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“Out of the house, yes.” But Anairë sighed, looking a little sad. “It’s so quiet without them. Sometimes Nolofinwë and I find ourselves wandering through the house, wondering if it’s always been that big and empty.”

“I’ve been there. I sometimes go into the boys’ old rooms and have a good cry over Moryo’s old racecar sweater or Curvo’s little lego robots. I do miss having them around, however crazy they drove me.”

“I hear you’ve had some distraction though,” said Anairë, drawing her elbows off the table as the waiter brought over a basket of tortilla chips. “How’s Aulë’s commission coming?”

“Oh, terrible,” said Nerdanel dismissively. “I’m a talentless hack and I’ve already discarded four different molds. I’m think I should just dump the art business, change my name, and go work at the coffee shop with Makalaurë. I don’t know why I ever considered myself an artist, I’m totally without hope. It’s amazing that I managed to fool people for this long.”

Anairë nodded gravely. “For what it’s worth, you’ve always been my favorite talentless hack.”

Nerdanel reached out for a corn chip and popped it into her mouth. “Thanks, sweetie, I can always count on you. But how about you? How’s the practice?”

“Busy.” Anairë pulled her fingers through her hair, looking tired. “Which is good, of course, but I know Eärwen’s been thinking about cutting back on her hours, so that means me taking some of her patient load or trying to hire someone else part-time…an NP or something…”

“You’re not thinking of cutting back yourself? Moving toward re-”

Anairë held up a warning hand. “Not the r-word. I’m not near ready to think about retirement.”

“I bet Nolofinwë might be, though,” said Nerdanel shrewdly, as the waiter set their sandwiches down in front of them. “Working like he has for the past seven years…My husband may pretend to ignore such things, but we both read the papers and can see how the company’s taken off, and how instrumental Nolofinwë’s been in that transition. He must be ready for a break by now, surely.”

Anairë shook her head. “Not in the next five years, at least. We still have to get Arko through school, and I don’t know what the chain of succession would be like at the company if Nolofinwë cut back, or left all together.”

“Findekáno, surely – ”

“He and Nolofinwë might assume so, in the abstract,” said Anairë, and bit into her sandwich, “but I don’t think Finno’s destined for corporate life.”

Nerdanel licked pesto off her fingers, looking interested. “No? Maitimo tells me he’s been putting in quite the long hours…”

“Maybe so, but I have my suspicions of what he’d rather be doing.”

“What’s that?”

“Politics.” Anairë dropped her pickle onto Nerdanel’s plate. “I’d bet my license that he’s going to run for office at some point.”

Nerdanel crunched the pickle, ruminating. “I could see it.”

“I mean, a gay, biracial Jewish kid is no easy sell to the electorate, but – ”

“But who wouldn’t love Findekáno?” Nerdanel smiled, finishing her pickle.

The two women talked on long after their paninis were reduced to crusts on their plates, and the waiter had brought them refills on coffee. They discussed Turgon’s med school grades and his revelation that perhaps epidemiology wasn’t his calling; and the increasingly long-winded emails that Fëanor and Caranthir had been exchanging over the strengths and weaknesses of Libertarianism. “Isn’t it just typical? Of course, you have to let them have their Libertarian phases, I suppose, but Fëanaro says that if he sees another Ayn Rand quote he’ll scream…”

They exclaimed over Aredhel and Elenwë: “Goodness, I’m so happy for her! When’s the last time Irissë had a long-term relationship? Surely not since – ” “Yes, exactly. And Elenwë’s such a good girl – well, we knew this already, poor Turno, but they seem to have worked it out amongst themselves…” They shook their heads over the twins’ recent conversion to rock-climbing, and Argon’s decision to spend winter break backcountry skiing out west with Angrod. There was a brief argument over who had won the bet regarding Fingon and Maedhros moving in together, followed by Anairë’s disbelief that Curufin was old enough to be a freshman in college – “I swear he was a precocious twelve year old just last month. But of course he’s already winning scholarships and so on, of course he is, that boy of yours always has everything more together than anyone else in the whole family.”

“And how about Tyelkormo?” asked Anairë finally, fumbling for her wallet while Nerdanel swiftly grabbed the waiter first and thrust her card into his hand.

“Oh, well. Not…employed, per se, but moving in that direction.”

“Oh, damn you, Nerdanel, I was going to pay this time. If you don’t let me get the next lunch, I‘ll never give you my pickle again. Is Tyelko seeing anyone? I remember a girlfriend last winter…”

“Oh, that.” Nerdanel shook her head. “I never thought that was as serious as he made it out to be. They were terribly matched, though he pretended he couldn’t see it. But she was a really lovely girl, that Lúthien, even though I only met her briefly. Anyway, I’ve gotten the impression…but I don’t know what I’m basing this on. I feel like there might be someone in his life right now, but he’s keeping it unusually close to the chest.”

“If there is someone, maybe he’s just playing it safe. That sometimes happens, when someone gets serious for the first time. I’m sure he’ll introduce her to you eventually.”

“Maybe.” Nerdanel tugged her jacket on, a preoccupied look on her face. “There’s something about it, though, that I can’t put my finger on…”

-

As Nerdanel and Anairë came out of the deli and turned up the street back towards Anairë’s office, two women passed them going the opposite direction. A cold wind sprang up, gusting down main street, and the two women simultaneously pulled their scarves up to their noses. Nienna tucked her gloved hand into the crook of Vána’s arm, shivering.

“Brr. When did winter happen?”

Vána squinted her eyes against the wind, blinking as her eyes teared up in the cold. “I have no idea. When I left for Belarus it was still late summer, and then I return and you have brought down the winter upon us. Could it not have waited a week or so?”

“You blame me?” Nienna shook her head. “So typical.”

“I only assume that you wield this kind of power, my darling,” said Vána, pausing at a storefront to examine the jewelry on display there. “Nienna, look – that green stone necklace. Beautiful, is it not?”

Nienna studied it. “It’s a bit large.”

“It’s a statement piece.” Vána straightened up. “Like myself.”

Nienna dug her elbow into Vána’s ribs. “Egoist.”

“It is not ego if it’s true, love.” Vána caught her reflection in the window and tweaked her hat straight. “Ai, I’ve been out of town so long. I should get in touch with Oromë; I haven’t seen him in months.”

“We could get dinner,” said Nienna, still studying the necklace in the window, her head tilted to the side. “Perhaps Friday? Oh, no, I have a late client Friday night. But Saturday could work.”

“I shall call him,” said Vána decidedly. “And invite him and his Tyelkormo to join us.”

“Ah. So I will finally meet the famed Tyelkormo…”

“And I will finally get a chance to talk to him when he’s not expecting me to slap him across the face.”

Nienna shook her head. “Your husband is having a midlife crisis.”

“Oh, suddenly he’s my husband, is he?”

“He’s not mine.”

“Details.”

“Yes,” said Nienna. “And your husband has taken a young lover, and I find that…a little funny.”

“You do not mean amusing, I think. The other meaning. Funny odd.”

“You don’t think it’s odd?” Nienna followed as Vána swept around the corner and into the shop, the bell over the door jingling merrily. “Perhaps a little questionable?”

“I would like to see the necklace in the window,” said Vána briskly to the shopkeeper. “The green one, please. And it is unusual, certainly,” she said, turning back to Nienna, “but he has been very well-behaved – and very lonely – for many years now.”

The shopkeeper returned with the necklace and Vána made a delighted noise as he laid it in her palm. “Ah, perfection. Feel the weight of it, love.”

“Weighty,” said Nienna, lifting the pendant and holding it against Vána’s collarbones as Vána shed her scarf. “Want me to fasten it for you?”

“Please.”

As Vána tilted her head forward, and Nienna lifted the heavy dark hair from her neck to fasten the necklace around her throat, Vána went on, “Our Oromë deserves some fun, after all those years of being serious and dutiful. He deserves some happiness. And heaven knows he deserves some love.”

“You think that boy loves him, then?” asked Nienna, looking over Vána’s shoulder. Both of them studied Vána’s reflection in the mirror, the green necklace lying heavy between her breasts. Vána smiled, delighted with the image, and Nienna smiled too, dropping a kiss to Vána’s shoulder.

“Yes,” said Vána, turning slightly to examine herself from another angle. “Yes, he is absolutely smitten. And yes, I think this is exactly the one.”

“The necklace or the boy?”

“Both, my darling. Now where did I put my purse?”

----

Celegorm flopped back on the bed, panting, his hair sticking to his sweaty brow. “Oh my god.”

Oromë leaned over to slip something back into the drawer of the nightstand. “You okay?”

“Yes. Have I mentioned how much I missed you?”

“A couple of times, yes.”

“I’m going to be walking funny for a week. No – shut up, don’t apologize, I’ll kill you.”

Oromë reached down to brush Celegorm’s hair out of his eyes. “I missed you, too.”

Celegorm grabbed him and pulled him down into a kiss. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

“You’re going to have to,” said Oromë, after a long interlude, running his thumbs over Celegorm’s cheekbones. “I have a pile of paperwork that I need to deal with before I go to work tomorrow.”

“That’s not fair. You just got back this evening. You weren’t on vacation, you were traveling for the team, you shouldn’t have to dive right into work!”

“Nevertheless.”

There was a scrabbling at the closed bedroom door, and a mournful whine. Oromë straightened up. “I think Huan is having separation anxiety as well.”

“You don’t know it’s him. It could be Nahar.”

Oromë looked at him pityingly. “Nahar doesn’t scratch at the door.”

Celegorm made a face. “Fine, oh dog whisperer. Let my horribly trained creature in.”

Oromë grinned and got up, crossing naked to the door. Celegorm sighed happily and lay back, watching Oromë appreciatively. Oromë’s braids fell loose, halfway down his back, and his skin glowed with a light sheen of sweat. The tattoo of a great wolf leapt from his shoulder blade across the top of his back, and the branches of the tree on his bicep twined up his neck to just under his ear.

Celegorm let out a low whistle. “I take it back. Damn. I’ll let you out of my sight periodically – but only on the condition that you always walk away from me naked.”

“Could get a little awkward on the commute to work,” said Oromë mildly, and opened the door. Huan burst in excitedly and raced immediately to the bed, rearing up to put his paws on the blankets, seeking Celegorm. Oromë watched, his eyebrows raised.

Celegorm rolled over to ruffle Huan’s ears, and caught sight of Oromë’s face. “You’re waiting to judge me if he jumps up on the bed without permission, aren’t you?”

“No,” said Oromë, unconvincingly. Nahar padded quietly through the door and made his way to the foot of the bed, where he curled up on the floor. “I’m sure you have him very well trained.” He went to the bureau and began pulling out clothes.

“Nooo,” protested Celegorm, shoving Huan back down as the dog made to leap up. “Oromë. Come back to bed.”

“I wasn’t kidding about that paperwork.” Oromë pulled on a pair of pants and Celegorm let out a groan.

“You’re killing me.”

“That’s the least effort it’s ever taken.” Oromë made to slip on a tee-shirt, and Celegorm vaulted out of bed to grab it from his hands.

“C’mon,” he whispered, tossing the shirt to the ground and winding his arms around Oromë’s neck instead. “Give me one more hour, Coach. I’m not even close to finished with you.”

Oromë gazed down at him, his hands smoothing over Celegorm’s hips. “Tyelko, you may be twenty-three, but I’m not. I can’t go again right now.”

“Wanna bet?” Celegorm grinned up at him. “I’m really, really persuasive.”

“Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘The spirit is willing, but the flesh -’ ”

“I don’t see anything wrong with the flesh.” Celegorm’s hands wandered down Oromë’s bare chest. “And isn’t that line about yielding to temptation?”

“The flesh is tired, Tyelko, and has work to do.”

But Celegorm stretched up to kiss him, his tongue slipping between Oromë’s lips, one hand sliding into Oromë’s hair while the other dragged nails down his chest.

Oromë groaned, and Celegorm chuckled into their kiss. “I think I’m winning the bet.”

“There was no bet…” But Oromë was pulling Celegorm close to him, tightening his arms around his waist, and they swayed together, back towards the bed. “...you devil.”

“Yep. Now just take off – ”

There was a pained yelp and Celegorm jumped, looking horrified. Immediately letting go of Oromë, he crouched down to where Huan was cringing.

“Aw, pup, oh shit, I’m so sorry…” He reached out to cradle Huan’s paw in his hands. “I’m sorry, boy, I’m so sorry, c’mere, I didn’t mean it…”

“That’s a sign,” said Oromë, retrieving his shirt from the floor and pulling it over his head at last. “I’m going to go start some work while you tend to your poor wounded beast.”

“Wounded? You don’t think he’s – ”

“You stepped on his toe.” Oromë rolled his eyes. “I’m fairly sure he’ll live to walk another day.”

Celegorm wrapped his arms around Huan and buried his face in the dog’s shaggy fur. “Can you ever forgive me, pup?”

“Put some clothes on,” said Oromë, heading for the door. “People who see you naked and embracing a dog will get the wrong idea.”

“Sicko,” muttered Celegorm, but he grabbed his pants from under the bed. “Hey, your phone is ringing.”

He hunkered down on the floor with Huan, grabbing the dog by the ears and bringing their faces together as Huan let out a delighted huff and licked Celegorm’s nose enthusiastically. Celegorm retrieved a chew toy from the corner and began a ferocious game of tug-of-war with Huan, growling back every time Huan did, and only half listening to Oromë on the phone in the next room.

“I didn’t know you were back in the country! How was the assignment?”

Huan yelped happily through his grip on the chew toy as Celegorm tugged him around the room. Nahar watched them both wearily, only his eyes moving as he rested his head on his paws.

“…Oh. Really? Huh, I’d have to see – I mean, certainly, if we both – I’ll have to check my schedule. And he’ll have to as well, of course… No, I’m not hesitating. What did you have in mind?”