I squint up through the trees again, watching Spice catch the light like she’s showing off—and if she is, honestly? Fair. "Frozen socks, stolen pastries, a healthy disrespect for personal space…" I laugh under my breath. "Sounds like the kind of dragon anyone would be lucky to get stuck with. And trust me, frozen socks are a lot better than wet socks."
Spice catches the light just right, and I can't help smiling wider, even as something softer stirs in my chest. I rest my chin on my knee for a moment, pretending to just watch the branches sway. Maybe someday, I think.
I lift my head and nudge Flora’s knee again, smirking. "If Spice is taking applications for new pillows, I should probably start baking bribes now. Snickerdoodles first, then maybe a batch of lemon tarts. Do you think she prefers pastries more, or compliments?" I tilt my head thoughtfully.
A gust sends a rain of leaves tumbling past us, and as I watch them whirl, something tight and warm threads through my chest. I thought setting out on my own would feel braver than this. I thought it would be easier. But it’s been... cold, honestly. Cold and damp and lonely. Leaving my mom still twists guilt like wire around my ribs most days. I didn’t expect to find the weight of that choice more than I’d find my way. I've done my best to keep it positive, keep moving forward, don’t look at that little box of inconvenient stuff like existential dread or mommy issues or the hopeless spiral that I'll never make it there.
And yet here Flora is. Bright, steady, messy and kind. Like a warm light through the fog I’ve been wandering in.
I smile, more real this time, and flick a glance her way. "You know," I say, voice a little more casual than it probably should be, "I think meeting you first might’ve been the best thing that could’ve happened to me since setting out."
I tilt my head, feigning casualness even as I can feel my heartbeat thudding a little too loud in my ears. "Even if Spice ends up liking my cookies more than me."
but my god, you're alive and it's spectacular
