There was nothing she could say that wouldn’t feel like disrespect, so she nodded gently and swallowed back the thickness in her throat. Maybe if it were only the kind words of a well-meaning old lady, it wouldn’t have slammed back into her and ruined what little was left of her control, but it wasn’t just the old lady.
As soon as she turned into the dining room, she wished she’d done anything else but that. Sitting at the same table they’d occupied last night, Ira was leaning forward, chin propped up on his hand, elbow resting on the table. All his attention was on the little boy across from him, who was shoveling in bites of eggs, bacon, and toast in between sips of orange juice.
Ira laughed and gestured to the orange ball of fur sleeping at the end of the table near the boy. The boy set down his fork and ran a hand over Calcifer, whose eyes squinted tighter, no doubt purring loudly.
“That’s Cochran. He’s a good boy who’s gone through a lot. His Mama passed away this past winter from a fever. His Dad’s been doing as good a job as someone can, but the boy forgot how to be a child these past few months. I’ve certainly not seen a smile like that on him since Yule.” Agnes said.
He turned his head towards Calcifer, and sure enough, there was a smile over a dirt-caked face. His hands and nails were black as well, and Luci realized it was the boy they saw when they first came into the village.
Ira let loose a loud sneeze, one after the other, for a grand total of three.
Luci shook her head and noted the red around his eyes. No doubt he’d carried Calcifer down there himself.
He wiped at his nose, but when he lifted his eyes to hers, the smile that broke on his face had her seeing stars. All his eye wrinkles, laugh lines, and dimples are on full display. He stood and gestured for her to take his seat, even though there were dozens of other chairs. With her heart firmly lodged in the black hole eviscerating her, she made her way over.
“Lucinda, this is Cochran, and I’ve just hired him to be Calcifer’s caretaker while we are away,” Ira said, winking at the boy.
So that was the root of it all. The organ in her chest swelled and thumped with such vigor that it was a wonder it didn’t beat right out of her chest.
“I’m really good with animals, Miss,” the boy said.
He sat a little straighter and lifted his chin, daring Luci to find fault with him. It reminded her of when Brielle got a terrible idea in her mind and refused to back down. Warmth settled over her that wasn’t related to the fire cackling behind her.
“He’s a good cat. If you make sure to feed him exactly when he demands it, he will be your best friend.” Luci said.
There was a thickness to her voice that probably came from just waking up. Probably.
Cochran nodded.
“Yes, ma'am, Mr. Liam asked my pa if he could spare me, and my pa said if Mr. Liam wants to throw all his money away on a cat, that it suits him just fine, and Ms. Agnes said I can take care of Calcifer here and that I can have a home-cooked meal after I finish with my job!”
There was a maturity to him that didn’t belong in a boy less than ten years old. It came with heartbreak and poverty. Therein the back of his gray eyes was a little boy who missed his mother and needed a chance to prove himself. It was the same spark that Luci used to see in the mirror when she first came to Blythe. A chance.
Clearing her throat, Luci smiled.
“I think you will be perfect for the job. Calcifer is lucky to have you,” she said.
They were a variation of the words Mrs. Blakesley spoke to Luci when she realized there was no keeping Brielle and Luci apart.
Agnes set a plate of fresh eggs, bacon, and bread in front of her, and she was more grateful than she could have ever said. The emotions drowning her were always quieter when there was food in front of her. The first bite of fluffy, flavorful eggs was like the first wall being erected over her heart.
Ira finally took the seat next to her, right in front of Calcifer, and ran his hand on Cal’s back. In answer, he let loose a loud sneeze.
“Where is my bag?” Luci asked.
Ira shrugged. “Packed onto the horses. I thought you would want to eat and head out immediately.”
He was correct, and that threatened her freshly erected fortress.
“You need the tonic,” she said.
He waved a hand. “I’ll be fine.”
He was, in fact, not fine. By the time she finished her food, which was at a record-breaking time, his eyes were half swollen shut. As soon as they reached the horses, Luci withdrew a vial and handed it to him. He took it with a bow of his head, and by thetime they were on the outskirts of the city, his violent sneezing diminished to nothing.
“If you are going to insist on touching animals, you should take the tonic before you do,” she chastised.
He shrugged. “But then I wouldn’t get to see how much you care.”