31 Ymiden 328
The salt lake was warm this time of year, making the snow of the winter gone nothing a bitter memory. The window in the kitchen had been fixed and through it the grass outside looked long, green, and lush. Fattening the beef cows up over the next few seasons wouldn't be difficult, but gathering enough fresh water from the salt rich ground often became a challenge. Malcolm stood in the bedroom with his rucksack left open on the bed. The few belongings he owned were folded neatly and placed into the bag one at a time while Ava sat across the bed from him. The thin woman cast her gaze to her feet, refusing to make eye contact with the man she had shared her home and bed with for over a year now. A break down in communication after the birth of their stillborn son had driven a wedge between them, and neither party had any fight left in them to try and fix things. At least, that's what Malcolm had come to believe until Ava finally spoke.
"I don't want you to go."
Malcolm looked across at the woman and paused. When it seemed she had nothing more to say, he continued packing.
"Malcolm."
The tall, dark haired man looked up from his work again.
"Please stay, I'm asking you to stay."
"No, Ava."
The young woman got up to walk around the end of the bed and set her hands on the man's hips before sinking to her knees. "Then I am begging you to stay."
Ava's hands clutched the end of the man's shirt tightly, putting strain on his shoulders. "Ava, stop."
"Please, Malcolm, please stay with me. I was hurt, dead inside after Malachi. I didn't want to feel anymore."
The man held his breath, this the first time Ava had referred to their son with the name they had chosen for him. Malcolm sank down to sit on the edge of the bed and felt fire spread through his nostrils slowly as his emotions almost got the better of him. "I can't watch you kill yourself anymore. You hardly eat, I don't recall the last time I saw you sleep, and you're angry with me. Nothing I do seems to change that," he admitted.
"I'm sorry," Ava folded her arms about the man's middle.
Malcolm bowed and stationed his head alongside Ava's. "I'm sorry too."
