Being a Confidant - Lilliana pays a visit

     Marion was out on yet another adventure feeding and playing with the frogs of the waterfall when she heard her phone going off from her bag on the shore. She splashed through the water to get back to the sand of the beach as frogs skittered away from her. "Hello?"

    She didn't have time to check the caller ID before answering because she almost missed the call. "Hey Marion, It's Lilliana. Listen... can i come crash at your place for a few days. I need to get away. Talk maybe. Just... please?"

    "Yeah sure... is everything okay?"  Marion hadn't gotten to know Lilliana very well, but she had been a decent enough friend. She didn't have that much space at her house, but she could set up another bed. 

     "Yeah... no? I don't know. I'll explain more when I'm there."

    "Okay, just give me a few minutes to get home. I'm out at the waterfall at the moment."

    "Frog fishing?"

    "Of course, though releasing again, unlike those poachers I've been seeing around."

    "Ugh, I hate them. . . anyways, thank you. I'll see you soon."

    Marion packed up her things quick as she could and trekked back home to meet Lilliana at the door and find out what in the world was going on with her. She may not know her very well, but this behavior was odd.

    "So what's going on? What was the rush in getting over here?"

    Lilliana sighed and fidgeted on the bed, trying to find anything to distract her from having to say the truth outloud. Saying it outloud would make it all too real. "I'm thinking about divorcing Makoa."

    "Divorce? What, why? That would be so sad, what has you thinking about that."

    "Makoa is always traveling with his conservationist job and I'm not feeling connected to him like we used to be. What if he's seeing other people out there? I'm not as attractive as I used to be before we had Nani. What if he's not attracted to me anymore?"

    "I'm so sorry you're feeling that way Lilliana, but I just can't see it. You're a beautiful woman, and I can't see him being unfaithful to you. He loves you."

    There was a long pause as Lilliana sat in silence, her emotions were in turmoil from whatever was going on at her house. Marion sat quietly next to her to be supportive, but not to pry or push the conversation further than her friend was willing to take it in that moment.

    "What about you Marion? Do you have anyone special?"

    Marion shook her head, if a change of subject would help, she'd go along with it, Lilliana would talk more when she was ready to. "No, I haven't run into the right person yet." She paused for a moment, thinking back to Nalani in the cave. "Well..." She blushed, and Lilliana caught it.

    "Oh go on, tell me girl, I need some gossip to distract myself for awhile."

    "I met a mermaid. She's absolutely gorgeous. We flirted a little bit, but there's nothing serious happening yet. So I don't know what's going on there."

    They settled into a routine for the next few days. Swimming, exploring, chatting, gardening. Lilliana seemed to be just distracting herself and not dealing with her problem. As they were cooking Thanksgiving breakfast together Marion finally decided to push the subject.

    "I think you need to invite him over here for the holiday meal."

    "What?! Why?"

    "You need to stop dwelling on it and filling in the blanks of what ifs and could bes. You need to actually talk to him. See what's on his mind, is the thinking the same things as you are? I doubt it, you're beautiful and I'm sure he knows it. There is no way Makoa is going to leave you."

    "I guess you're right, I'll give him a call."

    Marion caught him outside while Lilliana was setting the table for the meal. "I'm going to be up front with you right now Makoa. What do you think of Lilliana?"

    "She's my ball and chain, we're married!" He announced cheerfully.

    Marion narrowed her eyes. That didn't seem like a nice thing to say about your own wife. It seemed to imply that he wanted to do things that she was keeping him from being able to do. Maybe Lilliana had been right all along. "Come on in, we're getting the meal set." She was going to keep an eye on him.

    His eyes tell the story that he loves his wife very much. So what had that comment been about? Was he just old fashioned and didn't know that it was insulting and not funny? If anything, it seemed like Lilliana was falling out of love with Makoa for comments like that one. 

    After the meal she politely sent Makoa home, and she and Lilliana continued to bond.

 

    

     "I think I understand now what you were talking about Lilliana." Marion said as she and her friend quietly built a sand sculpture together. "There is something off about things. I think he loves you though. Do you love him? Is it perhaps just time that the love between the two of you is friends instead of lovers? Whatever your answer, I'm here for you as your friend. I hope you're able to figure out what is best for you."