𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 - DIN DJARIN

Chapter 43: The Wanderers

You tighten your lips and close your eyes, letting your chest rise and fall in a calculated breath. You know Din's right, even if your stubbornness yearns for him to be wrong. Grogu could hold his own if he needed to, but he was fifty years old. Zora's a microscopic fraction of that age and—to your knowledge—doesn't possess any of the same abilities as her adopted brother. She needs to be protected, and with your body still recovering from the hardships of pregnancy and labor, you know you have to be the one to stay with her. "Fine." You lift a hand to hold the back of Din's neck as you urge his forehead to meet yours. "But you go on jobs alone and trust no one aside from yourself, and you let us wait exactly where your commissions come from."

Din smiles at your protectiveness. "Deal." He leans close to you, his nose brushing against yours as his voice lowers to a soft whisper. "Nothing's gonna happen to me, rid'ika. I'll be okay." Din looks into your eyes with all the honesty he can muster. "I promise."

You know promises don't bode well for the two of you, but you choose to believe him anyway. Din kisses you with a familiarity and a passion that makes you ache, making you pull him closer as you cradle the sides of his face. Your heart burns with a desire to put this love into words somehow, but you can't, and you have to make it count in this affectionate moment. You can sense that Din shares your struggle in the way he also keeps you close and devours you with a sweetness and warmth you could never get enough of. When you finally pull away, you both keep your eyes closed, your foreheads resting against each other in your desperation to maintain your intoxicating connection. "I love you," you whisper to Din, your words dripping with meaning as your fingers run over his lips.

"I love you, too," Din responds with the same amount of honesty, his words making you feel at ease—despite the anxieties that attempt to swirl within you.

Promises are always easier made than followed through, and with each minute that ticks away since Din left for his job, your fear rises that he won't be returning.

Zora starts to whine again. You twist your lips with concern, though you're at least grateful they're not full cries. The last thing you want to do is draw attention from these strangers. "What is it, my angel?" You run your hand over her head and meet her worried eyes. "There's no way you're hungry. I just fed you."

Your daughter blinks at you before her little fist reaches up and out of the swaddle. She grabs the fabric of your shirt in her hand, a gesture you and Din both recognize well.

"I don't mean to worry you." You've become accustomed to talking to her the same way you used to talk to your son. "It's okay. Papa will be just fine." Your finger taps her nose, making her giggle. You chuckle with her. "He promised."

You check the comm device on your wrist. Din had replaced the wiring in the bracelet that used to control Grogu's pram and given you the ability to communicate with the device in his vambrace. You can't keep yourself from looking at it and waiting for some kind of signal, just to make sure he's still out there somewhere. Even then, you don't know how you'd find him. You've never been to a place like Glavis before, and have no idea how you would even begin to navigate its narrow alleyways on your own.

"Excuse me?"

Your hand's on your holster before the stranger can get the words out. A Mirialan woman stands over you, her smile kind as she observes you and Zora. You relax only slightly, observing more of her while you can. She's dressed like the other wealthier guests of this cantina. You try not to panic at the way you know you and your daughter stick out with your well-worn gear.

"I just wanted to say that your daughter is such a delight." You exhale with relief and muster a smile at the woman. "She's barely made even a single peep. You and your husband are doing a great job with parenting."