Jaina was in her own little world as she headed back to her room. She tried to pull her mind back to the present but was too late and collided into a woman heading in the opposite direction.
They both fell to the floor with a thump. "I'm so sorry," the woman began. At the sound of a voice she hadn't heard in a while her head snapped up. "Aurra?!" she yelled in shock. Aurra looked up in confusion and it dissipated into a grin when she saw the young woman she had babysat on occasion. "Jaina!" Aurra exclaimed in happiness. "It's been much too long." She got up from the floor and extended a hand to her. They shared a brief hug and Jaina said, "Would you like to come over to my room? Maybe we can have some catch-up time." Aurra grinned and nodded. When they got to Jaina's row a couple minutes later Jaina threw her cloak down in disgust. She turned around and opened her mouth to say something when she noticed the way Aurra was looking at her. "What?" she asked knowing exactly why Aurra was staring at her. Aurra snapped her mouth shut at Jaina's words and asked, "Where were you that you were dressed up?" Even though she had known why Aurra was staring at her she couldn't stop the blush that came to her face. "On a date," she evaded. Aurra put a hand on her hip and gave Jaina the look that she had been a recipient of many times when she had been baby-sat by Aurra. "With who?" Aurra asked with the tone of her voice insinuating that she knew Jaina knew that she had wanted the whole answer. "Jag," Jaina mumbled covering her face with her hands wishing she could hold the blush back that was covering her entire face. She heard Aurra's footsteps as she walked closer to her and then felt her hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about why you're back so early from it," Aurra asked lightly. "And don't even try to tell me the date was earlier in the night because I know it wasn't." "Well I," Jaina began. She stared at the wall for a little bit as she collected her thoughts. [i]Aurra was like your best friend when you were little, you told her everything. Let's do it again.[/i] After her pep-talk she began again. "I." [i]You can do it[/i], she told herself. "I love him and I'm scared to death. I mean this is all kinda new to me. I mean yeah I was with Zekk but I never felt like this with him. I'm afraid of what might happen, I'm afraid that he doesn't feel the same way, I'm afraid. well I'm afraid of everything now." She knew she was babbling, but she didn't care, Aurra was like her best friend and she could help her with anything. Suddenly Jaina felt really silly; she realized that she was crying and her hands were shaking terribly. She looked to Aurra helplessly and Aurra took her in her arms. "It's okay, hunny," Aurra whispered soothingly into Jaina's hair as she rocked her back in forth. "We're all afraid when we first start out." "Really?" Jaina murmured. [i]I feel ridicules![/i] she thought as she wiped her eyes. [i]Good thing the Vong don't see me when I'm not being the tough Goddess that I am.[/i] she then thought distractedly. She then started to giggle. "I feel like I'm a little girl again Aur," she said turning in the embrace Aurra still held her in. Aurra grinned and let her go. "That's what I'm here for," she replied joining in Jaina's laughter. "Just tell him the truth; maybe not right away but after a few more dates and you're completely sure, tell him; you won't regret it." "Thanks!" Jaina said embracing her tightly. They then steped to a normal distance apart and noticing this Jaina laughed, Aurra grinned back knowing what she was amused with. "Is there anything I can help you with? You seemed a little distracted earlier when we ran into each other." Aurra seemed to become more serious at this and squinted her eyes in thought. [i]She always does that when she's thinking[/i], Jaina thought off- handedly. "I had been with," she said pausing again as she thought. "Well I might as well just tell you, being a hypocrite isn't any good. I met Kyp Durron today, actually [i]met[/i] him, I mean I've seen him on many occasions and he obviously hasn't seen me because he's too full of himself but anyway, I talked to him and when he kissed me I felt. I felt. I can't describe how I felt, I just well. felt," she continued grinning. "And it was weird because he's the first man I've felt for since my late husband and it scared me; a lot." "Hmmm," Jaina mused aloud. [i]Kyp?![/i], Jaina thought happily. [i]He's finally moving on![/i] "Sounds like you and me are having the same problem." When Aurra opened her mouth to disagree Jaina winked at her. [i]Still the same old Aurra,[/i] Jaina thought wryly. Aurra closed her mouth and grinned. "Why do you always do that?" "Do what?" Jaina asked feigning innocence. "Try to make my problems the same as yours." Aurra stated obviously trying not to grin at Jaina's juvenile behavior. "Because when I was younger it made me feel special and now it makes me laugh, don't try to deny it, you loved it when I did that." Jaina said accusingly. Aurra opened her mouth to reply, and then shut it and just laughed. "Okay, so I thought it was cute when you tried to relate our troubles and our situations were completely different," she said after she was finished with that bout of laughter. "But now they aren't," Jaina said winking. She then turned serious again and said, "How have you been holding up?" Aurra tensed at this and closed her eyes. "As well as usual, but Kyp reminded me of Dik, which in turn reminded me of Adam and how much I wish my baby was still with me," she said covering her face as tears spilled forth. Jaina rushed forward and enveloped her friend in a tight hug. Instead of saying the things that everybody says when they're comforting someone she just acted like Aurra wasn't crying. "How long has it been?" she asked quietly trying not to upset her more. "5," Aurra whispered. "5 years." After saying that she seemed to cling even tighter to Jaina's grasp. Jaina felt tears coming to her eyes but she furiously held them back, she had no idea what Aurra went through so she couldn't understand how she felt. "I never told anyone this, Jay, but Dik and I were going to get a divorce." Jaina couldn't hide her astonishment. "A divorce? Doesn't that mean that you break off your marriage and divide up your stuff?" Jaina asked hoping she'd heard wrong. Aurra nodded against her shoulder and looked up at Jaina. "The only reason we were together as long as we were was because of our baby; we didn't want him to have to switch between parents but then it was getting so bad between Dik and me so we filed and it was going to be our last family dinner when I lost them," she said sniffling. "Dik was my first love, but then I found out that just because he was my first love shouldn't mean he'd be my last love. I wanted to see the world and he wanted me to stay at home while he worked, I just couldn't do it." Jaina nodded numbly in understanding. "Zekk was my first love. I realized the same thing, he was holding me down, I could be so much more without him. He's still in love with me though. He doesn't understand that we're not kids anymore, I want to be serious with someone and it just can't be him." Aurra stepped back and wiped her eyes composing herself again. "That's why you left early," Aurra stated with no sign in her voice that she'd been crying. "You feel guilty." "Guilty?" Jaina thought aloud. She searched her feelings and realized with slight discomfiture that she was guilty for taking on another relationship so soon after she had terminated her relationship with Zekk. "Thanks Aurra," she said smiling over into her friend's eyes. "It all makes sense now. And I think I could say the same for you." At Aurra's confused gaze she elaborated, "You feel guilty being with Kyp. You feel that it's wrong to be with someone else because you think you're cheating on your husband. Give it some time with Kyp and you won't feel guilty anymore, you'll lay their memories to rest and move on with your life." "Thanks Jay," Aurra said hugging Jaina firmly. They broke apart awkwardly and then their independent natures took over again. "I'll leave you to change," Aurra said flashing a smile. Jaina gave her the lopsided Solo grin and led her to the door. "I'll see you around," Jaina said winking. Aurra walked out the door and over her shoulder she waved not looking back. "Catch ya later, Goddess."