Wrapping up a person's life is never as simple as it first seems. There are papers to sign, the funeral to arrange, people to contact. There are visits to solicitors, visits from the bereaved friends, companies to contact, contracts to terminate. And all this has to be done in the first tight grip of grief, in those days when all you really want is to be left alone to mourn and remember. It helps to have someone with you who can do it all without much input. Often it is a spouse ....and for Ian, that help came not only from his wife, but their friends, as well.
Rhys and Nat had arrived a day too late to be there for him when his father had passed on, but since their arrival, they had been invaluable. Nat had taken over dealing with solicitors, knowing how inheritance worked when there was property and a fortune involved; Rhys had helped to contact the friends who needed to know, and had apparently enjoyed intimidating various companies who had tried to insist on talking to Ian into backing off for good. They had been there as a buffer between the bereaved son and the other mourners at the funeral and wake, shameless in making use of both their own daughter and Morgan to distract well-wishers before conversations could become too morose. And now, with the last of the mourners gone home, they remained, keeping company with the bereaved little family who had become good friends.
The staff had stayed on to tidy up after the wake, each one as bereaved as the son who had finally come home, even if it was only for a little while. As Aurelia spoke quietly with the housekeeper, Nat watched Ian. She couldn't help but be worried. He was always a quiet man, but he seemed a little too quiet today. Perhaps everything had been just a little bit too much. She glanced up as Aurelia passed her, sharing a smile with the other woman. Maybe all they needed was a little time.
Time heals all wounds, or so the saying goes. Rhys was proof of that, though sometimes wounds didn't stay healed. They still hurt from time to time, but as time went on, the grief would fade and be replaced by something else - remembrance. That's all anyone wanted when their time was done, wasn't it' To be remembered. Rhys left Ian to his thoughts, for now, choosing to approach Aurelia instead and through her, find out how the man was dealing with his loss. He'd known Aurelia longer, after all, and if not for her, he wasn't sure he'd have come to know Ian at all.
"How is he?" Rhys asked once she was done with the housekeeper. Things were winding down now, quiet - maybe too quiet.
The witch paused, her eyes on her husband for a long moment before she looked to Rhys. She was exhausted; eight days of looking after Ian and Morgan in the wake of that loss, of organizing everything - even with help - had depleted her reserves of energy. "He is ..." She sighed softly, looking to Rhys with an expression that said far more than words ever could. "I do not know. In pain, and there is nothing I can do but be present. I do not know how to help him, Rhys."
But all that was over now because Rhys and Nat were there - they had come to their rescue, so to speak. They had come to help their friends through a difficult time, not just in an emotionally supportive way, but to help in whatever way they were needed. After all, they had been there for them - or at least, Aurelia had, when Rhys had needed her help at least once before. At a time when he'd felt lost and alone, she'd helped him get through it. Even though she might have thought nothing of it, it had meant the world to him. He smiled softly, sympathetically, and reached for her hand, if only for a moment, to let her know they weren't alone in this - that they'd never be alone again. "You just be there for him, Aurelia. That's all you can do. It just takes time. That's all."
"I do not think even Avalon will help this time," she said softly. As Rhys took her hand, she surprised herself, turning to wrap her arms around her friend in a hug she'd needed for a while now - not a hug where she was the one giving the support, protecting the wounded, but one where she was the wounded in need of a little comfort. "Thank you for coming. We couldn't have done all this without you."
"We aren't leaving, you know," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her to return that hug. There had been a time when he might have been startled by such an outpouring of affection and an obvious need for a little comfort, but that time had passed. He had once been an angel, after all, and some part of him seemed to remember that, even if he wasn't wholly aware of it. "We're going to stay for a little while yet to help you both through this." After all, it wasn't like they had jobs they needed to go back to. Avalon could wait a while longer.
"Thank you." For the first time, there was a hint of of a waver in Aurelia's usually calm tone, and she tightened her grip for just a moment before letting go. "I should go to him, I suppose. It isn't good to leave him with his thoughts for too long, especially today."
"You should both go relax," Rhys said as she pulled away from him, seeing how tired she looked, how thoroughly draining the last week must have been. Ian, too, though his exhaustion seemed more emotional than physical. "We can take care of Morgan while you get some rest, and then we can meet up for dinner later." Thankfully, there was a staff who would take care of the cooking, unless Rhys insisted on ordering out. Were there any good pizzerias in Oxford" If there were, he'd be the one to find them.
"Are you sure?" Despite everything, Aurelia was acutely aware that now she was the lady of this house, and she should have been the one looking after her guests, not the other way around. At the same time, the thought of a little quiet time with just Ian was almost too tempting to pass up without question.
"Of course, I'm sure ....we're sure," he corrected himself. He didn't have to ask Nat for confirmation when they'd already discussed it earlier. "It's the least we can do," he assured her. Whether they were guests or not, they hadn't come all this way just to attend a wake and funeral and then be on their merry way home again. They had come to help their friends in whatever way they could, in whatever way they needed.
"You are a good friend, Rhys Bristol." Her eyes traveled to the conservatory, where Nat had both baby girls lying on a play mat and was playing peek-a-boo with them. A small smile touched the witch's face. "Both of you are very good friends." She hugged him once more. "We won't be more than a few hours."
Rhys beamed a smile back at her, genuinely happy to help. "Take your time. We've got this," he told her, returning that hug once again before shooing her off to gather her husband and go get some rest. "Go on. Shoo. She'll survive for a few hours without you."
"Milk is in the fridge," she told him with a low chuckle, moving away as he shoo'd her.
As Aurelia went to Ian's side, to cajole him into coming with her for a little while, Natalya looked up, fingertips tickling two sets of bare baby feet absentmindedly. Her eyes found Rhys. "How are they doing?" she asked him.
If they could handle one small child, they could handle two. There were two of them, after all, to share the job duties. It wasn't until after Aurelia dragged Ian away that he let his guard down, frowning in concern at Nat's question. "Exhausted," he replied as he joined the ladies on the blanket. "I think they think they need to entertain us or something. I tried to explain to her that we're here to help."
"Well, they are very ....proper," Nat shrugged. It wasn't the best word to describe Ian and Aurelia, but it fitted for now. "Perhaps worrying about everyone else takes their minds off worrying about themselves. I do not know. But we can handle Morgan, can't we?" This was addressed to Ana, who was busily gnawing on Morgan's hand. "No, malyutka, you have teeth coming, that is not nice." Smiling, she removed one baby's hand from the other's mouth.
Rhys and Nat had arrived a day too late to be there for him when his father had passed on, but since their arrival, they had been invaluable. Nat had taken over dealing with solicitors, knowing how inheritance worked when there was property and a fortune involved; Rhys had helped to contact the friends who needed to know, and had apparently enjoyed intimidating various companies who had tried to insist on talking to Ian into backing off for good. They had been there as a buffer between the bereaved son and the other mourners at the funeral and wake, shameless in making use of both their own daughter and Morgan to distract well-wishers before conversations could become too morose. And now, with the last of the mourners gone home, they remained, keeping company with the bereaved little family who had become good friends.
The staff had stayed on to tidy up after the wake, each one as bereaved as the son who had finally come home, even if it was only for a little while. As Aurelia spoke quietly with the housekeeper, Nat watched Ian. She couldn't help but be worried. He was always a quiet man, but he seemed a little too quiet today. Perhaps everything had been just a little bit too much. She glanced up as Aurelia passed her, sharing a smile with the other woman. Maybe all they needed was a little time.
Time heals all wounds, or so the saying goes. Rhys was proof of that, though sometimes wounds didn't stay healed. They still hurt from time to time, but as time went on, the grief would fade and be replaced by something else - remembrance. That's all anyone wanted when their time was done, wasn't it' To be remembered. Rhys left Ian to his thoughts, for now, choosing to approach Aurelia instead and through her, find out how the man was dealing with his loss. He'd known Aurelia longer, after all, and if not for her, he wasn't sure he'd have come to know Ian at all.
"How is he?" Rhys asked once she was done with the housekeeper. Things were winding down now, quiet - maybe too quiet.
The witch paused, her eyes on her husband for a long moment before she looked to Rhys. She was exhausted; eight days of looking after Ian and Morgan in the wake of that loss, of organizing everything - even with help - had depleted her reserves of energy. "He is ..." She sighed softly, looking to Rhys with an expression that said far more than words ever could. "I do not know. In pain, and there is nothing I can do but be present. I do not know how to help him, Rhys."
But all that was over now because Rhys and Nat were there - they had come to their rescue, so to speak. They had come to help their friends through a difficult time, not just in an emotionally supportive way, but to help in whatever way they were needed. After all, they had been there for them - or at least, Aurelia had, when Rhys had needed her help at least once before. At a time when he'd felt lost and alone, she'd helped him get through it. Even though she might have thought nothing of it, it had meant the world to him. He smiled softly, sympathetically, and reached for her hand, if only for a moment, to let her know they weren't alone in this - that they'd never be alone again. "You just be there for him, Aurelia. That's all you can do. It just takes time. That's all."
"I do not think even Avalon will help this time," she said softly. As Rhys took her hand, she surprised herself, turning to wrap her arms around her friend in a hug she'd needed for a while now - not a hug where she was the one giving the support, protecting the wounded, but one where she was the wounded in need of a little comfort. "Thank you for coming. We couldn't have done all this without you."
"We aren't leaving, you know," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her to return that hug. There had been a time when he might have been startled by such an outpouring of affection and an obvious need for a little comfort, but that time had passed. He had once been an angel, after all, and some part of him seemed to remember that, even if he wasn't wholly aware of it. "We're going to stay for a little while yet to help you both through this." After all, it wasn't like they had jobs they needed to go back to. Avalon could wait a while longer.
"Thank you." For the first time, there was a hint of of a waver in Aurelia's usually calm tone, and she tightened her grip for just a moment before letting go. "I should go to him, I suppose. It isn't good to leave him with his thoughts for too long, especially today."
"You should both go relax," Rhys said as she pulled away from him, seeing how tired she looked, how thoroughly draining the last week must have been. Ian, too, though his exhaustion seemed more emotional than physical. "We can take care of Morgan while you get some rest, and then we can meet up for dinner later." Thankfully, there was a staff who would take care of the cooking, unless Rhys insisted on ordering out. Were there any good pizzerias in Oxford" If there were, he'd be the one to find them.
"Are you sure?" Despite everything, Aurelia was acutely aware that now she was the lady of this house, and she should have been the one looking after her guests, not the other way around. At the same time, the thought of a little quiet time with just Ian was almost too tempting to pass up without question.
"Of course, I'm sure ....we're sure," he corrected himself. He didn't have to ask Nat for confirmation when they'd already discussed it earlier. "It's the least we can do," he assured her. Whether they were guests or not, they hadn't come all this way just to attend a wake and funeral and then be on their merry way home again. They had come to help their friends in whatever way they could, in whatever way they needed.
"You are a good friend, Rhys Bristol." Her eyes traveled to the conservatory, where Nat had both baby girls lying on a play mat and was playing peek-a-boo with them. A small smile touched the witch's face. "Both of you are very good friends." She hugged him once more. "We won't be more than a few hours."
Rhys beamed a smile back at her, genuinely happy to help. "Take your time. We've got this," he told her, returning that hug once again before shooing her off to gather her husband and go get some rest. "Go on. Shoo. She'll survive for a few hours without you."
"Milk is in the fridge," she told him with a low chuckle, moving away as he shoo'd her.
As Aurelia went to Ian's side, to cajole him into coming with her for a little while, Natalya looked up, fingertips tickling two sets of bare baby feet absentmindedly. Her eyes found Rhys. "How are they doing?" she asked him.
If they could handle one small child, they could handle two. There were two of them, after all, to share the job duties. It wasn't until after Aurelia dragged Ian away that he let his guard down, frowning in concern at Nat's question. "Exhausted," he replied as he joined the ladies on the blanket. "I think they think they need to entertain us or something. I tried to explain to her that we're here to help."
"Well, they are very ....proper," Nat shrugged. It wasn't the best word to describe Ian and Aurelia, but it fitted for now. "Perhaps worrying about everyone else takes their minds off worrying about themselves. I do not know. But we can handle Morgan, can't we?" This was addressed to Ana, who was busily gnawing on Morgan's hand. "No, malyutka, you have teeth coming, that is not nice." Smiling, she removed one baby's hand from the other's mouth.