Kaven chuckled and took his seat on the bed next to me. The laughter quickly dissipated, replaced with unspoken tension. When I looked back at him, he was picking the skin off his thumb.
“This town is so small,” he muttered.
I sat up. “What?”
He stopped picking.
“I want to leave Oak Hollow,” he admitted. “With you.”
My eyes widened, and a glimmer of panic shone across Kaven’s face.
“Kaven—” I started, but couldn’t finish. I didn’t know what to say.
His brow shot upward, and tense lines formed across his forehead. His eyes locked with mine, pleading and impatient.
“Mavis, please just listen.” He gripped my arm. “You have been taking care of your mother for eightyears.I have been taking care of Alona and GrandmotherAlma for eleven. We have become so accustomed to taking care of others that we have forgotten about ourselves, about our own lives.”
He held me firmly in place. I might have been shaking. A mixture of frustration, panic, and confusion whirled within me.
“We deserve something better. That’s what I want, and, gods… I hope that’s what you want too.”
“Where would we go?”
Kaven scratched the top of his head. “I’m not sure yet. Maybe the capital?”
“But you love Alona and Grandmother Alma. Why would you leave them?”
“You know I love them, and so do they. They appreciate everything I’ve done for them all these years, but they know that staying here in Oak Hollow isn’t what’s best for me—for us.”
Something inside me bristled at the idea of others gathering around to talk aboutmyfuture, as if I wouldn’t want to be part of the conversation.
“And they know what’s best for me? You thinkyouknow what’s best for me?” I stood and faced him, crossing my arms over my chest. “Please tell me what that is.”
It was a challenge, making him roll his shoulders back.
“I know that spending all your time working, or reminding your mother to eat, wash—”
“You are drastically overstepping, and I caution you to choose your next wordsverycarefully.” My words were calm but clipped.
Kaven groaned.
“You can’t keep doing this alone,” he said. “It’s killing you.”
“You would have me leave her then?”
“There are people—caretakers—who specialize in these types of situations and can look after her. We could leave and send money back for her care.” He threw his chin back in exasperation.
“You make it all sound so simple, but do you know what you’re saying? Do you understand what led to all of this? She couldn’t take it! Willam was taken, my father…” I paused, unable to finish my sentence. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I continued.
“She broke under the stress of it all. How do you think she would fare if the last member of her family were to abandon her as well? It would kill her. I willnotkill my mother!”
Kaven rubbed hard at his temples as if trying to soothe a nagging migraine. Then, he looked back at me and squeezed my hand, begging for understanding. But I couldn’t give it to him.
I couldn’t believe he’d say that—as if he didn’t know what my family meant to me. It was something I thought we had in common. My duty to my family was far more important than some half-concocted dream. Chasing after another life wouldn’t make my current one disappear.
Kaven ran his hand down my arm, handling me like one would a wounded animal.
“Please, just think about it at least? That’s all I ask.” His words were a broken whisper.
