He heard her before he saw her. There was still strain in his face. Immediately, Aslan moved toward the voice.

His heart leapt when he saw Nettie with her back to Nisa, but he let out a breath of a laugh when he saw what they had been doing. Thank Allah she was just choosing the flowers for Nettie’s future grave.

“I did not know-” what you were up to “-where you went,” he said, each word picked carefully. “I worried. That is all.”

His gaze returned to Nisa, briefly, as Nettie gushed about Nisa bringing her out.

“She’s thoughtful like that,” Aslan answered, smiling politely.

He was sure she’d put a lot of thought into what she could do next.

When Malachi made up another coughing fit, Aslan made a point to step aside and put a hearty amount of distance between them. Last thing he wanted to do was give Nisa justification to kill him a la preventing, what, supposed tuberculosis spread?

“Some rest should clear that cough up,” he said. “We shouldn’t keep you two long. Nisa – are you ready to go?”