A/N: Sorry it's been a while and that this is such a micro chapter! Thank you for all the encouragement. :)
Bo stared into the steaming mug. The coffee caused a buzzing in her body. It was uncomfortable to have the drink's momentum, but nowhere to direct the energy. Idle conversation felt near impossible with everything that was a stake. She wondered how long they could stay at the cabin and if it was safe for her to go on a walk. It was probably not safe to go outside, she figured as she unconsciously tapped her thumb on the table.
When she noticed her tapping, Bo stopped and looked up. The ranger was staring at her. Bo saw a something new in Tamsin's eyes. She had witnessed Tamsin as she spoke of the loss of her family. She also saw the fierce emotion behind the ranger's words when she spoke of protecting Acacia. This look was different.
With certainty, Bo knew it was for her. The cord that bound them since their first moments together now finally carried the current of Tamsin's real emotions. She held the ranger's lovingly mournful stare even though it swelled her own eyes and pinched at her chest. Bo knew it would not last. She watched the practiced blankness pass over Tamsin's features. As it slowly took Tamsin away, Bo turned to the window. Let the doug fir trees see her tears instead. They stood green and tall in a warm, pink glow. Bo could tell by the light, the sun was old in the sky and would be setting soon. She must have slept through a whole day. Bo wiped her cheeks, took a deep breath and allowed the question to come that she was truly afraid of. The real question. It wasn't about the Binding or the Council.
What will she do now that Tamsin loves her back but won't have her?