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“Cassian!” Maarva called, emotion making her voice crack. “Cassian!”
“He’s not here, Maarva,” Clem said.
“Where could he be?” Maarva dropped down on the stone steps of the street and hid her face in her hands.
Clem sat next to her. “Don’t cry, Maarv. We’ll find him. Bee and Brasso are out looking too.” He hugged her into his side, rubbing her arm. “We’ll find him.”
“I know this hasn’t been easy,” Maarva said, wiping her eyes. “On any of us. But if I’d realized he had a sister—”
“You’d have brought them both back here,” Clem said. “Don’t think I don’t know it. You have a big heart, Maarva.”
She scoffed. “For all the good it’s done me.” Maarva shook her head as more tears welled up in her eyes. “I love him, Clem. As if he were my own. As if he were ours. I love him more than anything he could ever do.”
“Oh, Maarv,” Clem said, pulling her into his chest. “I know you do, love. I think he’s beginning to know it too. He just doesn’t quite trust it yet.”
The comm in Clem’s pocket chirped, and he fished it out.
“Brasso?”
“Found ‘im,” the grappler said. “He was trying to get one of the ships in the salvage yard to work.”
Maarva made a soft sound of despair.
“I’m bringin’ him back to your place, Clem. See you there.” Brasso cut the connection.
Clem stood and held out a hand to Maarva. “Come on, love. He’s safe. Brasso will get him home.”
Maarva allowed Clem to help her to her feet. “Will he ever want to stay?”
“Time will tell,” Clem said. “All we can do, is the best we can do.”
“And love him,” Maarva said.
“Aye. And love him,” Clem agreed.