“I shut them in my room when I heard your car coming. They don’t really like people.” And they love any excuse to laze around on my bed for hours.
I open the cabinet above my tea kettle, and Este’s jaw drops. “Damn. You really like tea, huh?”
“It’s all I drink, and I like to have options.” My cheeks burn because I can admit that the tea cabinet is a little excessive, considering I’m one person. I must have over a hundred kinds in here, between the jars I pick up from the tea store in Jackson every time I go to town to stock up on supplies, and the blends I’ve made myself.
When you go through something traumatic, every person you meet seems to have a lot of advice. Most of it, in my experience, is bullshit. Herbal tea was a recommendation from my physiotherapist after the accident, and, though it didn’t change anything that had happened, it gave me fifteen minutes of calm and quiet while I focused on nothing but steeping and drinking the tea. It’s the only thing I’ve really stuck to over the years.
“It’s amazing. You must have everything,” Este says, eyeing my collection. “Any recommendations to help with sleep?”
I nod and pull a chair out from the table for her. “Sit.”
Shit, I really need to re-learn how to talk to people without sounding like a dick. But Este does sit, watching me as I pluck a couple of jars from the cabinet. I measure out afew chamomile buds, some lavender, rose, lemon verbena. It’s my favorite combination to drink when I’m struggling to sleep, which is most nights, so I go through it like water.
I feel her gaze on me, warm against my spine, while I pour the water and set the timer. I’m not much for small talk, and Este doesn’t try to fill the silence between us. When I place the steaming mug in front of her, she leans over and breathes it in, her eyes fluttering closed.
“That’s… wow.”
She sets her bear on the table so she can pick the cup up. I take a seat, eyeing the well-loved stuffed animal.
“Do you always take Amelia everywhere you go?”
“Amelia Bearhart—full name only,” she corrects, the corner of her mouth lifting.
“Of course. How dare I?”
“But no, not always. Just when I need her. I’ve had her since my dads got engaged. I know I’m probably too old?—”
“You’re not too old,” I interrupt. The last thing I want to do is make her feel bad, even if the bear’s beady eyes are a little creepy. “I have a mouse.”
“A mouse?”
“Milo. I got him when I was born—my dad used to call me and my sisters his three little mice, and we all had them. He lives on my dresser.”
“That’s adorable,” Este says, smiling softly. She sips her tea and sighs. I’ve just met her, but already I can see there’s an exhaustion weighing her down.
We don’t talk again as we drink our tea, but it’s comfortable. I was worried about having people in my house. Shay drops by a couple of times a year, but she hates the drive.Noelle’s sister, Rora, owns a cabin a mile away, and if she or her family are staying, they usually check in to see if I need anything. Mostly, though, it’s been just me, and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about having relative strangers here.
But Este’s company is easy.
I grab her bags from her car when we finish our tea and take her keys so I can move it to a more sheltered spot. The snow doesn’t look like it’s letting up anytime soon.
“Is this normal for April?” Este asks as we head upstairs.
“We get a light snow most springs, but it hasn’t been this heavy in a while.”
“We’re not going to get stuck, are we? Should I have stopped at the grocery store?” she asks, looking back at me, her brow furrowed.
“Unlikely. But if we do, I’m all stocked up, don’t worry. This is you.” I push open the door to her room.
Este steps inside and takes it in. “This is perfect. Cozy.”
My cabin has four bedrooms, which is four more than I need, considering how little I actually sleep, but the spare rooms were bare bones until I invited Bryan to stay, and I figured I should make them a little homier.
“There are extra pillows and blankets in the closet, and the bathroom is right across the hall. I’ll either be downstairs or in the room next door if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” She smiles, and my stomach flips. I barely ate dinner, because I was waiting for her to arrive and was worried about what to expect.
I tap the doorframe and turn to leave, but Este speaks:
