“Indeed, I have,” Sara responded playfully. “By all means, continue—but only if you let me have a good look at you while you do so.”
“N-Nooo!”
Chloe shouted, Sara giggled, and Othello meowed at their feet, as if to ask why the petting had stopped.
“Sorry, sorry!” Chloe quickly resumed petting Othello, drawing a warm smile from Sara.
Drifting into memories once more, Chloe reflected on how this very kitten had been the catalyst for her bond with Sara and Millia. She remembered the day she found him, a scared stray, perched high in a tree, and how rescuing him had not only given him a loving home but a most fitting name. It had all happened only a few months ago, yet she reminisced fondly—even the bit where her impromptu tree climbing had earned her the unfortunate nickname “Miss Monkey Lady.”
As she continued to pet Othello, Chloe noticed something. “Is it just me, or has Othello grown again since the last time I saw him?” she mused aloud, her strokes long and gentle.
“It’s not just you,” Sara replied. “Othello’s appetite knows no bounds. He’s grown so much, I don’t think he even qualifies as a kitten anymore.”
Chloe’s face lit up. “I knew it! I’ll miss the tiny Othello, but I won’t complain about having more of him to pet!”
Her eyes softened as she imagined the contented and pampered life Othello now enjoyed with Sara and her family. She couldn’t help but feel happiness by proxy for that once fragile kitten, trembling and alone in that tree.
Sara’s voice suddenly fell into hushed tones. “Chloe, are you all right?”
Chloe looked up, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
“I heard about what happened from Freddy.”
Chloe’s hand stilled mid stroke. The realization dawned on her. Sara was Freddy’s wife, and Freddy was Lloyd’s superior and commanding officer, not to mention present at the scene. It only made sense that Sara would’ve heard.
Abruptly, Othello stood and sauntered over to Millia, almost as if he sensed the oncoming undertones of adult conversation and chose his moment to exit.
“Othello, you’re playing with me now?” Millia squealed. “How fickle you are! Come, come!”
As Millia and Othello wandered off to engage in their playful antics nearby, Chloe rose to her feet, turning to Sara with a grateful yet somber expression. “Thank you so much for your concern, Sara. There was a bit of an incident, but I’m all right now.”
Sara breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s great to hear, Chloe. Truly.”
“Please pass on my thanks to Freddy as well. I owe him a great deal.”
“Oh, please, my husband was merely present. It was Lloyd who saved the day, wasn’t it?”
Chloe hesitated, her mind suddenly awash with vivid images of Lloyd. “Yes, he certainly did...” Her voice trailed off as she recalled Lloyd’s defiant figure, standing resolute against Lily’s eight guards. She battled with guilt for putting Lloyd in harm’s way once again, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny the compelling allure in witnessing his prowess in full display. The ace of the First Order moved in a league of his own; the elegance, the precision of his swordplay and his movements had been almost poetic—not to mention...
I’m her fiancé, Lloyd had uttered in a voice so low, so dangerous.
“Chloe? Are you feeling okay? You look like you’re burning up...”
Chloe gasped. She fervently shook her head, trying to clear the image of Lloyd from her mind. “I-I-I-I’m fine! It’s nothing!”
After a few deep breaths, her pulse steadied, returning to its normal rhythm. That was just a bluff, Chloe, she reminded herself. Something Lloyd said to handle the situation. But even as she rationalized, those words clung to her, echoing in her mind. Who could really fault her for holding on to them, especially when they had openly shared their feelings not long after? A small, hopeful flame flickered within her at the thought that perhaps, one day, Lloyd’s words might transcend their convenient artifice.
But no, no! This is not the time for such thoughts! she admonished herself, giving her head another shake to dispel the daydream.
Sara observed her with a mix of concern and curiosity. Eventually, she let out a gentle sigh and reached for Chloe’s hands, taking hold of them reassuringly. “Never mind that. What matters most is that you’re safe.” Sara’s grip was firm, grounding, as if to reassure herself of Chloe’s presence. “When I heard the news, my heart sank. You’ve become such a dear friend to me, Chloe. The thought of anything bad happening to you was more than I could bear.”
Chloe’s eyes softened, touched by Sara’s words. “I’m sorry for worrying you,” she murmured.
Sara shook her head, her smile warm. “Don’t apologize. I’m just glad we got to talk like this again.”
A surge of warmth blossomed in Chloe’s heart. In her lonelier days back in Shadaf, she could never have imagined such a day would come—a day where she would not only have a friend, but a friend who cared so deeply about her well-being.
Thank goodness, she thought, a wave of gratitude washing over her. Thank goodness that I wasn’t taken back to Shadaf...that I’m still here, in the capital, with friends like Sara.
“Apropos of nothing,” Sara began, her eyes twinkling with a glint of something else entirely, “I hear you and Lloyd are an item now.”
Chloe should have seen that one coming, but alas, she hadn’t. “I gather you heard that from Freddy as well...” she said sheepishly.
Sara leaned in closer, her voice brimming with excitement. “So? Tell me everything. How is it going? How is he?”
Chloe fidgeted, a bit overwhelmed. “Well, not much has changed, really. We’ve already been living together, so things are pretty much the same.”
Sara’s mouth dropped open in playful shock. “What? But you’re a couple now! Isn’t there a little more intimacy? Cuddling, hugging, spooning, nothing of that sort?” she said, sticking an index finger out in explanation.