7. Just Got To Have a Little Faith

7

Just Got To Have a Little Faith

Merin

H e took a moment to catch his breath as he surveyed the bustling diner. He hoped that Adrian and Benjamin were with Chrissy now, helping her navigate the complicated process of planning a funeral. It wasn't something any child should have to do, let alone one who had already endured such trauma and heartbreak.

Merin just wished he could be there with her now, holding her hand and offering what comfort he could. But he knew that sometimes, the best thing he could do was to give her space. To let her process her grief in her own way, on her own terms.

And so he had come to the diner, had thrown himself into the familiar rhythm of work and banter and the simple joy of serving others. It was a small thing, a mundane thing… but it grounded him, reminded him that even in the midst of chaos and heartbreak, life went on.

He was just finishing up with a particularly chatty customer when he heard Larry's voice, cutting through the din of the diner like a beacon in the night.

"Merin! Someone's here to see you, kid. Why don't you take a break, let Gem handle the register for a bit?"

Merin looked up, his brow furrowed in confusion. He wasn't expecting anyone, hadn't made plans to meet up with friends or family. But as he scanned the diner, his eyes landed on a familiar figure, seated by the window with a warm, expectant smile on her face.

He felt a grin splitting his face. He quickly untied his apron, tossing it behind the counter as he made his way over to her table.

"Margareth! What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming by today!"

He pulled her into a tight hug, relishing the familiar scent of her perfume and the comforting warmth of her embrace. She may have been centuries older than him, may have seen and done things he could only imagine… but she never failed to make him feel like a giddy, excited child in her presence.

"Can't a lady visit her favorite seer without an excuse?" Margareth teased, her eyes twinkling with mirth as she pulled back to look at him. "Besides, I figured you could use a friendly face and a hot meal after the day you've had."

"You have no idea," he said, sliding into the booth across from her. "I feel like I've been on my feet for days. I don't know how Larry and Steve do it, running this place day in and day out."

Margareth chuckled, her eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that always made Merin feel like he was part of some wonderful, secret joke. "They do it because they love it," she said, her voice warm with affection. "Just like you love being a seer, even on the days when it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders."

Merin ducked his head, feeling a blush creeping up his neck at the praise. He knew Margareth meant well, knew that she saw something in him that he often struggled to see in himself. But it still caught him off guard sometimes, the depth of her faith in him.

"I don't know about that," he mumbled, fiddling with the salt shaker on the table. "Lately, it feels like I'm just stumbling around in the dark, trying to make sense of things that are so much bigger than me."

Margareth reached across the table, placing her hand over his in a gesture of comfort and understanding.

"That's because they are bigger than you, Merin. Bigger than any one person, any one seer. But that doesn't mean you're not making a difference, that you're not doing everything in your power to protect the people you love and the realms you serve."

Merin sighed, feeling some of the tension draining from his shoulders at her words. She always knew just what to say, just how to put things in perspective and remind him of what really mattered.

"I know," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I just wish I could do more."

Margareth smiled, a sad, knowing thing that made Merin's heart ache with empathy and understanding. "We all wish that, Merin. But the truth is, we can only do what we can do. We fight the battles that are in front of us, we love the people who are in our lives, and we trust that somehow, someway… it will be enough."

Merin nodded, feeling a renewed sense of purpose and determination settling over him like a mantle. Margareth was right. He couldn't fix everything, couldn't save everyone… but he could keep fighting, keep loving, keep hoping for a better tomorrow.

"Thank you," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "For always being there, for always knowing just what to say. I don't know what I would do without you, Margareth."

The older woman smiled, her eyes misting slightly as she squeezed his hand.

"How is Chrissy doing, Merin? I know it can't be easy for her, losing her parents so suddenly and being thrown into a world she never even knew existed."

"She's… she's doing as well as can be expected, I suppose. Adrian and Benjamin are with her now, helping her plan the funeral and make sense of everything that's happened."

Margareth nodded, her face etched with sorrow and empathy. "Grief is a funny thing, Merin. It comes and goes like the tide, washing over us in waves that we can't predict or control. All we can do is ride it out, let it run its course and trust that somehow, we'll come out the other side."

Margareth was right. Grief was a journey, a road that had to be walked one step at a time, no matter how much it hurt or how long it took.

"So," Margareth said, her eyes twinkling with barely suppressed glee. "A little birdie told me that you have a big date coming up. With a certain half-fae, half-bear shifter who's been making eyes at you."

Merin nearly choked on his coffee, his eyes widening in surprise and embarrassment.

"What? Who… who told you that? I haven't even… I mean, we just…"

He trailed off, his face flushing a deep, mortified red as he realized just how flustered he sounded. Margareth just laughed, her eyes dancing with amusement and affection.

"Oh, come on, Merin. It's not like it's some big secret. Dominic told me ages ago that Roman was head over heels for you, and that it was only a matter of time before he made his move."

Merin groaned, burying his face in his hands as he tried to process the fact that apparently, his love life was the talk of the town.

"That blabbermouth," he muttered, shaking his head in resignation. "I swear, he's worse than a gossipy old lady sometimes."

Margareth just grinned, reaching out to pat his hand in a gesture of mock sympathy. "Oh, don't be too hard on him, Merin. He's just excited for you, that's all. We all are. It's not every day that one of our own finds himself a man to sweep him off his feet."

Merin felt his blush deepening, his stomach fluttering with a mixture of nerves and excitement at the thought of his upcoming date with Roman.

Because the truth was he liked Roman. Liked him more than he had ever liked anyone before, with a fierce, almost frightening intensity that he couldn't quite put into words.

But he was also scared. Scared of letting himself fall, of opening his heart to someone who might not be there to catch him. He had been hurt before, had been left behind and forgotten by people he had thought would never leave.

And as much as he wanted to trust Roman, as much as he wanted to believe in the connection that sparked between them like a live wire he couldn't quite shake the fear that it would all come crashing down around him, like so many things in his life had before.

"I don't know, Margareth," he said, his voice low and filled with uncertainty. "I mean, I like him. I really do. But what if… what if it's not real? What if he's just caught up in the moment, in the excitement of the chase? What if he wakes up one day and realizes that I'm not… that I'm not what he wants?"

Margareth sighed, her face softening with understanding and empathy.

"Oh, Merin. I know you're scared. I know you've been hurt before, and that the idea of letting someone in, of trusting them with your heart… it's terrifying. Believe me, I know." She paused, her eyes distant as if she were remembering something from long ago, something that still haunted her after all these years. "But I also know that Roman… he's not like the others. He's not some fleeting infatuation or passing fancy. He sees you, Merin. Really sees you, in a way that most people never will."

"I want to believe that," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I want to believe that I can have that, that I can be happy and loved and… and whole. But what if I'm wrong, Margareth? What if I let myself fall and he's not there to catch me?"

Margareth reached across the table, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it gently. "Then you get back up," she said, her voice firm and filled with conviction. "You dust yourself off and you keep going, keep fighting for the life and the love you deserve. Because you do deserve it, Merin. You deserve all the happiness and joy and wonder that this world has to offer. And if Roman is the one who can give that to you… then don't let fear hold you back. Don't let the ghosts of your past keep you from the future you were meant to have."

He knew that he had to take the leap, had to trust in the connection that thrummed between him and Roman like a living, breathing thing. Because if he didn't… if he let his fear and his doubts win out, let them keep him from the one thing in all the world that made him feel alive and whole and seen…

Then what was the point? What was the point of fighting and struggling and surviving, if he couldn't let himself have the one thing that made it all worth it?

"Okay," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Okay, Margareth. I'll… I'll try. I'll give him a chance, give us a chance. And I'll trust that whatever happens… it will be enough. That I will be enough."

Margareth smiled, a bright, beautiful thing that lit up her whole face and made Merin's heart swell with love and gratitude.

"You have always been enough, Merin. And you always will be. Don't ever forget that."

Just then, Gem appeared with their food, a steaming plate of eggs and bacon and toast that smelled like heaven and made Merin's stomach growl with hunger.

"Here you go, you two. Eat up, you're going to need your strength for all the adventures ahead!"

As they dug into their food, savoring the warm, comforting flavors and the easy, familiar banter that flowed between them, Margareth suddenly looked up, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What are you planning to wear on this big date of yours? Something dashing and debonair, I hope?" Margareth asked. She seemed to be enjoying this.

"I… I don't know," he mumbled, feeling a flush creeping up his neck. "I haven't really thought about it, to be honest. I mean, it's just dinner, right? It's not like I need to get all dressed up or anything."

Margareth rolled her eyes, a fondly exasperated look on her face. "Oh, Merin. Merin, Merin, Merin. This isn't just any old dinner, my dear. This is a date. With a man who's been pining after you like a lovesick puppy. You can't just show up in your usual jeans and flannel and expect to sweep him off his feet."

Merin felt his stomach flutter with nerves, a sudden, overwhelming sense of inadequacy washing over him. She was right. Of course she was right. Roman was… well, he was Roman. Handsome and charming and smooth as silk, with a confidence and a charisma that made everyone who met him sit up and take notice.

And Merin was just Merin. Plain old Merin, with his messy red hair and his quiet, unassuming nature and his tendency to fade into the background whenever he wasn't actively trying to save the world.

How could he ever hope to measure up, to be the kind of man that someone like Roman would want to be with?

As if sensing his thoughts, Margareth reached out, laying a gentle hand on his arm. "Hey," she said softly, her voice filled with warmth and understanding. "None of that, now. You are an incredible man, Merin. Kind and brave and loyal to a fault, with a heart big enough to love the whole world and then some. And if Roman can't see that, can't appreciate you for the wonderful, amazing person you are… then he doesn't deserve you. Plain and simple."

"I just… I don't want to disappoint him, Margareth. I don't want to show up looking like a slob and have him realize that I'm not… that I'm not worth the effort."

Margareth sighed, shaking her head in fond exasperation. "Merin, my love. You could show up in a potato sack and Roman would still think you hung the moon and stars. That boy is so far gone for you, it's not even funny." She paused, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "But just to be safe… what do you say we go shopping after this? Find you something that will make his jaw hit the floor and his heart skip a beat?"

Merin hesitated, torn between the fear of making a fool of himself and the tiny, tentative spark of excitement that flared to life in his chest at the thought of seeing Roman's reaction, of knowing that he had put in the effort to look his best for their big night out.

"I don't know, Margareth. I'm not really the shopping type. And besides, I wouldn't even know where to start."

Margareth waved a dismissive hand, already pulling out her phone and scrolling through her contacts. "Leave that to me, my dear. I know just the place. And I'm sure Larry won't mind if we borrow you for a few hours, not when it's for such a good cause."

She winked at him, a sly, conspiratorial grin on her face, and despite himself, Merin felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe, with Margareth's help and a little bit of courage… he could be the kind of man that Roman wanted, the kind of man he deserved.

"Okay," he said, his voice still a little shaky but filled with a new sense of determination. "Okay, let's do it. Let's go find me something to wear."