The life upon her yellow hair but not within her eyes--
The life still there, upon her hair--the death upon her eyes.
Nova let her hand linger a moment longer before withdrawing it.
The far off future was immaterial when the problem was very much happening
now. She was at a complete loss. Of course she would rather see her niece in Reuben's care, she believed he was the better parent as well as the better person and she firmly believed that this opinion was based on more than just her own bias, but even so she was still biased to an extent. As much as she might want to see her brother remain with his daughter, she wouldn't have to suffer the consequences of that decision. It wasn't easy to feel sympathy, or even empathy, for Melody when Nova would
expect to lose everything if she betrayed Gaius. If she'd been bewitched into disgracing herself then she'd find it bitterly unfair and unjust, but she wouldn't blame Gaius for casting her out if he felt that was what was necessary. Melody was too selfish to accept the sacrifice, or even to choose it for herself, if not she wouldn't have let Reuben marry her in the first place and the entire calamity would've been avoided.
But why should her brother be the one to suffer when his sole mistake had been catching the particular attention of Melody Finch? Why should he pay for that mistake at every opportunity for the rest of his life when she consistently drew the upper hand in every situation? How was it fair that her brother's honor and decency was always the source of his misery? What sort of life could he lead from here on out? Could he ever experience pure, untainted happiness and contentment when the price was divorce and the ruination of a life, no matter how deserving? If someone could only make Melody see sense, take the burden of responsibility from Reuben's shoulders...
She certainly couldn't, could she? It wasn't her place, it wasn't her place at all... Or was it? Was it not her duty as his sister to protect him? It had always been the other way around; brothers protected their sisters, one rarely heard instances of the reverse, but surely that was only because they seldom required it? Not that she thought Melody would listen to her for an instant. If she could somehow persuade Melody to make the selfless decision she could see it working out but the alternative... The alternative was further complicating an already complex and delicate situation. If she were to offer to speak to Melody herself she had no doubt in her mind he'd be dead set against the notion, so how could she justify doing so if she believed he'd disapprove? Was her motive of protecting him noble enough to exonerate her of the betrayal of trust? He'd dueled Elmer Macmillan against her wishes to protect her and even though he hadn't known of her fondness for him he must surely have known that she'd disapprove no matter the opponent because his life was more precious than her honor.
The idea was moot anyway, it hinged entirely upon her having the courage to do such a thing in the first place. She could tell herself she was respecting his wishes but at the end of the day she was a coward. Oh she might feel indignant and protective of him
now, but she'd inevitably lose her nerve once he left the room, if not sooner.
I think... Whatever your decision you must consider it for a couple days at least. If you plan to leave or- or to pursue a divorce, you must not waver in your resolve. If you have any regrets I fear the burden will be very great, perhaps too great.
Outfit | Tag: Reuben Crouch | Notes:
