An Awkward Meeting

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 17th July 2008

Characters: Fog, Eliste, Marilea
Description: Fog and Eliste run into Fog's ex-wife, Marilea.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 11, day 11 of Turn 4

She held on tightly to the bundle she was carrying; the babe was quieted by the steady rhythm of her mother's footsteps. The woman stumbled for a moment and hesitated when she saw the man walking towards her, she hadn't realised the Sungazer was at the waypoint, but it must be, otherwise she was seeing things.

Fog's eyes had barely left Eliste as they walked along. He couldn't get enough of her when they were together - that she really wanted to be with him - forever and always. He kissed her softly on her forehead, his arm tightening briefly on her shoulder. He lifted his gaze for a moment to make sure of where they were walking and came to a sudden stop.

Fog's stopping caused Eliste to look up in startlement. She followed his gaze and it rested upon a woman who's face seemed familiar, but she honestly couldn't place where she had seen it before. She looked back to Fog, noticing his expression and she asked softly where only he could hear, "What's wrong?"

"Ummm...It's Marilea." his voice was barely a whisper. Tahna had said her mother was leaving the Port, but didn't say she was moving back to the waypoint. Though it made sense with her family living in a small outlying cothold.

With a deep breath, Marilea started walking again, her curiosity aroused by the woman who walked by Fog's side.

Fog had remained still and so Eliste, too, remained still. Her gaze fell across the woman, Fog's former wife, watching her as she drew closer. She was pretty, Eliste thought, but beauty certainly wasn't everything. She knew so little about this woman, only that she had left Fog because he had changed after his accident. Eliste still couldn't understand why. Maybe he wasn't as quick as other men, but he was kind, gentle, and loving.

"Follen." Marilea bowed her head, it had been more than a turn since she had seen her husband. He had agreed to dissolve their union, and she and Purton had married hastily once they knew the babe was on its way. The move to her family home had been an inconvenient necessity, but one they had adapted to. "I...I didn't realise the Sungazer was at dock." she said quietly, pulling the babies shawl further over her face, while surreptitiously glancing at the other woman's swollen belly. **Near her time.** she thought to herself.

"Marilea." Fog voice reflected his distaste at the meeting. "You've had the babe I see." he said, stating the obvious but searching for something, anything to say.

"Yes, she's... she's three months now." her eyes finally travelled the length of the other woman's body, and she finally met her eyes. Marilea held out her hand in welcome, "I'm - Marilea." she said, waiting for Fog to make the introductions.

Eliste hesitated, but then slowly accepted the other woman's hand. She decided not to correct the woman about the Sungazer being in dock. In truth, it had left two days prior. "Hello." She said softly, then pulled back once she was released. "I'm Eliste." She added when she realised she hadn't given the woman her name.

"Oh - shards!" Fog shook himself, "Sorry, I should have introduced you, you've just surprised me, Mare..." he said, "Marilea, this is Eliste, my...my intended." he finished, bestowing a loving smile on Eliste as he did. He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze as well, sensing she was just as nervous as he was right now.

"I... I see." Marilea said, "Um... when are you due?" she asked, not letting Fog off so lightly, it looked as if he hadn't wasted time since the decree had come through.

"In three sevendays." It had been because she was so close to her due date that the healer had taken her off of restrictions completely. She could walk as much as she like, though she hadn't told the healer that she hadn't been completely taking his advice when the boat was docked and she had been visiting with friends.

"H...how old you is your baby?" The young woman asked after a moment in an attempt to make polite conversation.

"Three months. And a few days." she shrugged. "The girls didn't tell me you had met someone, Follen." Marilea said looking Fog full in the eyes finally. "Last time I saw them...er, Tahna." she corrected herself. She hadn't wanted to see Linli, she didn't know the child well enough to declare herself Linli's mother, and doubted Linli would consider her such.

"I hadn't..." he said quickly, not thinking of how it would seem.

"You..." she looked from one to the other, "You didn't know each other when I saw Tahna?" she asked again, not sure she had heard him correctly.

"No, we only met a few months ago." his arm tightened around Eliste's shoulder, "But we're to be married very soon."

"So the baby..." she began, a small smile turning her lips.

Eliste wasn't sure how to answer this. She didn't want Marilea to think ill of Fog, but at the same time, the situation was...delicate. She lowered her gaze, hands resting upon her belly as if to protect the child within from cynical thoughts. She shifted, not certain what to make of the woman, but knowing that to leave her husband and children, especially when she had been married to such a wonderful man, was a horrendous thought in her mind.

"Is due soon, and we're hoping it'll be healthy - just as your little one is." Fog finished, "Look, we're running late..." he searched for an excuse, but none came immediately to mine, "... so we'll have to say good bye. We may see you around, if you're here for long." he hoped desperately that that wouldn't be the case, but suspected differently. "It was.... well, we'd better go."

"Oh, okay." Marilea tried hard to keep the smile from her face, Fog's discomfort an antidote to the rejection she felt at his quick turn-around from their divorce. "Er, nice meeting you Eliste." she said, but there was something about her voice that didn't quite register with her words.

Eliste nodded politely, but wasn't about to return the false proclamation of 'nice'. It wasn't really nice. The more Eliste thought about what Marilea had done to Fog, the angrier she got. Her face didn't show it, however. Such feelings were rare for her, but she was able to keep herself under control. It was, however, something that gave her courage to lift her gaze, to meet the woman's and hold it dead on. It sharpened that gaze and for an instant, something flared within the depths, sharpening the crystal of her eyes. She moved slightly, her presence drawing closer to him as if to support him in some manner. She didn't say another word to the woman, but turned her gaze away from her and walked with Fog.

Last updated on the July 21st 2008

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An Awkward Meeting