Page 24 of Once Upon A Bear

Gideon tried not to scoff. It was purely survival at this point.

And it was easier to scoff than to think about how kind his father sounded.

“I try to take my frustration out this way,” he said when it became clear that his father was waiting for an answer, “rather than taking it out on a real human.” He gestured to the training dummy, which had been crudely fashioned with feed sacks, twine, and a chopped straw filling to resemble a human torso. “He doesn’t feel pain.”

“You know, we wouldn’t mind you telling us your frustrations,” his father said.

Gideon’s jaw clenched. “I would if I could.”

The guilt fueled another few rounds of punching the bag while the years of sorrow furrowed his father’s brow.

“I know you say that,” he said gently when Gideon finally stopped punching, “but we worry about you.”

“I worry about me too,” Gideon muttered to himself.

“What?” his father asked. Gideon didn’t know if he’d heard him and wanted clarification, or if he wasn’t sure what he’d muttered.

Either way, he couldn’t clarify. Gideon shook his head, then began unwinding the strips of fabric he’d wrapped around his fists.

If only there was some way to tell them what was happening, so they didn’t think the worst of him.

“Do you think magic is real?” he asked abruptly.

Father cocked his head, looking at Gideon with eyes that were so perceptive and yet so unknowing. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I know there are legends of dragons and magic, but I can’t fathom that they’re true.”

And there was the problem, because even if he could tell his family…why would they believe him?

Gideon sat at the desk with the ledger open in front of him and a stack of invoices beside it. Since he wasn't always around, he did his best to catch up on his duties when he could. But unfortunately for him, the stack of invoices had only grown taller, and soon enough, he would have to admit to his family that he had fallen behind.

He'd been able to keep up relatively well in the beginning days of the curse, but lately, he had been spending too much time as a bear to keep up with all the paperwork.

He began with the paper on top, noting it down in the appropriate spot in the ledger and adding the figures to the column. As the second son, he was here to support Kellan and his father by managing the books. While some estates had a steward who managed this, they had decided early on that it would be a good task for Gideon, and it had been—until he began disappearing regularly.

The study door snicked open, and Gideon looked up as his older brother slipped through, carrying an armful of papers.

Oh, no…more papers.

Gideon schooled his features into a pleasant smile and looked back down at his work as his brother approached and set the stack on the desk.

“You heard there's a bear around.” Kellan didn’t ask, just stated the fact.

Gideon's eyes snapped up toward his brother’s. “I did,” he said, the words rumbling in his chest.

“I want you to be careful,” his brother said. “It's dangerous out there by yourself, and I don't know where you go, but I know that our mother would be heartbroken if anything happened to you.”

“I'm sure you would just be glad to not have me disappearing anymore,” Gideon said dryly.

Kellan sat on the end of the desk and fixed him with a hard stare. “That’s not true, and you know it. You know there’s nothing that we would love more than for you to tell us what’s happening and come back to us. We both know this is not like you.”

“It’s been long enough, I'm pretty sure this is like me,” Gideon said with forced laughter.

His brother shook his head. “We're not giving up on you, even if you won't tell us what's going on.”

Warmth filled Gideon's chest. Even after everything, his family still loved him, cared for him…and hopefully soon he would be able to tell them everything.

“Now, how about if I help you with this stack?” his brother said, gesturing to the papers in front of them. “I know how easy it is to fall behind.”

Kellan didn't have to do that. It wasn't his job. But it felt like he wanted to spend time with Gideon, who appreciated the gesture and the offer of help more than he could admit.