AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Your house burned down?”
“Yes. Recently. It was market day, so I wasn’t at home. I went to sell the things that I’d knitted. Gloves, socks, scarves... All winter themed, you know. And when I returned home, my house was burning, and my neighbors were trying to put out the fire. I had to move in with Mina and her husband. They’re my only friends. I grew up with Mina, and I just can’t imagine my life without her. I hope I can see her again sometime, even if I live so far now. I couldn’t take advantage of her generosity, though, so I contacted the Temple. So... yeah... that is my story.”
I didn’t know what to say. Her story was sad. And she was so bright, and beautiful, and happy. She didn’t deserve any of it. At a loss for words, I leaned in and kissed the top of her head.
“You knit,” I said. “I love knitting too. I also work with leather, and I can make pretty much anything with these two hands, granted they’re big and clumsy.”
She laughed. “Did you make the dress I’m wearing?”
“Yes.”
“Then your hands are anything but clumsy. The stitching is impeccable. I have a lot to learn from you, dear husband.”
Dear husband. She said it playfully, like she was joking or teasing me, and I loved it. I could get used to Aura calling me her dear husband.
We finished breakfast when Aura swore she couldn’t take another bite. I cleaned up and held the tray in one hand as I guided her toward the door with the other.
“Careful,” I said. “Here come the stairs.”
She sighed. “Can’t you just let me take this off?”
“I’m sorry, not yet.”
“Ugh. Let me just take a peek. I’ll lift one corner just so I can walk down the stairs without tripping.”
“Wait here. I’ll take this to the kitchen, then come back for you.”
“Seriously?”
She sounded frustrated. Before she could protest, I hurried down the stairs, knowing that with no other option, she would wait for me. Frost greeted me with enthusiasm, then followed me up the stairs to help me bring Aura down. Help me emotionally, that was.
“I’ll carry you,” I said.
“Fine.”
I took her in my arms, and she waited patiently for me to descend the stairs, keeping her hands to herself. Frost followed us, sniffing at her long wool skirt. I set her down, and she stepped away from me only to trip over Frost. She lost her balance, and my hand shot out to grab her by the waist. I thought she would be mad, but she laughed instead, and scratched Frost’s head. The dog was so big that his head reached her chest. He was polite enough not to jump on her.
“Oh, you’re huge! What breed is he?” she asked me.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I found him in the woods when he was a puppy. I had no idea he would grow so big.”
Aura played with Frost for a few minutes, then I helped her put on her boots and coat, and the three of us went outside. It was chilly but pleasant, and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. It had snowed the night before, and our boots made satisfying crunching sounds when we walked. A crow cawed in a tree, and Aura whipped her head around, trying to identify where the sound came from.
“Is that Frost’s friend?”
“Yes.”
“Does he have a name?”
“I haven’t thought of giving him a name,” I said. “I just call him... crow.”
“That needs to change,” she declared. “I’ll think of a name, okay? It’s not just a crow. It’s Frost’s friend.”
I loved that she was so involved in our animals’ lives already. And Frost adored her. Usually, he would sniff around me and try to make me play with him, but now he was all over Aura.
We went to visit Snowdrop, and I guided her to him and placed her hands on his neck. They got acquainted properly, and it was nice to hear her talk to the horse like he was a person.
As we walked around the property, I described everything to her. The way the cabin looked from the outside, the stream that came from higher up in the mountain and ran behind the cabin, the trees, the barn, and the greenhouse. We were going to have fresh vegetables all winter because I worked in the greenhouse every day. Today, I sat her down in a corner as I worked, and she was happy to listen to me babble on about my tomatoes and my zucchini. When it was time for lunch, I washed my hands and led her back to the cabin.
