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Tanya called early in the morning, just as the sky began to grey.
"Hello again, handsome," she declared herself down the phone when Carlisle handed it over. "It's been a while."
Jamie slipped out onto the balcony for privacy, closing the door on the living room. "Hello," he answered and after a moment said, "I'm sorry about running off, I wasn't thinking straight."
"Don't worry, we understand." The words relieved him more than he thought they would, and he relaxed himself against the railing. The trees were wet and beyond them, the forest looked sombre in the darkness.
"Not still brooding, are you?" Tanya asked in the silence.
"It's a habit."
He could hear the grin in her voice, light and teasing. "As we know too well."
Despite himself, Jamie smiled. She must've been able to tell because she laughed. The sound tinkled like wind chimes. "So you're more comfortable now? Feeling a little at ease?"
Jamie's sharp eyes caught the movement of a bird taking flight in the distance. "Yes. It all worked out in the end."
"I'm glad," she answered. "Loneliness is the devil's flaw."
"I never said I was lonely."
She hummed disbelievingly. "Family is a hard thing to come by in our world. Something genuine, something worthwhile is like a diamond. Treat it well when you have it."
Jamie thought about it for a serious moment but didn't immediately agree. Then he asked, "Do you want to speak to Carlisle again?"
Laughing quietly at the blatant dismissal, Tanya said, "No, we've said all that we needed to."
"Okay." Jamie turned to go back inside. As he went to open the door, he paused. "Thank you, for everything."
He could hear her smile again. "You're welcome."
"I'll visit you soon, once things have calmed."
"I look forward to it," and she sounded genuine. Tanya hung up as he stepped into the house, seeing Esme sitting and reading quietly with one leg crossed over the other on the couch. Jamie smiled naturally at her, something that had become as much a habit as his brooding and when she looked up at him and smiled back, something in his chest warmed.
