Ida had made herself known in the community the moment she moved in, re-acquainting with old friends and quickly making new ones. Every time I turned my back, she found someone else to talk to. This errand was no exception.
As I approached the duplex, I found Ida chatting with a Thornian woman around her age who held the hand of a small, gray Arielna child. Her front door squeaked open and Theo stepped out, joining the mix as I did.
“Alright, Ida, I finished with the pantry. What’s next?” When his eyes landed on the child, his shoulders tensed subtly. Odd.
The little boy leaned back to look all the way up at Theo. “Why are you feral?” he asked, pointing to Theo’s tattoos.
Theo hugged his own arms as if…insecure? His shoulders hunched, making himself smaller.
Knowing the emotional weight of that question, I intervened. “He’s not angry, it’s just how he looks.” I patted Theo’s arm to demonstrate his docility.
“Oh, ok!” the kid agreed without further questioning.
“So, you just come on by whenever!” Ida was mid conversation. “I can absolutely stitch up those pants like new!”
“How much?” the woman asked.
“No charge. It’ll take me five minutes and I’m looking forward to having visitors. Bring anything else that needs a little love and I’ll take a look.”
I glanced at Theo. His eyes were directed at the boy, but he looked right through him.
The small child must have thought his days were numbered; he was being stared down by a seven-foot giant with anger tattoos on his skin. He stepped behind the grown Thornian woman and peeked out at Theo.
“Theo, get the door for me?” I asked quickly. I didn’t need the help, but clearlyTheodid. Weird. He was usually so socially aware and pleasant with strangers.
We stepped into the small house and I set the bag down. Theo just stood there, staring at nothing. Three arms wrapped around himself, the fourth scratched at the scar above his ear as if wanting to claw it off.
“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked, placing both hands on his chest. I knew I shouldn’t be using pet names with him, but I couldn’t help it in moments like this when my heart reached out for his.
“Nothing’s wrong.” His tone was flat.
“Sure,” I sighed. Ida was about to walk in through the door. It was a lost cause to try discussing this now. “Do you want to go for a walk or something? You don’t look too hot. I can take it from here.”
The suggestion he stop helping seemed to click something into place. His eyes flickered towards a more present awareness, but his pleasantly fake expression didn’t fool me. “Really, I’m good. Thanks for grabbing us lunch. Let me show you what I’ve done so you know where everything is.”
The kinks in my neck were brutal. Was I alreadythatspoiled from sleeping on a mattress again? Laying on nothing but blankets and furs last night had done a number on me. I considered crawling on top of Theo more than once for comfort but didn’t want Ida to walk in on that. Plus, I knew the moment I settled into him I’d start crying at the idea of never sleeping on top of him again.
Theo had left to run errands at the crack of dawn, slipping out before I could join.
I leaned on Ida’s new counter, nursing a cup of Trebianna-edition coffee.
She’d also been up bright and early, as signaled by the soft sounds of her moving about. Cabinets had opened and closed. Her chair in the kitchen squeaked against the tile when she pivoted back and forth between stove and low countertops. Water ran in the shower, conveniently made with a bench for her to sit on. She'd been making good use of every feature of her new home.
I hadn’t seen Ida so empowered—solight—since I met her. There’d always been a shroud of frustration at her amputation and that burden seemed lessened here. Not gone, but improving. Hopeful.
Now, Ida sat in her rocking chair, knitting away. “You’ve found yourself a good male,” she said.
I nearly choked on my coffee. “I haven’tfoundanything.”
“Oh please, I didn’t lose my eyes, Vivian.”
“Well, maybe get them checked,” I muttered. “Theo is walking me back to my field and then getting back to his life up north.”
She scoffed. “You don’t think he won’t have to come back to pay for this house sometimes? Sounds like a lot of trouble for someone who doesn’t intend to stay in the area…”
“Maybe he’ll send a check in the mail.” Did checks even exist here?
An ember of hope crackled in my chest, and I wanted to douse it in rainwater. I hated that Ida was trying to fan the flames.Nowshe was praising Theo? Where was the pessimism she had for him when we thought he was dead in a pile of snow? It’d been a pleasant surprise when he showed up alive, and I hadn’t spent all of winter holding out for potential devastation.
