"I suppose we are."

She takes a deep breath and then hugs him, burying her face in his shoulder. This still okay?

Hug. 

You're still the same person you were yesterday. And this isn't your fault. 

No, but the situation isn't the same as it was yesterday, either. Or - I guess it is, but our understanding of it is now very different.

Of course it is. But – I don't owe you any less because of what I owe her. 

Well, that definitely makes me feel an embarrassing amount better, even if I am not entirely sure that it's - possible, for you to successfully be the thing you are for me for two people at once.

Maybe once we find the lich's notes I'll be able to duplicate myself.

That would certainly make a lot of things easier. It probably involves lots of horrible blood sacrifice, though.

The way he did it, I'm sure. But people are always resorting to horrible blood sacrifices just because they can't be bothered to think of something clever.

I suppose you are probably the world's leading expert in how to achieve great things that others have only achieved via horrible blood sacrifice.

Thank you. For - I don't know. It's scary to think about not having enough of you. I keep wondering if I should be falling back into - thinking about what I want from this situation first, and only communicating about things once I've determined what that is and how best to get it. It's not a way I've been tempted to interact with you for a very long time. And I don't want to now, either, but - well, before there was only one of me.

He understands. It's much the same reason he doesn't want two wives: already, he has to watch what he tells the one Naima, so that he doesn't betray the confidence of the other. It's not that he can't imagine wondering all the time what she might be keeping from him – he can, and with very little mental exercise. He doesn't want to. 

Please don't do that. 

He likes problems he can solve with magic. 

It did strike me as something you wouldn't like at all. I'll do my best to keep being open. It's just - nerve-wracking.

And it's not that I don't think it's possible for someone to be a good spouse to two women. Or even that I think it isn't possible for you. It's just - you remember the conversation we had about it, before we got married?

I remember. I believe you asked me to consult you before deciding to marry anyone else. 

It seemed like a very reasonable thing to ask, at the time. I was trying very hard to be reasonable, then. - you know, I also had an item on the list about not wanting you to hit me, and then I never got around to saying it. It just seemed like there was no possible way of saying it that wasn't either insulting or risking sounding unreasonable.

And then, do you remember, when we went to talk to Saira about the vows? That poor woman, I don't think I understood – 

She was so confused. And so concerned, about whether you were going to attempt to declare yourself legally incompetent in some misguided attempt to legally protect me from your future self - I probably could have helped more, but I was enjoying every ridiculous and perfect thing you said too much to end it -

- not her, actually, it dimly occurs to her, but she doesn't really feel like noting that -

We really didn't know what we were doing, did we? No more than we do now. 

We really didn't. I don't think I could have imagined how well things were going to go beforehand.

Maybe I'm being insane. Maybe there's more than enough space in my life for two of me, given how little time I typically have for my life anyway. Or maybe this really is terrible, but it's because I'm actually a lich-created monstrosity who's a danger to my friends and my husband and my children, which I thought we were done with, and not because sharing you with a version of me who isn't a lich-created monstrosity will leave me with half of the relationship I currently have with you and mean I am no longer the partner who you face everything with or prioritize above everyone else.

I am admittedly still scared about all of those things. Even though I understand that it's - we can't leave her.

He wants more than anything to promise her that nothing will change, but the other Naima – the first Naima – will want just the same thing, and he can't give the first place in his heart to both of them. He knows what Félix would say, if he were here: don't be so full of yourself. The first Naima might not want anything to do with you. You haven't been much of a husband to her. 

We can't. Do you want me to change her back now, or wait until you're done with your route for the day? 

Oh, right, my route. 

...I selfishly want to spend more time with you here, talking, before the other Naima is a part of our lives and is never not a part of our lives ever again, and my snap guess is that given how you treated her before she will want you to have unbooked her and apologized and assured her that everything will be fine as soon as possible after you knew, and of course I suppose that it is better for the people waiting if I get back to tapping them and not having marital drama.

...what do you want, you being the other involved party here?

He wants the two Naimas to get along like perfect extensions of a single self, and failing that he wishes they'd show some sign of comfort at being in the same room together, and failing that he wants her to stay here for moral support. No point in dwelling: he's not getting any of it. 

Oh, I'm a simple man. Just as long as you're still speaking to me and we have the lich's phylactery by the end of the week, I'm satisfied. 

Is there some reason I'd want to talk to you less rather than more right now?

Because he made a promise he can't keep. 

Not now, but I don't like to underestimate my own ability to make things worse. 

...I want to say that you should probably be more prepared for both of us wanting more of you rather than less, but actually given how I was feeling at the beginning of this conversation I guess I am not actually entirely sure that's true? But it's not - 

- if either of us ends up talking to you noticeably less, and we haven't been clear about being upset about something, uh, I think I would assume that we're trying to avoid taking up space rather than being angry with you. I'm going to try very hard to be open and honest and clear about how I'm feeling, but - this is sort of one of the more challenging situations in which I have had to do that with you.

....Yeah, ironic detachment was never going to work. 

I'm afraid that if I try to do the same it'll end in pitting the two of us against her.

Well, you can be open and honest and clear about how you're feeling with her, too, right?