𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝘿𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙭

|10| Oh, The Wonders of Chores

EMARA

Willing the water to boil faster, I poke at the fire under it. We have eaten mountain lion the past two days since I skinned it. I had preserved it with some salt and cooked it so that it would last longer, and I planned on using the rest tonight. The mountain lion tasted pretty good with a mild taste and reminded me of when my mom made pork loin years ago. I have also been pleasantly surprised by how well it can absorb seasoning. There isn't enough of it on its own, so I am going to add a rabbit. Taeric had been kind enough to go hunting today and brought back two rabbits. It is a good thing, too, because with him and Jace here now, I definitely needed more food than before.

I dig through the drawer and grab the needle and thread, deciding to mend his shirt while I wait. Taeric's shirt is on top of one of my chairs, and I grab it before sitting down to search his shirt for all the holes. It has already been two days since I said I would do it and I feel bad, but my dad's shirts are working fine, so I didn't feel stressed about it.

I hold Taeric's shirt up. It is enormous. I am at least 5′4", and it looks like it would reach my knees. The cloth is a silvery color, and looks like something right out of a sci-fi movie. I run my hand over the fabric. It feels softer than anything I have ever touched before and also incredibly smooth, without pores, like a sheet of glass. There is not a spec of dirt on it, and I am pretty sure it is water repellent. Everything about it screams alien and futuristic technology.

I am still mending when I hear a small click as the door pops open, and Taeric walks in, carrying a gigantic pile of wood. He had insisted on doing something while the girls and I worked around the house and suggested chopping the wood himself. I would be lying if I didn't say I greatly appreciated the help. It takes a huge load off my shoulders, not having to worry about hunting every day and making sure we have enough wood inside.

His tan arms flexed lazily as he carried the wood over to a small indent in the fireplace where you could store some firewood. My dad's shirt looked much tighter on his broad shoulders than it had been on my dad. It brought attention to each curve of his toned back. And boy, were they nice. He has muscles for miles. Seriously, this guy is built like a mountain. Not overly muscular, but it's all in the right places. And his face; goodness, he could have been a model.

I blush, realizing I am staring, but I can't help but look Taeric up and down, taking in his giant form again. Maybe I can get some shirts of his own when we go to the stalls. Which was coming up very soon... I thought about my mental checklist.

I will definitely need some more of... well, everything now that Jace and Taeric are here. I didn't know how long either of them would stay, but I should at least plan on it being a while. Luckily, I will only have to stock up until the next time we go to the stalls, which is once a month. It is still warm outside, but it will start getting cold by the next time we go to the stalls. It will be better to get the warmer clothing before everyone else is trying to get their hands on it too. Jace needs regular clothes just like Taeric, regardless. He has been wearing the girls' old clothes, but he should definitely have his own. The tattered clothes I found him in are the only thing he has.

There are a lot of things to get done before we go to the stalls, but thankfully, I still have two days till then. I yelp, and my finger stings with pain. I poked myself with the needle. Taeric is on his knees in front of me within moments. How the heck did he get over here so fast-

"Mae suudmakk, ruqa? Duak es rirs, ora aeui ud?" He questions, inspecting my finger. My breath catches in my throat at his closeness and the warmth of his hands over mine. I can see the slight worry in his eyes as the beautiful blue of his eyes dances with black.

"I'm fine. No need to freak out," I tell him with a laugh as I pat his chest in a calming manner. "Just poked myself, is all. Look?" I say, holding out the needle and my finger. "Nothing's there. It goes away pretty fast." I smile, my finger already feeling fine. His eyes are calmer, the black color seeping away as if it had never been there. "Oh, also, here you go!" I hold up his shirt, giving it one last glance over before handing it back to him. "Let me know if there are any more holes." I stand up from my chair and go back to the kitchen, seeing the steam rise out of the pot. It was boiling now. Taeric continues to watch me as I chop vegetables for dinner tonight.

He has been watching everything I did in wonder over the past couple of days, and I can't help but laugh, thinking about his excitement and curiosity over such trivial things. Oh, the wonders of chores. I chuckle to myself. Just how different could his planet be? I finish chopping the vegetables and toss them into the boiling water, then cook the rabbit in a pan next to it.

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After everyone has finished dinner, I tell the kids to go get ready for bed and ask Lilly to help Jace. They make their way upstairs, and I grab a few plates and carry them to the sink. Taeric comes up behind me, holding the rest of the bowls.

"Oh, thanks!" I rinse them out and walk over to the couch, finding all three of the kids. Lilly is reading a story. Jace is snuggling a little stuffed Elephant and tucked between the girls.

"Alrighty, lights out, girls," I tell them, my voice light with humor.

"Awwwww! Please, Emara! Just this last bit! Just to finish the chapter!" Evey pleads, making a little pouting face.

I make a humming sound, pretending to be deep in thought. "Alright, that's fine! Just this last chapter," I agree, plopping myself down on the couch next to them.

"You read, Mara!" Lilly encourages.

"Yeah! You read it, Mara! I love when you do the voices." Evey agrees eagerly. "Taeric, listen too! Emara is the best at reading books."

I laugh, taking the book from Lilly. "Oh, alright, where are we?"

Lilly points to the line. "Here!"

Taeric sits down on the large chair right next to the fire and leans forward. Bear lets out a huff of breath. He is lying beside my feet. His calmness around Taeric shocked me at first, especially considering how he had reacted to other people. Specifically Reid Morrigan. But animals have a fantastic sense of people, so I trust them. I pat Bear's head and clear my throat before reading. It is 'The Borrowers', I realize, glancing at the cover. "But Pod, she saw, stood crouched beneath the carved archway against the light: "Keep your eyes on me," he had said, so Arrietty crouched too...."

I had only meant to read one chapter, but it easily turned into another. The kids made their way upstairs after I finished, getting themself into bed. Jace had slept in my bed the first couple of nights being here, but he had been sleeping in the girls' room with them since yesterday when they asked to have a "sleepover." Taeric stands up, and I follow him to the back of the house as he makes his way out the door. "Good night, Taeric. Sweet dreams, and sleep well!" I tell him with a smile and a small wave. He waves back, and I close and lock the door.

Thank you for reading! 🖤