She could sense that deep within herself, even if this was all unfamiliar. She never thought she would imprint, it seemed impossible, just like her shapeshifting had been at first. Yet, here she was, trying to be something for her imprint. Nervous, nauseous, yet excited at the prospect of discovering what life could be like.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" Leah asked.
Rachel nodded, "I'd like to go anywhere but home."
Leah frowned, "is there something wrong?"
"It's just... very overwhelming to be at home. It's been over a decade since Mom died and I still walked in and hoped she'd be there in the kitchen." Rachel paused tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Come on, we can walk to the diner and get some milkshakes or something. Something to cheer you up." Leah rubbed her arm, smiling hopefully at Rachel.
"Do they have pie?" Rachel asked.
"Hmmm, there should be a pie slice or two for you." Leah said, "and a milkshake for me."
Rachel wiped away her tears again, "okay let's go."