"I am so happy, Rory. So happy that... I don't know how to express it."
Rory frowned.
Happy? Then you should laugh, dummy, she wanted to say.
"Then why are you crying? You should be laughing if you're happy?" She said, the frown not leaving her face. Esther chuckled.
"I know, but I couldn't help it. I am so overwhelmed." She sat up and turned towards the fireplace, gazing distantly into the burning wood which sparked a reflection in her brown eyes. A smile broke on her lips, but she still had unshed tears settling on her long lashes.
Rory's frown deepened. What was overwhelming that could make you cry instead of laughing when you're happy? She began to think. They had not talked of anything else apart from food, so what could it be?
"What happened?" She asked and Esther sighed deeply, her eyes not leaving the fire.
"Finally..." She began, "Finally, Rory, after so many years..." She sniffed, and continued. "After nine whole years, I get to see them. I get to see my family."
