#Chapter 145 A Difficult Choice

Theodore’s POV My chest constricted at Marcy’s words and at the sympathy in her eyes that I hadn’t seen before this moment. Someone who knew my mother… My stomach churned with emotions: the pain of my mother’s loss, the joy in possibly finding out more about her, and the fear of Violet’s and my future if we left Henosis without the answers we needed. Violet cupped my face in her hands, pulling my frozen attention to her. I saw her same relentless faith in facing life with me that had steadied me earlier, that always grounded me. She kissed me fiercely but briefly on the mouth. “Do you want me to come with you?” My words were for Marcy though I never took my eyes off Violet. “Send her away.” Violet’s expression fell. “What?” I clutched her tighter in my arms, reveling in her nearness. “We need answers. Maybe I’ll seek her out once we find what we need here, but our time is limited; we need to prioritize research.” My wife’s fallen expression morphed into the no-nonsens