“Oh?” she asks, looking hopeful.
“Come on,” I say, picking up Cassie and holding her against my chest. She’s tired from all the walking and quickly falls asleep.
I lead Sadie outside, down a quiet side street. The buildings are far older in this section of town, and a hush falls around us as the more modern amenities fall away.
Halfway down the street, I take Sadie into a modest, single-story building. She tilts her head back to look at the oldstone architecture, admiring the structure of the foyer. I walk up to the old wooden desk at the front and ring the bell.
“Wait on!” a voice calls. “I’m on my way.”
A couple of minutes later, an old, chubby woman shuffles to the front, adjusting her glasses and peering at me.
“Ah, Rhys!” she says. “Nice to see you. If I had a little help around here, I wouldn’t have had to keep you waiting.”
“That’s what I’m here about, Fern,” I reply. “This is Sadie, and she’s looking for work.”
“Ah.” Fern fiddles with her glasses again. “You like books?”
“I do,” Sadie says, smiling. “Is this a library?”
“Kind of,” Fern says. “I manage historical artifacts. Mostly books, yes, but items as well.”
“That sounds interesting,” Sadie says. “What would my duties be?”
“Damn, girl, if you know anything about modern accounting systems, it would be a gift from the lord himself.”
“I do!” Sadie laughs. “It’s actually what I’m certified for.”
“Then you can come in a few days a week and take care of all the computer stuff,” Fern says. “And leave me alone with my dusty relics.”
“You’ve got a deal,” Sadie says, reaching over to shake her hand.
Fern shakes, nods, then grunts as she turns around and shuffles away.
“She’s a little odd,” I say. “But nice. And she does need help.”
“I like her,” Sadie says, smiling. “Is she a—I mean, is she like you?”
“Yes,” I reply, giving her a meaningful look.
I want Sadie to integrate with the pack. Fern’s a bit of an outcast, so this could end up going really well.
“When should I start?” Sadie asks, looking into the doorway on the other side of the desk as if to call Fern back.
“Just come in tomorrow. Fern won’t keep strict hours. I’ll drop you off on my way to work.”
“Where do you work?”
“I’m glad you asked. I’ll show you.”
We walk back around to the car, and Cassie stays asleep in my arms the whole time. Holding my little girl in my arms is such a simple pleasure, and I never thought anything so small could make me so happy.
This marriage is turning into a very complicated mess. The council thinks getting rid of Sadie will be easy because they don’t really care about Cassie—but I do.
By the time we drive around to my shop, Cassie is awake again and eagerly looking out the window.
“Wow!” she says. “Look at all the cars!”
“That’s right, Cassie,” I reply. “This is my shop. I fix cars.”
