CONSTELLATIONS | Poe Dameron

CHAPTER XLI

"Where the hell have you been, Dreis?" Tash asked, storming into my room without knocking.

I sat down the brush I was running through my damp hair. "I went on a run. Needed to clear my mind. Nice of you to knock, by the way. You've been spending too much time with Ezra."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Please don't insult me." She sat next to me, picking up the brush to continue where I had left off, gently tugging out the knots. "How is she, Si?"

"She's-" I started, trying to find the words. "Tash, it isn't good. I think... I think we all need to prepare ourselves for losing her soon." The brushing stilled against my hair before falling away. I turned and faced Tash, ready for the onslaught of questions as her cheeks flushed red.

"What the fuck do you mean 'prepare ourselves?'"

"She doesn't want us to-"

"The only thing we should be preparing ourselves for is figuring out what is wrong with her so that we can help. Or have you suddenly forgotten that oath that you took?"

Anger threatened to crack through me like a whip, but I held it at bay as I regarded my friend. I knew that Tash lashed out when she was scared or worried. That's all this was. I took a deep breath, willing the anger to leave me with it. I'd had enough of it for the day.

"I haven't forgotten, Tash. Part of that oath was to heed that understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife. We must do our best to understand Leia's wishes, whether we agree with them or not."

"So if I was sick and didn't want help, you'd just let me go then?"

"Shut up. This is completely different."

Tash narrowed her eyes. "You know something we don't."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, debating what to tell her. I huffed out a breath and grabbed her hands. "This is something we can't fight. No medicine will 'cure' this. Leia has lived hand-in-hand with the Force her entire life, but the Force is leaving her. We have to accept that."

"And she told you this?"

I met her eyes with a nod. "Yes."

I could see her resolve crumble by the second. It started with her gnawing on the inside of her cheek, then she looked at the wall with her lips pressed together tightly. Then, with a slight tilt of her head, a tear escaped the corner of her eye. "Okay."

I wiped the tear before pulling her to me and tucking her head on my shoulder. She wrapped her arms around my waist tightly.

"We will be okay," I started. "She has led the way for us all of these years, and we've been paying attention. She has always known that we would be the ones to carry on after her. Leia believes that we will be okay, so I do too."

Tash let out a loud sigh. "Well, if the two smartest women I know say it, then I guess I have to believe it as well." She sat up, playing with the ring on my finger. "The future just seems so uncertain. So far away."

"I know one aspect of the future that's pretty certain, and it may cheer you up." I was bursting at the seams to tell her about the pregnancy, and it may be wrong to use it as a distraction. However, the news was currently keeping my emotions afloat, and I knew that Tash would be excited.

"Try me, Dreis," Tash said with an eye roll.

"I'm pregnant, Tash."

I swear her eyes were about to bulge out of her head. She just sat there, staring at me while opening and closing her mouth.

"You- you-"

"You alright?" I asked through laughter.

"YOU'RE PREGN-"