Chloe
“What are you doing?” Emmanuel signs, a curious expression on his face, head tilted to one side.
“Building a blanket fort,” I say, grinning at his confusion. “We can’t have movie night without a blanket fort.”
I finish draping the blanket over the two chairs I’d placed in front of the sofa. The TV room on the second floor is comfy, don’t get me wrong, but like everything else in the house, it’s lavish and cold.
Maria had been helpful, telling me where to find a stockpile of blankets in the hallway closet, and I’d brought them with the intent to turn it into a cozy nook.
“Come on then.” I grab another blanket from the pile and unfold it. “I need your help with this one.”
We spend the next twenty minutes transforming the space. Pushing the couch, armchairs, and several other pieces of furniture together to create the frame. Then, draping the blankets over the top of them to form a canopy of sorts. I use clothespins to secure the edges, making sure the whole thing is strong enough not to collapse on us mid-movie.
Emmanuel throws himself into the project with the most enthusiasm I have seen since arriving here. His hands fly in sign rapidly as he makes suggestions as we build. We add pillows to the carpet floor inside, creating a nest of softness much like that found inside his castle. I string up a short line of Christmas lights I’d found in the storage closet, and suddenly our fort is transformed into something magical.
“What do you think?” I sign when we’re done, both of us kneeling at the entrance to our creation.
He crawls inside, his eyes widening as he takes in the cozy space. The lights cast a warm glow over everything, and the blankets create a sense of enclosure that is comforting rather than claustrophobic.
He turns to me with the biggest smile I’ve seen from him yet, signing, “It’s perfect.”
My heart squeezes. “What movie are we going to watch?”
He crawls back out of the fort, goes to the cabinet pulls out a DVD, places the disc in the player, and grabs the remotes beforemotioning me inside. We both settle inside the fort, and he presses a few buttons, bringing the TV to life.
The opening screen scrolls by:Quest for Camelot. His favorite, of course. This is the movie that inspired his entire bedroom.
“Perfect choice,” I tell him. “Get comfortable. I’ll go get snacks.”
I make a quick trip downstairs to the kitchen and find Maria still cleaning up after dinner. She laughs when I explain what we’re doing and loads a platter with popcorn, juice boxes, and some of the cookies she baked this afternoon.
“You’re good for him,” she says as she hands me the tray. “I haven’t seen Emmanuel this happy in a very long time.”
“I’m just trying to help,” I say bashfully.
“You’re doing more than that, cara.” She pats my arm affectionately. “You’re giving him back pieces of his childhood. That’s no small thing.”
With a smile I can’t wipe from my face I carry the tray back upstairs. I really can’t afford to get more attached to Emmanuel than I already am, but I can’t banish Maria’s words.
Three weeks and two days left. That’s it. I think somberly.
Emmanuel is already settled inside the fort when I return, having arranged the pillows into the perfect viewing setup and burrowing into them. I set the snacks between us, and soon, we’re both absorbed in the familiar story of Kayley and Garret and their quest to save Camelot.
We’re about twenty minutes into the movie when Emmanuel turns to me and waves for my attention.
“I like Garrett,” he signs during a quieter scene.
“Me too. He’s brave,” I say.
“He’s an orphan. Like the kids at the orphanage,” he signs.
I nod. “Like them in ways, yes.”
“He never knew his parents.” Emmanuel’s face is thoughtful as he signs, sad almost. “That must be hard. To never know where you came from.”
“It can be,” I agree cautiously. “But sometimes the family you choose is just as important as the one you’re born into.”
He’s quiet for a moment, watching Garrett and Kayley navigate through the Forbidden Forest on the screen. Then his hands move again, slower this time.
