for: Vala Hale.
It was Saturday night. He was off work and free from being on call for the rest of the weekend. After checking on his mother he came back to their house. His parents house where he’d been staying the last few weeks. They needed someone to watch over the property, and he found it oddly comforting to grieve his father in a place full of fond memories.
Tonight he had invited an old friend over. A girl, now a woman, he had known since childhood. She was the best friend of his youngest sister, but a few years ago he had taken her as a lover, and their relationship blossomed. It was complicated, given their former distance, but Malachi was quite fond of Vala. He thought she would be a bright spot amid these last few, extremely tough, weeks.
He was starting to cook dinner when he heard a knock at the door. “You know, I’m so glad you’re here.” Kai told Vala as he opened it.
“I can’t decide,” He continued, “between the red wine or the white?”