Awethology Light
Page 77
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Later that night, as the sorceress was getting ready for bed, she heard Max murmuring to himself again in the kitchen. She entered the room with a familiar nervous feeling in her stomach. “Max? Are you okay?”
He looked up at her, no red in his eyes, calm as ever. “Yeah, sorry... I was just thinking aloud.”
“Do you want to talk? It might help.” She sat on the edge of the table and watched him.
He was tentative at first, moving slowly over to the table and contemplating the offer before taking a seat. “Life’s not fair, is it?” he asked quietly, as though he already knew the answer.
The sorceress smiled solemnly and shook her head. “When I was very young, I was raised to believe that there is woe in the world for a reason. While we may not know what that reason is, it helps us appreciate the good things in our lives.”
“That’s stupid,” he replied stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.
Her smile grew and she laughed softly. “I thought the same thing,” she told him, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair. He looked sleepy for a moment, blinked, and looked up at her innocently.
“I mean, I guess it makes sense... You can’t have one thing without the other. All opposites are that way. It’s one of the rules of the world, right? But it’s still... Oh, what is it? I can’t think of the word.”
The sorceress collected her thoughts and played them back to him. “Painful? Ridiculous? Obscure?”
Max laughed, his voice sounding much older than usual. “Something like that,” he replied.
“Well, regardless of what word you use to describe life, I’m glad you’re part of mine.” She smiled, genuine and full.
“You’re so nice, my lady,” he said, sounding like a child all over again. “I’m happy to be a part of your life, too.”