The rushed farewell with Meresh was full of warm hugs and grateful thank yous. Members of his tribe took turns squeezing my hand, and even patting Fen’s arm.
A tug on my dress made me look down. Kibi stood there smiling up at me. “Thank you,” she said. It was the first smile I’d ever seen on her face, which sported a missing tooth. She touched Fen’s hand. “And thank you.”
She faced Tessia, eyes shining with gratitude. They shared a silent moment, where I imagined they had a telepathic conversation. Then Kibi wrapped her arms around Tessia’s middle and squeezed. “I’ll visit you someday,” I heard her whisper.
Tessia’s gray eyes misted as she squeezed back, smiling.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of bond these two had formed in their short time together.
“Hey.” Pimo came int
