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Dealing with Kiara’s reincarnations was something that Calli had accepted as part of the deal when the two of them started seeing each other, and doubled down on when they had gotten married.
That didn’t mean she liked the wait, however- those few hours, sometimes a day, that she had to sit waiting for her wife to return were no less agonizing for the years that they had spent together.
In fact, she often found they grew harder as time went on.
The rest of the girls did what they could to help, but usually Calli just absorbed herself in her work, or spending time with their daughter, or anything that would take her mind off of the absence of the constant light by her side. She liked to think that she usually handled herself pretty well.
It took about two days for her to stop handling herself well.
The morning of Kiara’s third day missing, Calli shook herself back to reality after long, drawn out minutes of staring into their shared closet, quiet sobs wracking her as she slumped against the wall and tried not to think too hard about whose half these clothes were.
That night, Gura peeked her head in to check on Clara and sees her wrapped in Calli’s embrace, the angelic peace on her sleeping face a harsh contrast to the pinch of Calli’s eyebrows and the tear tracks down her cheeks.
On the sixth day Calli stepped into the living room to see Clara prancing in a pair of Kiara’s smallest heels to the polite applause of Ina, her sketchbook set on the coffee table. The shoes were still double the size of her toddler feet but she wore them well as she tottered along beside the couch, her toe only barely catching on the corner of the carpet.
Calli, of course, caught her and held her steady, smoothing the tops of her shoulders. “You look great in those, honey, but why don’t you go put them back where you found them? It’s time for lunch.”
Her daughter gave a cheerful assent and shuffled off, followed both by the watchful eyes of Calli and Ina as well as a tentacle materializing behind her as she left their reach.
Ina went to speak, but the words caught in her throat as Calli buried her face in her hands with a deep, pained sigh, a subtle shake to her smile as she gave Ina a nod and swept into the kitchen.
That night, Ina popped in to check on Clara on the way to the bathroom. She was sleeping peacefully, Ina unable not to smile at her quiet, snuffly snores. Her smile faded slightly, though, at Calli- asleep with her back against her daughter’s bed, storybook closed in her lap.
On the eighth day, Amelia mentions Kiara at breakfast and Calli stands abruptly, a shaky “I need a minute,” the only parting she deigned leave before closing the bathroom door and collapsing against it, slowing sliding to the floor.
A soft knock a few minutes later stirred her from where she had zoned out on the floor, a small puddle of quiet tears on the tile beneath her hung head.
“Hey, uh, Calli?” Amelia said through the door, voice unsure, “Are you doing okay in there?”
Calli gave a quiet laugh, then a deep breath, “Yeah, Watson, I just. I just need a minute, homie, I’ll be right out.”
That night, Amelia, having put a few things together, slipped a pillow behind Calli’s head where she lay, ukulele on her lap and Clara’s tiny hand resting in her own.
Gura yawned as she quietly closed the door to her, Ina, and Ame’s bedroom, padding down the hall in search of a… she glanced blearily at the wall clock, 4:27am glass of water. She paused as she passed Clara’s room, though, cracking the door ever so slightly to check up on the child that over the past several years had become almost as much hers as it was Calli’s and Kiara’s.
After a quick glance around, Gura noticed two things. One, Clara was sleeping soundly, hugging the penguin plushie that Ame had gotten her tightly to her chest. Two, Calli was nowhere to be seen. Gura smiled at both, but the small sigh of relief that escaped her was directed towards the second.
Maybe she’s handling it better now that some more time’s passed? She thought, ever the optimist, But… that really doesn’t sound like our Calli.
As the thought crossed her mind, Gura caught a quiet burble of sound from the living room behind her. She sighed, closing Clara’s door before slipping into the living room as quietly as she could.
On the couch, facing a laptop propped up on the coffee table, was a head of messy pink hair that Gura would recognize anywhere. She stepped closer, intentionally letting her footfalls make some more noise than she had entering so she wouldn’t COMPLETELY scare Calli shitless, and slid over the arm of the couch to sit beside her.
Some video was playing on her laptop, but Calli’s eyes were miles away, traces of dried tears highlighting the deep bags under them.
Gura sat with her in silence for a time before scooting a bit closer, her shoulder just barely brushing against Calli’s side. The reaper’s breath hitched, for just a second, but the silence resumed.
Gura tilted her head to look under Calli’s bangs, her heart squeezing painfully as she saw silent tears tracing down her cheeks. She turned Calli to face her, a soft, sad smile on her face and two fingers gently on the taller woman’s chin, slowly sliding her hand up to cup the back of Calli’s head and pull her slowly, gently, into a hug.
Calli’s dam broke.
She buried her head in Gura’s shoulder, quiet, painful sobs shaking the both of them, Gura just slowly rubbing her back as she let it all out, trying to ignore the pain in her own heart at one of the people she loved most in this world in such a state.
It took a few minutes, but Calli’s heaving sobs slowed. She sniffled a bit, wiping her eyes with her sleeve before sighing again and resting her forehead back on Gura’s shoulder. “I just. I miss her so much, man.”
Gura nodded, stroking the back of her head. “She’ll be back soon, though,” she said, nails gently untangling unkempt, silky pink hair, “and, chief, she will NOT be happy with how you’ve been handling this one.”
Calli gave a watery laugh, “yeah. Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Gura returned the laugh, leaning back so she could knock her forehead into Calli’s, “you goddamn know I’m right! So get some sleep, you dumbo.”
Calli sat back, tensing as if to get up, but paused.
Gura just looked at her, her head cocked.
Calli fidgeted, eyes darting for a second, flushing slightly, “could we stay like this for a little bit? My hghsghshghs.”
With effort, Gura stifled her laugh. “What was that?”
Calli’s blush deepened. “My room shshhhgfhhhg.”
“One mo’ gain, Mrs. Mori?”
Face like a tomato, Calli punched her in the shoulder. “My ROOM is LONELY, you JERK.”
Gura smiled, only a hint of a tease in the twitching corner of her lips, “well, why din’cha just say so?”
Calli grumbled, crossing her arms and settling back into the couch cushions, a pout firm on her face for a few seconds before she scooted closer to the shark, tucking Gura into her side and resting her head on top of hers.
“...thank you.”
Gura just squeezed her hand in response, feeling Calli’s smile against the top of her head and basking in the knowledge that she had put it there. Her heart swelled with love for this crazy, dedicated woman who, time and time again, loved with every god damn thing she had.
It was only a few minutes before Gura felt Calli start to sway, her breaths deepening as she started to slide forwards.
Gura caught her as she pitched forwards, relief at preventing Calli from hitting the floor quickly transitioning into panic as she realized she had no idea what to do with the gently snoring, smiling reaper in her arms. She wracked her little shark brain as quickly as she could and shuffled into a slightly more comfortable sleeping position, laying Calli’s head gently down on her lap.
It took a few long moments for her wild blush to dissipate, a soft smile spreading across her face in its absence as she looked down at Calli, gently brushing a few strands of hair out of her face, a growing contentedness in her chest.
She blinked.
Oh. Oh.
Behind her, the hallway filled with a crackling orange light.
Uh oh.