Theea
Yla
to love life, to love it —
The second I spot Flora ’s curls bouncing in the sunlight, I can’t help the way my face lights up. “Flora!” I call back, matching her beam with one of my own, and I’m already halfway down the porch steps before she gets close enough to hear me properly. I hug her without hesitation, warmth spilling out of me like I might burst if I held still too long.
When Ronin sets down the pallet and gestures to the little pot of lavender, my chest squeezes in a different way. “From Mateo?” I crouch a little to look at it more closely, grinning at the thought of purple blooms swaying in the Torchline breeze. “I should start a porch garden. Maybe he’ll help me.” I look between the three of them, already picturing it. ”Thank you guys for helping.”
Damien ’s approach is quieter, but I spot him right away—and my grin somehow gets even bigger. “Morning,” I say back in a warm hum. His comment about the sledgehammer earns him a purse of my lips, and I lift the thing in my hands like I’m about to deliver a whole speech defending my choices. Except the head of it tips a little too far, my grip slips, and it thuds just shy of my boot. I freeze, eyes snapping up to Damien… then I casually shift my weight and pretend nothing happened. Not my finest moment.
Calypso ‘s voice pulls me out of it. “You made it!” I call, delighted, and wave her over without a hint of awareness about anything else between her and Flora. It’s just good to see her here. I wrap her in a hug too, cider mug still in my other hand. ”Thanks for coming.”
Taking one last drink, I set the mug on the porch rail and step up onto the boards, clasping my hands together. “Okay—here’s the plan.” I point toward the roof and yard. “Palm fronds—clear them off the roof first, then haul what’s in the yard over to the burn pile.” My gaze slides to the leaning stained-glass window. “That needs to replace the broken one in the living room—careful with it, please.”
I jerk my chin toward the house with a slight grimace. “The oven’s got a… resident. Probably not rent-paying. Whoever’s feeling brave can clear it out.” Finally, I knock my boot against one of the porch steps. “And the posts under the porch need reinforcing—two people for that. Everything else, we’ll adjust as we go.”
I glance around at all of them, the corners of my mouth tugging up. “Sound good? Let’s make her shine again.”
Round 2: Choose a task, and Theea will take on whatever is left!
When Ronin sets down the pallet and gestures to the little pot of lavender, my chest squeezes in a different way. “From Mateo?” I crouch a little to look at it more closely, grinning at the thought of purple blooms swaying in the Torchline breeze. “I should start a porch garden. Maybe he’ll help me.” I look between the three of them, already picturing it. ”Thank you guys for helping.”
Calypso ‘s voice pulls me out of it. “You made it!” I call, delighted, and wave her over without a hint of awareness about anything else between her and Flora. It’s just good to see her here. I wrap her in a hug too, cider mug still in my other hand. ”Thanks for coming.”
Taking one last drink, I set the mug on the porch rail and step up onto the boards, clasping my hands together. “Okay—here’s the plan.” I point toward the roof and yard. “Palm fronds—clear them off the roof first, then haul what’s in the yard over to the burn pile.” My gaze slides to the leaning stained-glass window. “That needs to replace the broken one in the living room—careful with it, please.”
I jerk my chin toward the house with a slight grimace. “The oven’s got a… resident. Probably not rent-paying. Whoever’s feeling brave can clear it out.” Finally, I knock my boot against one of the porch steps. “And the posts under the porch need reinforcing—two people for that. Everything else, we’ll adjust as we go.”
I glance around at all of them, the corners of my mouth tugging up. “Sound good? Let’s make her shine again.”
Round 2: Choose a task, and Theea will take on whatever is left!
- Clear palm fronds from the roof and the yard
- Replace the broken livingroom window with a stained glass one
- Reinforce the porch foundation (two people)
- Clear out the critter in the oven
— even when you have no stomach for it
