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 Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2026 7:30 pm
Talia closed her eyes for a moment, and then made her way to her feet, stretching and popping a few joints in her back. She was getting old.
What a waste.
“One day, Julian…I just hope you realize that you don’t ever have to apologize to me for not having your words perfect, or thank me for loving you.”
Gently, she placed a hand on his shoulder for a moment and gave a small smile. She couldn't think of anything else to say. It seemed cheap.
“Come on, Maxim. You want to go for a walk?”
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Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2026 7:30 pm
Julian kept his head down but he nodded. He stayed still while her hand was on him, and he was so tense that she probably felt how wound up he was through the thick fabric of his sweater. The touch didn’t seem to rile him up; sometimes he was prone to jumpiness, or startled easily, but for now he seemed grounded enough that he wasn’t jostled.
With his eyes on the ground he missed the smile on her face, but he heard it in her voice.
He wished he knew what more to say. His gut told him to grovel. To plea. To apologize, to beg. He wanted to so badly that the words collected like a ball in his throat, choking him.
Even breathing was hard–and why? For what?
Talia didn’t even seem mad. She wasn’t disappointed. She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t planning to kick him out.
Probably.
His stomach flipped again, and he almost rested a hand across his middle to try and soothe it. Might have, if his arms didn’t suddenly feel locked in place.
Nothing dangerous is happening. Nothing bad is happening.
But his body hadn’t gotten the memo yet. He forced another, more firm nod.
Maxim lingered, looking between the two, but it was starting to get late and it would rain soon. If he was going to get a walk, it needed to be soon, and he’d been with Julian all day–so maybe it was time to check on Talia, too.
He pranced a bit in place, but the smell of dinner was heavy on the air. He didn’t want to miss that, either.
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