“
Ghilly returned with a tiarë flower tucked behind her ear and another for each of them. “There’s a thicket of them over there,” she said, handing the flowers out. “There, Fitzroy, that’s a proper Islander look.”
“Proper for Tisiamo,” Toucan murmured, but he was smiling. “No, Fitzroy, you put it behind your left ear if you’re single—your right if you’re taken.”
Fitzroy gave Cliopher a very brilliant look and carefully moved the flower to his right ear.
Cliopher felt a wash of some nameless emotion—some indescribable wonder, some intense humility, some astonishing gratitude, some sort of awe. He blinked hard, unable to prevent the smile, the dawning joy, from showing on his face.
“Don’t hurt yourself,” Toucan whispered. “He’ll still be there tomorrow.
”
”