“Mama, I’m home!”
Robbie’s voice rang out, high and bright with joy. As if he hadn’t just been forced to do a man’s work. As if he was still a happy little boy. As if nothing in the world had changed. Before Olive or Clem could do more than scramble aside, Robbie launched himself onto the bed in a blur of energy. He nestled into Anna’s side like a child half his age, nuzzling her shoulder and letting out a stream of delighted little monkey noises.
Anna’s eyes, cloudy and distant only minutes ago, sharpened as they found her son’s face. “Robbie,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and holding on tight, burying her face in his hair.
Olive’s hand flew to her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks, hot and unstoppable. Her mother was back. Her brother was back. They were together again. Yet…
She turned to the doorway. Emil stood there, quietly watching, waiting, raw emotions flickering over his face like cascading music notes. She raised a trembling hand toward him, unable to form words. She didn’t need to. In two long strides, he crossed the room and folded her into his arms. She collapsed against him, burying her face in his shoulder, letting herself fall into the safety he offered.
“Thank you,” she wept into the crook of his neck. “Thank you, thank you?—”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he murmured, holding her tighter. “I’d do it a hundred times over.”
“I love you.”
“And I love you, min käraste. Always. Forever.”
The circle was complete.
Olive had just finished rinsing and drying her face when voices rose behind her.
“She isn’t moving in with you,” Emil insisted.
“Well, she can’t stay here,” Clem replied.
“Obviously not. She’s moving in with me.”
“So you can ruin her on top of everything else they’ve been though? That’s a brilliant plan.”
“Don’t talk to me like I don’t know what they’ve been through.” Emil’s tone was quickly changing from mild irritation to full-blown annoyance. “Like I’m what’s bad for her. I was there, unlike you. I was there when she was hungry. When she fainted. When she felt trapped. I helped her when no one else would. Where were you?”
“I’ve also been there?—”
“No, you haven’t. You’ve devoted yourself to the vote. To finding Rhoda. And in the process, you overlooked Olive. Because she’s quiet. Because she’s gentle. Because she doesn’t demand your attention the way some others do.”
Clem’s gasp was raw and wounded. “I never?—”
“Enough!” Olive shouted, her dismay making her voice sharp. The room fell silent. Even Robbie held still in the bed. “That’s enough from both of you.”
Clem turned to her, her small frame stiff with indignation. But now that Olive had worked past her worst worries, she was finally able to see that underneath the scowl, Clem looked utterly spent. Her spine was still straight, but her eyes were ringed with fatigue. She’d given so much. Too much. Compassion welled in Olive’s chest. Clem had been holding the whole Society on her shoulders for months, maybe longer. Of course she’d offer them a home. Of course she’d insist they weren’t a burden. But what if she wasn’t saying how much the weight cost her?
She took a breath, let her clarity settle. Then she turned to Emil, her voice steady.
“First, you will apologize to Clem. No matter how upset you are, she doesn’t deserve to be spoken to like that. She offered me a solution out of kindness—not out of obligation. I am grateful for her offer.”
Emil looked away, jaw tight. “Sorry,” he muttered.
Then she turned to Clem, who was watching her now with a guilty expression. “And you’ll apologize to Emil. He has gone out of his way for me. Again and again. Yes, he’s made mistakes. So have I. So have you. But who I trust is my decision. You don’t need to fight my battles for me. Not anymore.”
Clem hesitated, then dipped her head. “I’m sorry.”
Olive nodded once, then faced Emil again. “All right. What’s your plan?”
He shifted his weight awkwardly, glancing around at the others still lingering in the room. “In front of everyone?”
“No,” Clem said immediately, moving toward the door. She reached out and grabbed onto a stunned-looking Winnie standing in the entrance of the kitchenette. “We’ll give you privacy. Robbie, want to come with us?”
“Can we get Cracker Jack?” Robbie asked, still half-curled on the bed beside Anna.
