انقضى وهجُ الصيف، وطال ليلُ البرد

You’re looking lovelier with every day that passes,” Arthur said as he stood behind Alice and admired her reflection in the mirror.  “Are you still creeped out by my fiancé?”

She took one last look at the few wrinkles that remained on her face before turning to speak with Arthur. “I feel stupid for saying it, but, in a small way, I still am.”

Arthur shook his head. “That’s gratitude for you.”

“It’s not that I’m not grateful!” Alice quickly explained.  “It’s just that… well, I was raised to think that magic and the like was either fake or evil.  It’s difficult to shake the programming.  She and her family believes in multiple gods and all. That alone was ground for execution on the surface.  Add spells and magic to the mix and it’s a wonder they’re alive.”

“They were a few out of many to live,” Arthur said with a slow shake of his head.

“Kendra was just an infant when her parents were massacred, right?” Alice asked.

Arthur nodded. “There were three toddlers and Olga left after the village was raided and burned to the ground.  The residents were either massacred or taken as alien captives. Kendra, Felix, and Rupert were all about the same age too.  I can only imagine what the task of keeping them safe and raising them must have been like.”

“I admire her for that,” Alice said with sincerity. 

Arthur heaved a sigh. “You think that the formula Olga created to make the cream you put on your face daily is of magic?  What happened to science?”

“I’m not talking about the cream or any of the other scientific things that she does,” Alice explained.  “It’s the other stuff.  She’s been teaching Kendra some of her spells for when we go to the surface. I watched Kendra levitate a few rocks the other day.  It was a bit unnerving.”

“I prefer the term alchemy over spell,” he said.  “If I understand correctly, she didn’t tap into that part of her wisdom cupboard until recently.  Mainly because they led a quiet and secluded life that didn’t deem it necessary. Kendra didn’t even know Olga could manage such things, which is why she’s only just learning.  Anyway.  Whatever you call it… it makes me feel safe,”  he grumbled as he walked outside onto the porch. “Knowing that two of the bravest women I’ve ever encountered are armed to the teeth with tricks that could be what makes the difference of whether I live or die is incredibly comforting.  You need to change your perspective.”

Alice followed him onto the porch and stood next to him as they looked out onto the peaceful countryside. “I’m working on it.”

“Work harder.  Will you please?” he insisted. “Those women have been nothing but good to you since they met you.  Lesser people would have held what happened to Ari against you and you know it.  After all, it’s no secret that you’ve liked Felix from day one and we only have your word what happened that day.”

Alice’s eyes grew wide with surprise and she sucked in air.  “I can’t believe you’re saying that.”

“I believe that what you said happened really did happen,” he said in a steady tone. “I’m just pointing out that people of a lesser caliber might question things.  You do these women an injustice when they have been nothing but fair and supportive of you.”

Alice scuffed the toe of her boot along the porch floor.  “You’re right.”  Filling her lungs with air until they could hold no more, she let it out slowly before adding, “You’re always right.”

“Not always,” he chuckled, “just in this case.”

She grinned and lightly caressed her cheek with the tips of her fingers. “What that woman of yours has done for me is nothing short of a miracle.”

“Was the peel that you had to do at the start of the treatment painful?” he asked with concern.

Alice shrugged. “It was a necessary evil.  The results made it worthwhile. I’m glad that I saw instant results or I might not have continued.  Thank goodness there are no more in my future, though.”

“What about your body?”  Arthur asked.

“It’s not as bad as my face was,” Alice replied. “She thinks it will improve by at least fifty percent with the cream. I can live with that.”  Then, with hesitancy, she added, “If I ever get a lover, he’ll just have to be okay with my body as it is.  I don’t think any man is worth the pain of a body peel.”

“I know that you felt hindered with the skin condition that you had on your face,” Arthur said, “but I have to say this.  If the man is worth his salt, he’d look past that at the beauty beneath.  I did.  I saw your soul.  Not your wrinkles.”

“You saw my soul, but you didn’t fall in love with me,” she said with a sad tone.

He reached over and placed his hand over hers as it rested on the porch rail.  “Don’t take it personally. It had nothing to do with you or what you looked like.  It wouldn’t have mattered who the woman was. I gave my heart to Olga long before the war and I just didn’t have anything left for you or any other woman.”

“What if you’d never reunited with her?” Alice asked.

He shrugged. “I’d have died a sad and lonely bachelor who was sustained by his memories.”

“Wow,” Alice said with admiration. “That’s real love.”

“What’s real love?” Olga asked as she stepped onto the porch.

“Where’d you come from?” Arthur chuckled as he opened his arm wide for her to walk into.

Olga pointed to the field behind the house. “I was searching for some herbs.  Kendra and Rex went into those trees to search for forest plants.  Did they return yet?”

“You’re the first,” he said as he kissed her temple.

“Where’s Felix?” she asked as she looked around.

Alice looked at her hands as she said, “I think he’s out back in the rocking chair.  He tends to go there quite a bit.”

“He’s still processing,” Olga assured her.

“He’ll have to come to grips with things soon,” Arthur said with a tone that sounded firm, but sympathetic.  “It’s been months since Ari died.  At some point he’ll have to join the living again.  We’ll be heading for the surface soon.  Won’t we?”

“I want to talk to everyone about that,” Olga said.  “We need to finalize our game plan.  Felix feels guilty over what happened with Ari.  I can understand it, which is why I’ve allowed him his grief.  After all, everyone grieves and heals differently.  But, you’re right.  It’s time for him to buckle up and move forward. Kendra is ready enough with what she’s learned and Rex is hot to get back to the surface.  He’s never been comfortable here.”

“That’s a shame,” Arthur mused.  “It will make things difficult when it’s time to return.”

“How so?” Alice asked.

Olga and Arthur looked at each other with saddened faces before Arthur explained, “Olga will be forced to choose between them and me.”

Alice cocked her head. “Didn’t you come here from the surface?”  When he nodded, she said. “You lived most of your life there… longer than I am old, I think.  You never know, my friend.  You might just decide to stay there.”

Olga raised a brow at Alice’s wisdom, but didn’t express the fact that she hoped that would be the case.  Instead, she smiled to herself and headed around the outside of the house to the back porch where Felix occupied a very comfortable rocking chair.