Warmth (Part 2)

Thea stepped inside and waved Luin in. "Come on in." She was already removing her coat and hat. She slid her fingers over the stone on the wall, activating the magic tool that turned on several yellow-tinted lights in the ceiling, before exchanging her leather heels for a pair of more comfortable slippers. Luin came to a stop in the tiny foyer area, his eyes taking in his surroundings. "I know it isn't much, but it's just me here, and I haven't needed more room before," she said as she closed and locked her front door behind Luin.

The townhouse really was quite small for all that is was called a "house." The sidewalls were only fifteen tares apart–or about five arm lengths–while the home itself only went about twenty-five tares–a little over eight arm lengths–deep. The foyer was only big enough for a coat rack and a small mat to wipe one's feet, and just after that, the stairs began along one side, leading up to the even smaller second level.

"The kitchen is downstairs," she said, unbuttoning and rolling up her sleeves. "The bedroom is upstairs, but we'll head up after we eat." She hurried to the kitchen after pulling the cookbook from her bag and began pulling out a pan and a knife, as well as the assortment of root vegetables, mainly carrots, potatoes, and parsnips. She kept glancing back behind her, watching as Luin followed her with wide eyes and then settled himself on her only kitchen chair.

I'm going to have to mend that other one finally, she thought, making a mental note to fix the other chair as soon as possible. She suddenly wished that she hadn't procrastinated so much with it, but since it had just been her, and she usually met visitors at cafes or the library, there had been no real need. So the second chair was currently in the closet under the stairs, still broken.

Probably a lot of things I thought there'd be no need for will become needed now. She still wasn't sure how long this arrangement would last, but even if it were only for a week or two, it was worth it to make the apartment as comfortable as she could for both of them.

She quickly got the roots washed and some of them peeled before chopping them evenly and placing them in the oven. She dragged her fingertips across the line of stones by the oven, stopping midway. The ones she touched began to glow with an orange light, but the others remained dull. That setting should be enough to roast the vegetables without charring them–or at least she hoped. She was following the cookbook's directions, but somehow something always turned out slightly wrong. And now that she was cooking for someone other than herself, anxiety over her cooking skills caused her to check on the oven often as they cooked.

While she waited, she started a pot of rice on a small heat plate.

Luin was quiet but didn't seem bored. His eyes took everything in. Thea thought about trying to fill the silence, but stopped herself. She had a bad habit of being chatty just to cover her own awkwardness, but it only served to make things more awkward. She didn't want to do that to the child.

"Ah, I think they should be done." Thea placed a thick kitchen rag over her hand and pulled out the steaming pan of roasted root vegetables. She leaned over them and sniffed. "Mmm. They smell good at least!" She smiled as she realized the rice was finished as well.

As she began to plate up the simple meal, the sound of something tapping the nearby window made her almost drop the plate. But much like the book earlier that day, she managed to catch it just in time to avoid everything crashing to the floor.

"What was that?" Thea glanced at Luin. He quickly turned away from looking at the window, and instead looked at the floor. She went to the window and looked out past her own reflection. The window overlooked a small patio that she had filled with a few potted plants, and a tall, brick wall that separated the patio from the back alleyway that ran behind the apartments. There was nothing out there that she could see. It was pretty dark though. After a few moments, when no shadows or shapes moved, Thea stepped back and closed the curtains.

"Well, it could have been the wind," she murmured to herself. She sighed and turned back to the food. That was what was most important right now.

Thea served Luin his plate on the small table, while she stood, leaning against the kitchen counter to eat hers. Her first bite told her that, while they might look alright, the vegetables were lacking in flavor from what she had tasted when she ate a similar dish cooked by a professional. But they were passable. And she had the satisfaction of seeing Luin try them.

His first bite was slow, but then his other bites were much less cautious. He ate without comment until his plate was clean.

"Do you want more?"

"I can have more?"

Thea smiled at his question. "There is a bit more if you want seconds." She grabbed his empty plate and spooned the last of the rice and vegetables onto it.

Thea finished her own food just as Luin finished his second helping. She could have gone with a bit of a second helping herself, but she felt happier knowing that Luin was full. I'll have to start cooking larger portions from now on, I think.