Sam gave a nod, lurking uncertainly.
She hugged Sam to her, saying for his ear alone, “Something wrong? I know you finished your homework.”
“I did.” Sam whispered into her shoulder, “Rocky and the others didn’t come out. I think because we have visitors. And the girls are talking about boring stuff.”
“Then since we have company, you may have extra drawing time, if you like.”
Sam’s face lit, and he scampered off toward his room.
Wendy took the coffee pot in for refills. The conversation had moved on to favorite restaurants that Alejo ought to try, and glided along easily until the girls reappeared. They stashed their bowls in the sink, and then Joey Hu rose. “We probably shouldn’t take up your evening,” he said. “Especially on a school night.”
He turned to Lisi and Oriane, who were both reaching for their phones. “Oriane, when you’re ready to start school, Professor Endicott volunteered to pick you up. The Endicotts only live a few blocks from here. You can ride with Lisi.”
Oriane turned to Lisi, and the two girls grinned at each other. “Thank you very much,” she said. Oriane looked at her phone, then at Lisi, saying, “I am ready.” Then she turned to Alejo, her tantrum earlier clearly forgotten, and said, “I can go, when?”
“How about we drive over tomorrow and get you signed up, then you can start riding with Lisi on Monday, if that’s okay with Professor Endicott?”
It was. Wendy grinned as looks passed between Alejo and the two professors, and then the visitors said their goodbyes.
Lily withdrew quietly. Eve stashed her coffee cup in the dishwasher, and flashed a smile at Wendy and Alejo before saying, “Good people, Doris and Joey. He backs up Godiva whenever there’s red tape. Any friend of his should be fine for the kid.”
Alejo said, “Thanks. That’s my impression.”
Eve gave a jaunty wave and went off to her room. As soon as her door shut, Oriane said, “Lisi turns into the corbeau. What is the word, cuervo, is it crow?”
“It’s actually raven,” Wendy said, and refrained from commending on Oriane finally venturing a sentence in English. “They are related, but ravens are larger birds, and they tend to fly in pairs, rather than in groups, like crows.”
“It is a very pretty bird,” Oriane said. “Her mother is also a cor—a raven. How is this, they can be the same bird, but we are not the same?” She turned to Alejo.
“We’re mythic shifters. Though some mythic shifters also run in families, like dragons, others show up more rarely. My guess is, there might be a simurgh way back in your mother’s family, maybe your great-great-grandmother, or even farther.”
“Bon,” Oriane said, her attention already straying to her phone—which had pinged.
She started off to her room where, Wendy fully believed, Oriane would spend the next few hours texting madly, now that she had someone besides her mother to text with. But then she slowed, and turned around, her steps lagging.
Looking anywhere but at Alejo, Oriane said—in English—“I am sorry. What I said. It is not true.”
“It’s okay,” Alejo said kindly. “You were scared. And we’re both trying to figure out how to be a family.”
Oriane’s response was to lean up and give him a quick peck on the cheek, then she scampered off, her thumbs busy working at her phone.
Alejo turned to Wendy, and she cherished how he did just that. Turned to her. As if what she thought, how she felt, mattered.
* * *
The next morning, breakfast was a rollercoaster. Oriane’s spirits veered between anticipation, worry, and impatience, while poor Sam’s eyes strayed toward the garden. He seemed to be more concerned about the non-appearance of his animal friends as each day slipped by without their appearance.
Alejo did check slightly when Oriane appeared, wearing torn jeans that she’d obviously been hoarding, and a ripped top with a sort of corset-vest over it. At least everything was covered. But Alejo wasn’t looking at the clothes. He blinked at the thick, heavy eye makeup that Oriane had slathered on, then sent a thought to Wendy:Should I let her go like that? She looks more like a raccoon than a racoon does!
Wendy remembered so well being that age, and the urge to apply makeup as a kind of mask.She’s hiding behind it. And we’ve never established rules, so springing one on her now might set everything back. Besides, I’m sure the middle school has rules about clothes, tattoos, piercings, and heavy make-up. Let them be the bad guys.
Everyone dispersed to school and work. Wendy now counted Linette as a friend, even if she didn’t quite dare to try the writers’ group again.
She’d tied on her apron and was just finishing setting the freshly frosted donuts in the front case when she was aware of Alejo’s connection, warm and enticing, like the echo of a hug.You were right,came his thought. Oriane now has a list of rules—and she saw that Lisi and the rest of the girls follow those rules. She could feel Alejo’s vast sigh of relief.
That seemed to take care of Oriane.
Due to catching every single red light, Wendy got home at the same time as Sam, who ran out into the garden, then immediately returned. But he didn’t look upset.
