Page 29 of Range
“How long?”
“Eight weeks.”
“Not bad.”
“Not at all. Enough time to grieve if this doesn’t work out.”
“Maybe it will. Maybe he’ll take you by surprise. Maybe he’ll show up in ways you haven’t imagined.”
“I’m hopeful, but I’m not holding my breath. At the end of the day, Kason is a man. They aren’t very promising–as a species.”
“I can’t deny that.”
The Friday morning sun was bright, bringing about so many possibilities. The heaviness in my chest was symbolic of change. Something was on the horizon. Something good. Something worthwhile. It wasn’t often I felt the overwhelming urge to smile or laugh or scream, but I’d been suppressing it all morning.
“Did you know–”
My ears tingled at the sound of the first three words out of Roaman’s mouth. She was generous enough to bless me with more from that complex brain of hers.
“That the sun makes up 99.86% of the solar system’s mass? That’s how incredibly large the ball of plasma is. And, it’s actually teal. Not yellow or orange or any of the colors we witness through Earth’s atmosphere.”
“Yeah?”
“Stars of its caliber have about ten billion years of fuel to burn before their life ends. The sun is halfway through its lifespan. Its core is denser than water. Much denser. And, its photosphere is hot, but its corona is the hottest, with degrees recorded in the millions.”
Nodding, I digested the information I’d been given.
“Wow.”
Suddenly, Roaman’s long legs halted.
“You are so much like the sun, Range.”
My brows crinkled as I tipped the cup of tea upward. I needed something to settle the dryness of my throat.
“How so?” I asked after clearing the roughness.
“The love you have for your family is only a fraction of the total mass of your heart. You’ve been saving that for a man who deserves it. And, each year you’ve waited, that love has only grown warmer and warmer, to the point that not even you can contain it. It spills from your pores daily. It falls from your tongue as you speak about a man who you’ve yet to meet.
“It oozes from your smile as you imagine your days together. You’re a large ball of love, just waiting to explode, but for the right person. The Range Kason has experienced is not the Range your truest love will experience. Just like the colors we’re seeing of the sun are unreal, untrue.
“They’re surface level. Just like the woman you are in Kason’s presence. But, that’s not what you see for yourself, and you shouldn’t. Just like the sun, you are the solar system. Nearly 100% of it. The brightest star. The biggest. The boldest. The hottest. That’s how it is supposed to be. You’re supposed to be the biggest, brightest, hottest, and boldest part of your man’s entire world.
“So, you’re not wrong for declining his proposal. However, I want you to understand that maybe– just maybe he needed a bit of weathering in his system to understand not everything is alright. On the other hand, it might be time to grieve and gather yourself as you prepare to join another solar system.
“One that understands your power and your position without you having to explain it. Your beauty is layered. Dense. Incredibly so. Far from surface-level. Your heart is beautiful. Your intentions. Your mind. Your morals. Your body. Your brain. You– all of you. Go where you’re seen– heard– revered– recognized– rewarded– respected– You know?”
I nodded.
“You’re the sun, Range. We’re all suns. Just in different solar systems.”
“Because there’s not enough room for us all in one,” I sniggered.
“Hardly enough in our own,” Roaman clarified with a chuckle.
We’d reached my car. Hers was just a few feet away.
“Well, this is us,” I sighed, hardly ready to end our time together.
