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"Tell me about her?" Kennedy asks one day. In her hands is a picture of Tara, and Willow's breath catches in her throat.
"You don't have to," she continues, after catching the look on Willow's face. "But she was an important part of your life. I'd like to know more."
Willow sits on the bed and lies back, stares at the ceiling. She feels Kennedy lie beside her, but doesn't look at her girlfriend.
There's a tense silence for a moment before Willow speaks.
"She was... amazing," Willow pauses to swallow, fight back the tears that spring to her eyes. Even after all this time, she feels Tara's absence. "She made me who I am."
"What do you mean?" Kennedy's voice is quiet, understanding the importance of this conversation and Willow is grateful for it.
"I met Tara in a witch group. They were more interested in bake sales than magic, but Tara was different. Special. Quietly powerful."
Kennedy shifts, moving closer until their shoulders touch, and Willow laces their fingers together.
"She helped me grow. With my magic, and just me, as a person. And I did the same for her. We were soulmates."
Willow lets the tears flow now, couldn't stop them if she tried.
"I messed it up," Willow whispers. "The magic... and I hurt her. Not physically, but worse than that. I betrayed her trust. And she left me. Goddess, I've never felt pain like that."
Kennedy presses a small kiss to her shoulder, silently encouraging he to go on.
"It took a little while, but I got her back. She let me back in, and then I lost her again."
She chokes on a sob, and Kennedy's arm comes around her, stroke through her hair soothingly. It helps, a little, but Willow lets herself cry. "She wasn't supposed to die. She was supposed to live, until we was old and wrinkly and be happy and she wasn't supposed to die!"
Willow can't push any more words out, can't hear anything over the ache on her heart, the grief in her soul.
"Shh. It's okay. Wherever she is now, I know she's looking at you, and she's so proud of you, Willow." Kennedy pulls her closer, lets Willow curl herself around her and just holds her. "I don't know much about her, but I know she loved you. And you loved her, and you always will and she knew that. It's okay, Willow. It's okay."