An Unprecedented Incident

Ercilia has gone still, taken aback by Meir's declaration. 

Her fingers reach for the hair clip and dance over the sunflower's slanted edges, glazing over its mirrored surface. It's a wonder how something this simple can make her feel so special. 

  A sign of acceptance. A welcome gift. A pact. 

"Please, don't leave again…" the boy went on, taking the woman's hands into his own.

"With all my heart, I wish you'll stay."

Ercilia feels him intertwine his fingers together with hers. In them, she recognizes her own desires – a familiar, shared ache to hold on to this rare love, one that envelops but does not smother. It's the same quiet desperation in her grip as she remembers her own hands against Ruxandra's earlier that day. 

A hushed tiptoe around the fragile question, 'Will you hate me if I ask you to stay?' The fog parts in Ercilia's mind.