“Babe, can I rant?”

“Sure, hun,” I said, taking a turn.

“La amal sha awemo! Why are people so hung up on my last name? There’s more to a person than their name!”

“I have no clue what that first sentence means, and I also don’t know what your last name is.”

“Oh…sorry. I spoke Akikki. I said, ‘I don’t understand.’”

“Akikki is your native language? Well, that does make sense, since you're from the Woodlands.”

“Mhm. My last name is Agaras.”

“Okay. That’s pretty. I don’t see the problem.”

“I should be mad you don’t know, but that makes me feel better for some reason. Agaras means ‘my purity,’ and people tend to assume things about me because of it. They also get the exact definition wrong. It’s my purity, not just purity.”

“Isn’t that because Underbrush don’t have last names?”

Nircoel sighed. “Yeah, sometimes I wish I was born a Coastal. Then I could have a last name and speak Pearl.”

“No’arrike, erri ore cou il.”

“Is that Pearl? What’d you say?” Nircoel asked excitedly.

“My love, love what you have. I know Akikki is no different, but Pearl is a tough language to keep alive.”

“Love what I have? I…I don’t have much.”

“Noarri’corra, cou il nu.”

“Wait, what does that mean?”

“My lovely idiot, you have me.”

“Amika, la kiki sha awemo. ‘My dearest, I won’t let you go.’”

“Hior, ashbe. ‘Thanks, babe.’”

“Elten, ayoni. ‘Anything for you, my only one.’ And you have a word for babe? That’s unfair.”

I laughed, pulling into the cafe parking lot. “Sorry, ashbe. I didn’t make the language.” 

They hooked their arm through mine as we walked to the counter, where Khlo and Detective Willis were talking.

“Ey madra ey means ‘I love you.’”

“Ey madra ey, Detective Willis!”

“Thattagirl.” Detective Willis spotted us walking up. “Hey, kiddos. Good to see ya.”

“You too, sir.”

Nircoel waved.

“I didn’t know you were Row-ish,” I told the detective.

“Congrats! Now you do. And congrats on getting together.”

“I’d ask if you thought a month was too fast, but you guys happened in a day, so I suppose it seems like a long time to you.” I found it funny Nircoel would say such a thing to him, when he previously wouldn’t talk to him at all.

He laughed in response. “Why put off for tomorrow what you can do today, as they say. No one can predict how long it will take them to fall in love.”

‘Yo, Ezryn!”

Ah, the idiot prince walked through the door.

“Ezryn?” Detective Willis asked, confused.

“Just…just go with it. Pretty please?”

“Uh…sure.”

“This is Drew and Liliph from uni. Drew, Liliph, this is Mars and Khlo.”

They exchanged pleasantries, and we had some snacks before it was time for Drew and Liliph to go.

“Sorry to bail on ya, but we have to go. The apartment won’t set itself up!”

Lilith grunted in agreement with his friend.

“See you lovebirds tomorrow!”

“It’s so weird,” Nircoel mused. “It’s like I despise him…but in a good way. Is that possible?”

“It’s very possible, dear.”

“Hey, what’s ‘dear’ in Pearl?”

“Seur.”

“Yes, amika?”

“You got me there, ashbe.”

Khlo burst into our conversation. “Ooooh you two are such sweethearts! I would love to watch you guys sweet talk each other all day, but I’m starving. We can continue at the restaurant. Right, Wipper?”

“Always, Kipper. You ready, kiddos?”

“Yeah. We’ll meet you guys there, alright?” 

“Don’t forget, it’s that North Sea place I took you two last time.”

“I know where it is,” I said, dismissing him with a wave.

~.~

“Is Khlo Coastal?” Nircoel asked as we drove.

“Yes, but I’ve never heard her speak Pearl.”

“Do you think she…?”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

I just didn’t want to think about it.

About her language dying.

~.~

Khlo waved us over, her energy dispelling our tension. “Over here, darlings!”

We sat across from them in the booth.

“I thought it would be fun if we ordered the couple’s plates! What do you guys think? If there’s something you would like to order for yourselves that’s fine too.”

“No, I think it’s a good idea, Khlo. What about you, babe?”

Nircoel nodded in agreement.

“They’ve got so many options in the couple’s plate. I’d order this if I was still single!”

“Right?” Khlo agreed.

Detective Willis looked at all of us. “We’re ready to order?”

We all nodded. When the waitress came, Detective Willis ordered for us.

“What’s a Sucerian wedding?” I blurted out, not able to hold the question back anymore.

The older detective thought before he spoke. “It's a wedding based on the ancient tribe of Sucer. It involves a lot of food, dancing, and vows like a normal wedding, except that it’s held on the water. Now, I don’t want it to be super traditional, like all the boats, but Khlo’s already got a glass venue on the water picked out.”

“Do you mean the Glass-Water Pavilion?” It took all I had for me not to say it in Pearl, traditionally called the Elemosior’whuerre.

“Yes! The one and only! They had an opening for next year, July. Can you believe it?!”

Smiling, I said, “No, I can’t. That’s great, you guys.”

“Khlo, what else are you planning for the wedding?” Nircoel asked.

And then they started talking, giggling, squealing about wedding stuff. Even after the food came, they were still so engrossed in conversation, they barely ate. I couldn’t help but feel some sort of happiness as I watched Nircoel talk so much when they were previously so shy.

“Adorable, aren’t they?”

For a moment, I was worried that Detective Willis knew about Nircoel’s secret, but I realized he was talking about Khlo and him. 

“Yes, they are.”

The night passed on, full of laughter and smiles, a sense of family in its dark embrace.

~.~

If only we knew it would get worse from here.