"There isn't a single speck of dust on anything. It feels as though I never left at all."
The old matriarch smiled, the deep wrinkles around her eyes crinkling with profound, unconditional affection. She reached across the low table and gently patted Heena's hand. "How could I possibly let anyone disturb it, my child? Every single day you were gone, I came in here just to sit with your books. It was the only place in this sprawling, miserable estate that still felt like it had a soul."
Heena's heart gave a complicated, heavy flutter. The absolute devotion this woman had for the original Seera was a powerful shield, but it was also a heavy weight to carry. She pushed the thought aside and offered a bright, lovely smile.
"Well, you won't have to sit with just the books anymore," Heena murmured, pouring a cup of tea and placing it delicately in front of the older woman. "I am here now. And I intend to spend plenty of time reading right here by your side."
