Damien sat alone in the bed, his face arrested in exhaustion. What had been a productive half-hour of reconciliation, had turned into yet another obstacle between Damien and Natalia. This obstacle was different from the ones they had just grappled with, involving barriers between their mutual understanding of one another and their latent intimacy struggling to be unleashed. Natalia couldn't deal with the stresses of life without resorting to negative and unhealthy behaviors, and Damien had forged a life of serving others in avoidance of past tragedy and suffering. The tangled intimacy they tried to enjoy was defined by the past, but was addressed in the present — that's how they were able to come this far. Deciding to lie naked next to a beautiful woman in her bed began to resolve the tensions at hand.
Natalia receiving a call about her father was an entirely different, more elevated, conflict. It was fraught with pitfalls unknown and unpredictable to a stranger such as himself. Damien sighed deeply, in momentary resignation. His ardent desire was to bring Natalia up from the dregs of her current life, and honestly wondered if this phone call would drag her farther down than before. There were no shortage of vile and wretched dealers in walking distance to assist Natalia should a moment of emotional collapse happen to strike. A fear gripped Damien then, and he considered the very real possibility that he and Natalia would forever remain strangers at the deepest level, however casually linked their souls may be.
Damien felt the need to engage life, but decided he could not move. He managed to cross his legs, and lowered his head into his waiting hands. Damien needed to think hard about his situation. Damien needed to consider what he had to do, and not just regarding Natalia. His mother's remains would be transferred, and luckily, she was being cremated sometime today. Briar's Funeral Services was known for their prompt, professional service, and promised to contact Damien when his mother was ready for -- well, whatever memorial Damien wanted to hold. The only thing wrong was that Damien wasn't precisely certain what type of memorial to prepare, or who to invite. The people who should be attending - his father and brother - had zero interest (or, so Damien assumed), since they had not been heard from in so long. Even if Damien wanted them in attendance, he had no idea how to contact them. No one was alive who knew his mother, and whoever attended would be there to support Damien. That unsettled him, for some reason; any memorial gathering for his mother should be for his mother - making it about himself would be abject selfishness.
Damien left the bed, and wrapped himself in the towel he'd taken from the bathroom earlier. Natalia had to, for better or worse, factor into his schedule over the next few days. If Damien left her alone now, in spite of having hid the drugs she then possessed, she would likely return to her perennial abuse and self-destructive methods of coping. If Damien brought her along and included her, he ran the risk of exposing Natalia to fundamental parts of his core life and personality. Damien's self-preservation screamed reluctance, but begrudgingly acknowledged that he craved an intimate presence that cared for his suffering, as much as her own. It was possible that Natalia could be that person, but was unsure if Natalia wanted to provide that role at the moment. He realized then that a stale numbness infected his chest. It was a temporary shore against the tide of his grief in the wake of his mother's death. It would not last long, and Damien didn't know how Natalia would react when the dam faltered.
Damien entered the kitchen, watching Natalia finish prepare the tea. "Talia, ... let me know what you need when you decide what you want to do about Russia."
Damien paused, filled with a pale dread at what might ensue. "Baby, I need to take care of some business with my mom today ... over the next few days, actually. I don't know what you have planned, but if you wanted to tag along ..."
