SouL PurPosE

Epilogue

"Are you sure about this?" I asked with growing concern. I'd never believed I was nervous about heights, but here I was dangling from a rope off the side of a mountain with Obi-Wan further than an arm's length away. I was beginning to doubt my good sense!

"This is the only way," he hollered over to me. "I promise, I won't let you fall!"

I had no choice but to believe him. Ever since coming back with him to reside on Stewjon, Obi-Wan had done everything he could to protect me. At first, I questioned his choice of hiding location. Wouldn't someone know where he originally came from and look for him here?

But then he revealed the reason – something I hadn't noticed during my initial visit. The entrance into the village, which I assumed was merely hidden from sight, could actually be bolted shut. The door which blocked the entrance to the town was disguised to look just like the rocky surface of the mountain and was nearly impossible to distinguish from the actual surrounding stone.

After I learned about it, I felt much more secure, although I came to realize the location wasn't what actually made me feel safe; it was being with Obi-Wan that did.

"Just the flowers," he reminded me as I lowered myself to the next niche where a bouquet of sillium grew. Over the years, the planet's declining temperatures had limited the growing season for the precious herb. Stewjon botanists had discovered, however, that the southern side of the mountain provided a more temperate climate, and they had strived to create a more suitable environment by placing soil into notches drilled into the stone.

Obi-Wan had invited me to participate in the harvest of the sillium. At first, I had been excited, but now I was just plain nervous.

Keeping one hand on the rope, after checking its attachment to the belt around my waist for the twentieth time, I reached out to pluck the tender orange flowers, only to discover they were moving further away from me - as if I were being drawn along an invisible string. I turned my head to find Obi-Wan's hand reaching for me.

We'd been together a little over six months, but already I'd learned to read a variety of his expressions. This particular grin meant he was in a rather flirty and mischievous mood – which happened to be one of my favorites.

Once I was close enough to him, he reached out and grabbed hold of my hand to draw me in for a kiss.

"Are you happy?" he asked while wrapping his free arm around my waist; a question he'd posed several times in the past.

"Ecstatic," I informed him before kissing him again and yet again.

Even though we were both dangling hundreds of meters above the ground, I'd never felt safer or more secure.

"How about you?" I asked in return. There were so many troubling thoughts that could plague us if we allowed them; so much that could bring us despair. We had decided long ago to avoid obsessing about things beyond our control and focus on what we could manage.

"Oh, well you know. Things are tolerable."

I realized he was teasing, but I wasn't about to miss the opportunity of punishing him for it and I poked him in the ribs. His resulting laughter and struggle caused us to begin to sway from the end of the ropes almost as if we were dancing.

"Since things are so bad, maybe there's something I can do to cheer you up," I told him with a suggestive wag of my brows.

"I'm listening," he said, his focus upon my lips, desire evident in his gray eyes.

"Remember that family we spoke of? When do you think you'll be ready to start working on that?"

Gradually, his gaze lifted and his eyes widened dramatically. "Are you serious?"

My answer was caught up in the excitement of his response. All I could manage was a nod of my head before he captured my lips again and then held onto me tightly.

This place. This feeling. This moment. This was my happiness. This was my purpose.

/End

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