But it was touching, really, to hear her talk about the woman who raised her in such a breezy, sort of tipsy earnestness. There was no guile to her, no deception. She wasn’t trying to convince me of anything. She was just recalling beloved memories with a lovely soul who she missed.
It didn’t surprise me that her words moved me-I liked to think I’d always been a fairly empathetic person-but what I hadn’t expected was to get a little choked up. And now her answer about her family never meeting up took on an entirely new meaning. It seemed that not only had I stuck my whole foot in my mouth, but I had decided to chew the boot and the laces.
“She sounds lovely,” I said quietly, not wanting to interrupt Felicia’s concentration but also feeling like I needed to say something.
“She was,” Felicia said with a faraway smile. “She really, really, was.” She heaved a sigh, and the softness in her expression faded. “I think she would have loved something like this. To have a family that was so big that you need a field to party together. But it was always just the two of us. And now…”
Felicia took a deep, steadying breath, and honestly, I needed to as well. I wasn’t really on the verge of crying, but my throat was definitely tightening, and the backs of my eyes most definitely stung.
“Now it’s just me.”
That wouldn’t do. That wouldn’t do at all.
Sure, I had just met her, but I was certain right down to my core that she didn’t deserve the loneliness that so layered her tone. Sure, maybe humans couldn’t actually use subharmonics to communicate like a shifter, but I swore I could hear it staining her words as clear as day.
I had to do something. It wasn’t in my nature to let people be in pain. So, I cleared my throat, and tried to sound as chipper as possible. “Well, Gammy McCallister already thought you were one of her many nieces, so for today, you’re definitely family here.
“You’ll never have to be on your own when you’re around the McCallisters.”
Felicia
Missing the Forest for the Trees
Wow, everyone was so nice.
I was embarrassed out of my gourd that I’d gotten so tipsy from just a couple of sips of a punch, but thankfully no one seemed to be holding it against me. It was incredibly unprofessional, and they would have been in the right to cancel the whole contract, so I was immensely grateful that nobody seemed to think twice about it.
They also didn’t think twice about it when I stuffed my face with way too much food all at once. But I wasn’t alone in that. Everyone around me was tucking in with gusto, and I was surprised when even the older folks around me didn’t hold back. Even the thinner folks around me were on their second plates, including Cas. Although he wasn’t skinny so much as he was impossibly ripped. Jeez, I bet he had a six-pack under that shirt of his.
I probably shouldn’t think about his abs when I’m just fuzzy enough to be tempted to run my hands over them.
Drunk Felicia did not have any inhibitions. Luckily, only Tipsy Felicia was around, but I knew better than to push it.
As I was working on my second biscuit smothered in a delicious white gravy with chunks of sausage, I felt something cold and wet press into my arm. Jumping, I turned my head and saw a dog that nearly came up to my shoulder.
Granted, I was sitting, but that was still pretty big for a dog.
“Hello?” I asked cautiously. I wasn’t really scared of dogs, but I knew one should always be careful when being introduced to a new one, especially if there was food around.
“Arietty!
You can’t just wander off! Your mother told you we have a h-” A flustered man rushed up, then skidded to a halt when he saw me. “Oh, hello!” he said, smiling nervously. “You’re the baker, right?”
Had everyone heard about me? I hadn’t thought I’d made that much of a splash considering no one had had dessert yet, but clearly I was wrong.
“I am,” I drawled, wishing my tongue was a little more steady in my mouth. It, like the rest of my body, felt so floppy. And when had I gotten so tired? I could really use a nap.
Once I finished my plate.
And maybe half of a second one.
And some dessert too!
Yeah, that sounded good.
“Nice to meet you. Sorry about her, we’re still, uh, training her. She’s a brand-new sh-rescue.” It was probably just in my head, but I could swear multiple people were now staring at me and the dog, like they were waiting for something. “Leave the nice lady alone now, Arietty.”
“Oh, I don’t mind her,” I said, reaching out slowly and letting my hand hang limply so she could smell of the back of it. “She’s beautiful.”
“She is,” the man said pridefully. “But she knows she’s not supposed to be in the tent where people are eating. So let’s go now, Arietty, or I’m sure your mother is going to have words for you.”
It was kind of funny how he was referring to what I assumed was his partner as the dog’s mom. The large pupper hesitated, but then it let out a huff and turned around to follow the man.
“What a sweetheart,” I said, turning back to the table. And again, it must have been my imagination, but I swore several people around us heaved sighs of relief as if they had been holding their breath.
Weird.
Then again, didn’t every family have their quirks? There was bound to be a lot of that in a family this large, so I just went back to my food.
My delicious, delicious food.
Eventually, however, I was stuffed to bursting and even the promise of tasty desserts wasn’t enough to entice me to put another morsel into my mouth. I sat back, feeling full and content, and let myself look at the bounty all around me. Everywhere my gaze landed, there were smiling and happy faces. The tent was abuzz with all sorts of pleasant chatter undercut by the occasional clank of someone dropping something on the fold-out table. I couldn’t recall the last time I had felt so relaxed.
Then again, I also couldn’t remember the last time I’d even had a drink to the point of being affected by it. I wasn’t anti-alcohol by any means, but I didn’t really have the time to enjoy it, and drinking alone felt depressing.
Well, I certainly wasn’t depressed at the moment. Who would have thought that an emergency cake order-which anyone with good sense would have turned down-could turn into something so incredibly lovely? I certainly hadn’t had a clue. Although initially I’d only done it for the money, and because I’d felt bad for the girl who burned the cakes, I would have done it for free if I knew such a great experience was in store for me.
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