The Traces of Destiny
Garin's Response

Saras sighed sharply, as if he still had a hard time believing it. "Aldi is too. But he can't handle it. I told her that we could still adopt a child, and I think that's still possible, but she refused to consider it because of her family."

"You're kidding...."

Saras shook his head. "If only it were so. Looking back, I don't think I should have been surprised. When we first dated, she used to say that I was the most perfect woman she had ever met. As soon as something happened, it proved that if he was wrong, he was willing to throw away everything we had." Saras stared at his coffee cup, then spoke almost to himself. "She asked for a divorce, and I got out of our house a week later."

Garin grabbed his hand without saying anything and nodded for him to continue his story.

"After that, well, it wasn't easy. It's not something you can talk about all over the place, you know. My family, and I talked to my two best friends about it. They are my advisers and they help me a lot, only they know my problem.

And now you...."

After those words Saras fell silent.

Under the light of the lamp, Garin thought he had never seen Saras as beautiful as this. His hair caught the flakes of light and threw them away like a halo.

"I why?" Garin finally asked.

“Isn't it clear?”

"Ne too." Answer Garin.

"I just think you should know. I mean, before... Like I said, I don't want that bad thing to happen again...." Saras threw his face away.

Garin gently turned the woman's face back to her. "Do you think I would do that?"

Saras looked at Garin sadly.

"Garin.it's easy to say that it's not important right now. What I'm worried about is how you feel later, after you really had time to think about this. Let's say we keep seeing each other and things are going well until now.

But..., can you honestly say that it doesn't matter to you? That having children is not important to you? The fact that Raka would never have a single brother or sister who would run around and play around the house with her?"

Saras cleared his throat before continuing his words. "I know I'm kind of in a hurry here, and don't think that by telling

all this, I was expecting us to get married.

But I have to tell you the truth, so you know what you're going to face— before this gets more serious.

I can't let this go any further unless I'm sure that you won't turn around and do the same thing that Aldi did.

If this relationship doesn't work for another reason, fine. I can take it. But I can't face what I've been through again."

Garin looked towards his cup, seeing the light reflected there. He traced the edge of the cup with his finger.

"There's something you should know about me too" Garin said. "I had a very difficult time after Maudy died. Not only because he died—but also because I never knew who was the cause of his death that night. That is my duty, both as her husband and as an official of this city. Not only the police, I also investigated myself, talked to people, but whoever did it got away, and it gnawed at me like something you couldn't imagine. I've been feeling crazy for a long time, but lately..."

His voice was soft as he looked at the eyes of the woman before him.

"Maybe what I want to say is that I don't need time, Saras... I don't know... I just knew that something was missing in my life, and before I met you, I didn't know what it was. If you want me to think about it more, I will. But that I'll do for you—not for me. You haven't said anything that could change how I feel about you. I'm not a guy like Aldi. I'll never be like him."

In the kitchen, the timer rang with a ding sound, and the two turned around to hear the sound. The lasagna was ready, but nothing moved. Suddenly, Saras felt dizzy, though he did not know if it was due to coffee or Garin's words. Carefully, he placed his coffee cup on the table and, after taking a slow breath, stood up from the sofa.

In the kitchen, he paused for a moment to lean on the table, Garin's words flashed once again.

I don't need time, Saras.

You haven't said anything that could change how I feel about you.

For the man, whether he can give birth or not is not important. And best of all, he believed in the man. On the words he had spoken, the way he was staring...

Since the divorce, Saras almost thought that no one would understand him among the people he met.

Saras left a pan of lasagna on the stove. As he returned to the living room, Garin was still sitting on the sofa, staring at the chandelier.

Saras sat down and placed his head on Garin's shoulders, letting him bring himself closer to the man. As the two stared at the chandelier together, he could feel the soft breathing of Garin's chest. The man's hand moved with rhythm, Saras' skin trembled wherever Garin touched.

"Thank you for trusting me" Saras said.

"I don't have a choice." Garin Whisper.

"You always have a choice." Reply Saras in a soft voice.

"Ne for this time. Not if it's about you." Said Garin slowly.

Saras lifted his head, and without a word, he kissed Garin, touching her soft lips on the man's lips, once, then twice, before gently fusing their lips together.

His hands crept onto Garin's back as their lips touched, and he felt his tongue touch Garin's tongue, wet and intoxicating. Saras brought one of his hands to Garin's face, felt a rough beard under the tips of his fingers, then poked the part with his lips.

Garin responded by moving his lips to Saras' neck, biting and kissing gently, he could feel the man's warm breath on his skin.

They fell asleep at the activity for a long time, until finally there was a sudden blackout, moonlight from outside coloring the room with a more dark shadow.

"Thank you PieLeN." said Garin.

Saras chuckles. "Wait a minute, I'll take the candles."

"Wait!" Prevent Garin.

"Yes? Are you afraid of the dark? Want to come with me to the kitchen?" Ask Saras streak.

"I'm not afraid of anything! I mean, yeah I'm a little scared but I like the dark" Garin replied.

"That's a bit strange" Saras said as he sat back on the sofa.

"Let it be like this, we wait until the lights turn on again" Garin said.

"Do you want this?" Saras asked convincingly.

Throughout the night, Garin whispered to her in the darkness, her hands always moving towards her, as if trying to convince herself that she was real.