Aya took the Revista off her head with a heavy sigh, she patted it lightly and stood up to pce the head gear and all its pos safely into its box. With some leftover tape, she sealed it, putting it aside for pick up in the moving van.

  She smiled auro her room to y down. Mars wasn’t back yet from her meeting with Ats and Aya didn’t feel like pying any mames. In the emptiness of the house, she took out her phone ao the call log.

  The number she had saved as her uncle’s was there waiting for her to press call and unicate. Aya hesitated, what if she was disturbing the man? She didn’t know anything about him only hazy memories from funerals.

  She pressed call, then put the phone up to her ear and waited.

  ----------

  ary Park was cold when Mars stepped out of the car. She paid the rider, rating him five stars on the app, and tipped him generously fettio her destination.

  She looked around, trying to locate Ats amidst the couples that sat idly around the park, Mars walked allowing her feet to carry her nowhere in particur. She was sure she looked ridiculous in Aya’s frog hat but wearing it brought a smile to her face.

  Eventually, she walked up to a small bridge where the stream had dried up, and standing there was a figure on his phone in bck.

  “Ats?” Mars called unsurely, the figure locked eyes with her and she stepped forward more fidently now that she knew.

  “Mars.” he said, Ats made no move to shake her hand her. He did not reach for her the way Aya would have and that disappointed her.

  “What are you wearing?” he said regarding the giant hat, if she hadn’t spoken he would have thought it was just someoh a very odd sense of style. Knowing Mars she thought it was a good disguise.

  Mars folded her arms, jutting out her in defiance.

  “Aya gave it to me, what did you want to talk to me about?”

  “I heard you were moving to Mericross.”

  “It’s my st night here, what of it?” She spoke with her guard up, as usual, Ats noticed. His shoulders tensed and he wondered if it was a bad idea asking to see her. Mars was always able to do what he could not and stand her ground.

  Mars cocked an eyebrow, internally she wi her words. She didn’t mean to be harsh with him, but Ats brought out a side of her she hid from everyohe tendero her rough edge. Then again, wasn’t Aya like that as well?

  It was a wonder how their parents ever thought they could get married. He was always a scared little boy and she would let him follow her around. It was cute until it wasn’t.

  Despite him being older he would g to her, it was o have pany when the Seelim manor was devoid of everyo maids but Mars knew what she wanted before he’d even gotten the ce to think about it.

  Maybe she had just outgrown him.

  The dark haired girl watched him shift unfortably under her gaze until finally he said something.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything about the wedding that day.” Ats blurted out. “I always thought they were joking about it, until the meetiween our families.”

  Mars’s eyes widened, is that what he wao talk to her about? She had already fiven him all those years ago. It had never been fair to bme Ats for the as of their parents but Mars was just too angry at the time to see it.

  She remembered her harsh words to him before st out of the rge dining room. Ats had shrunk in his seat, withering away like the wallflower he was.

  “No.” She said fag away from him and looking past the trees to the hotel casting a rge shadow over the park. “It wasn’t your fault and I-I never should have bmed you.”

  “But I was a coward.” Ats said. It stung to hear her words repeated. Mars should have hrown that ba his face.

  “And I ran away, I’m even doing it again so who’s the bigger coward?” Mars tossed him a smirk but Ats still had that forlorn expression like he wao grovel. She tapped the bridge’s railing anxiously. Should she apologize? Would it even make a differenow?

  “We were just kids.” Mars said patting his shoulder. He still had his head bowed, the weight of his past inas holding him down even now. “I’m sorry I said that stuff, I was just so angry. It felt like I had no trol over my own life, running away was the only thing I could do.”

  Ats leaned on the railing, heart pounding at the words he wao say.

  “I really did love you.”

  Mars’s grip around the metal tightened, she k was ing and it only made the guilt in her heart grow. She knew he did. She gred, trying to calm herself down.

  “We were just kids, we didn’t know anything about that.” She said trying to rex her grip on the bridge’s railings before she strained her hand.

  “I know, I wish I said it back then. I know it wouldn’t have ged anything but I really did. I’ve moved on from it but I wanted you to know that.”

  Mars nodded. She reached out, toug the face of her almost husband. She could imagine what it would be like to be married to him, it would have been a fortable existence, ohat her parents would have wanted for her.

  But that was not her, that was not Mars.

  “Stop being scared of what you want, Ats. We’re all grown up now.” Mars said gently. “I’m sorry I left you alone, but I was figuring stuff out too.”

  He looked like he was about treen eyes grew gssy at her words and made Mars feel all the muilty. It was all so long ago so why...why was the wound still fresh?

  “I wish you would have said something, we didn’t have to stop talking.” Ats sniffed, Mars was immediately reminded of when they were younger.

  He was right though, they didn’t.

  “We start over, I’m here now.” it sounded me but she really was. Ats had been with her through a rough and lonely childhood. Mars didn’t deny she still cared for him, cherished him even. She took her hat off

  “I’m willing to try if you are.”

  “Of course I am and you don’t have to worry. I...love someone else.” Ats said sounding childish as he said that. It piqued Mars’s i but it wasn’t something she wao look into.

  “Oh really? I’m sure they’re very nice. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to that point but I’m happy you seem to have.” Mars said with a smile.

  Ats took out an embroidered handkerchief and wiped his eyes and nose.

  “I’m going to tell Aya you made me cry.”

  “Rep me to the authority? That’s treacherous ing for you Ats.” Mars joked. Ats ughed too.

  This was defihe best oute of the night.

  Sunghost