⚔ The Right Way ⚔

Without knowing what she was doing, Corin ran after him. She needed answers. She needed to know that what she saw in his eyes just then was something, anything.

She wanted to know if it was regret.

"Kallm!"

It was too late when she had seen him stop, and she went running into him, his hand going around her wrist subconsciously to stop her from falling but his body did not turn away from the person he was looking at. Corin looked up at Kallm's face, his eyes were downcast, his grip still on her armand his shoulders were slumped, causing Corin's eyebrows to furrow. She attempted to walk forward, but his steel grip kept her in place until she finally looked up into the fierce eyes of her father. She followed his glare to the contact she had with Kallm, who hadn't noticed as he remained staring at the ground.

Quickly, Corin disengaged herself and corrected her scarf.

"Pita ji, Mata ji." Corin swallowed, not allowing herself to raise her gaze. "How are you?"

She could feel the tension in the room, but she did not know how to help Kallm, who seemed to be stuck in place, unable to even meet eyes with her father. But thank the lord her mother was there.

"Beti, where is Lirat ji? Why don't you show me where she is?" Caterina breezed forward, only stopping briefly to flash a heartwarming smile in Kallm's direction, who it seemed still hadn't moved.

Moving forward, Caterina immediately took Corin by the hand and began leading her away, her guidance strong but not hard. Corin looked over her shoulder at the sight of her father glaring at Kallm's form. Before they turned the corner, Corin turned around once again, this time to find Kallm was already gazing at her subtly before he stood straight and extended his hand.

"Hello, Ionido Ji. My name is Kallm."

A gentle jerk had Corin looking back at her mother. The mother whom she was an exact replica of. The same mother who had fought for her right to be treated the same as her brother and who had never left her side. The mother that she had missed so much.

Flinging herself into Caterina's arms, she let out the confusion of feelings she had felt ever since Kallm had come into her life, and the second time her had appeared. Caterina's soft pats left trails on Corin's curls, her whispered comforts allowed Corin to feel small again, to feel that like a child and that her mother could fix everything. She knew that she had disappointed her, but Corin was so glad that she was here.

"Shh beti. Tell ma what is wrong. Why are you crying?"

Corin took a step back and wiped at her eyes, knowing that she looked a mess now but not caring. She finally had a chance to show how she really felt now. Caterina was not involved in the decision to send Corin here, but she had understood Ionido's sentiments as to why he had done it. But Caterina had missed her child so much. Too much. Wiping away her own tear, she led Corin to the kitchen table, seating themselves adjacent to each other. Caterina waited patiently for Corin to be calm enough to talk, to let her know how to help.

"Ma, Kallm has asked me to marry him."

Caterina attempted to look shocked at the news that she already knew, but also knew that she couldn't lie to Corin in that way and so simply smiled at her, waiting for more.

"Ma, he cared for me. And I hurt him." Corin was still hiccupping over her words, and Caterina gave her a slow stroke on the arm as she held her hands.

"Sweetheart, do you care for him?" Caterina had tried to be soothing and gentle in her question, but she needed to know how Corin felt if she was to convince her husband to let this happen. To allow their daughter to come back and make her amends. And be happy.

Corin looked into her mother's eyes and didn't know how to answer. She felt something, but she didn't know exactly what it is. Did she care for Kallm in a way that was justified in their relationship? Is that what her mother was asking? Ofcourse she cared for Kallm, but was it enough to express to her mother?

As Corin went to open her mouth, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she saw her mother straighten up. A sparkle returned to her eye, the one that only appears when her father shows. But instead of looking at Ionido, Corin looked past him to the figure standing behind him, his tall frame taking up the doorway. Letting out a breath that she hadn't known that she had held, Corin then allowed herself to look at her father, judging the anger in his eyes before she stood, motioning for him to seat himself.

Ionido looked at Corin, admiring how much she had grown, knowing now that he had made a good choice in sending her here. Grasping her hand, Iondio lightly held her hand in both of his, before letting go and sitting down. He motioned for Kallm to come forward and looked at his wife. Caterina looked at Ionido with questions in her eyes, but all he did was nod, then looked back at Kallm standing before them.

While Caterina and Corin had made their way back here, Ionido had spoken to the man who had touched his little girl, later finding out this was the one who wanted to marry her. When they had left, Ionido had demanded to know what was going through Kallms mind to make him make such a decision. Was there something they didn't know about, that needed them to get married in such a rush? Ionido was torn. But the way Kallm had held himself amidst his interrogation had Ionido show a sliver of pride in the upbringing of this young man, especially when he had told him exactly why he had proposed to Corin. An idea that Ionido was now a part of.

He just wanted to know how he truly felt about his daughter.

"Beta. Tell us."

Kallm glanced at Corin, before closing his eyes and beginning to tell his plan to Caterina, who followed along with wide eyes, once in a while glancing at her daughter standing next to Kallm. Caterina also noticed that Corin's eyes had never once left the side of his face, nor had the small curve of her lips dropped once whilst he had been speaking.

"I just want my brother to be happy, Caterina ji. I want to help him like he has always helped me."

Caterina stood then, her short self only coming to Kallm's chest, and she put her small arms around him. Kallm breathed a sigh of relief as he took this as her acceptance. Until she leaned back and slapped him across the arm. Kallm looked at her in shock as Ionido burst out laughing his belly laughs and Corin hid a giggle at the big, strong Kallm rubbing his arm.

"Next time beta, start with that."

That was all Caterina said before she turned to the doorway, and hugged the newly arrived Lirat.

"Lirat ji, he was a good choice."

And all Lirat did was wink at her devious sister in law.

⚔ The Right Way ⚔