Page 16 of Little Fury

Talking over we climb into a golf cart so he can show me the ranch that isn't a ranch. There are a lot of buildings on the ranch. There is a barn that keeps the couple horses, and Harry tells me that the barn and the horses are the only parts that are even remotely close to normal ranch things. We stop in front of one, and Harry tells me it’s the gym as we go insideand take a look. There are machines, the floor is spongy, and there are two people in there clanking things and grunting. It also smells in here, and I don’t like it.

From there, we head to the mess hall. We go inside and I'm surprised to see a bunch of people eating. With the name mess hall I was not expecting food. There is a cook on all the time and staff to help if you're hungry. I won't be eating here much because I have Beth. We head over to where the food is. Harry swipes a couple of brownies, and we head back out the door. Climbing back into the cart, he gives me one of the brownies, and I take it happily.

We eat in silence for a minute before Harry starts the cart, and we're off again. We drive past a few other buildings that Harry tells me house a bunch of different things I don’t understand or remember. Then he shows me the best thing here.

A pool! Inside the building, there is a huge swimming pool. It doesn’t have the slide or any of the fun things my pool at home did, but I’m still excited.

“That may be the first honest reaction from you since you got here. Like pools, do you?”he asks me with a grin on his face.

“I do!! I’m a good swimmer! I had a pool at home with a diving board, a slide and a bunch of pool toys! It was great!!”I tell him excitedly.

Harry is watching me, still smiling, and I think laughing at me a little bit, but I don’t care. I just want to jump in there and float.

Once the tour is over, I’ve seen the barn where the three horses are kept, and met Bill, the old guy who looks after the horses and the yard. We see Beth has returned, so we head back to my house.

We walk inside and see Beth putting things away in the kitchen. She hears us enter but doesn’t look our way; shekeeps doing what she’s doing.” What’s your favourite thing to eat, Ava?” she asks me from inside the pantry.

“Burger and onion rings and a milkshake,”I reply.

“We had burgers yesterday. Do you want them again tonight?”she asks.

“I always want a burger, but mom wouldn’t let our chef make them for me every day because she said people need variety in life.”I smile a bit at the thought of my mom, but the memory hurts, so I put it back in its box and leave it there.

“Well, how about I make something else tonight, and I make sure we have burgers once a week. Seem like a fair plan?”she asks as she looks at me. I nod my agreement to Beth.

“There is some cheese and fruit in the fridge if you want a snack. Dinner will be in a couple of hours.” I didn't realize how much time Harry and I had spent talking and him showing me the ranch.

I’m a little hungry, but. I hesitate a bit, still unsure what I’m supposed to do, how I'm supposed to behave, how comfortable I’m supposed to be.

You need to just do it. This is your home now.

I walk to the fridge, open it, and grab the cheese and fruit on the top shelf. I see juice boxes, so I grab one. I bring the food out and bite my lip, trying to decide if I should ask for help finding a plate or just open cupboards myself. I see a step stool, so I make the decision and start looking for plates.

I can feel their eyes on me as I get my search.

I open three cupboards before I find the plates.“Does anyone else need one?”I ask, turning around. They both nod, so I grab three and head to the island. I climb onto a stool beside Harry. I take one plate and begin to put some cheese and fruit on it.“Are there any crackers?”I ask.

“Yes,”Beth says. I thank her, place some on my plate, and begin to eat. I have a mouthful of grapes when I look at thetwo of them and realize they aren't eating. I chew fast and swallow.

“I’m sorry, do we have to say grace before we eat? We never did at home, but we went to dinner once at someone's house, and none of us could eat until we said grace. It was weird, but I don't mind doing it if that's how it works here.”I say, worried I didn't wait for them to tell me it was ok to eat, worried I broke a rule.

“No, Little Ava, we don’t say grace here. Beth and I were just being silly. Hand me a plate, please, Bethy,”Harry says, the laughter back in his voice.

Glaring at him, she puts food on her own plate, and starts eating. Harry chuckles quietly to himself and winks at me when he reaches over the island to grab the last plate. With everyone snacking, Harry asks Beth how town was. She tells him it is fine. She was able to get most of what she needed but would probably have to drive to Billings next week to get the rest. She looks at me.

"Maybe you can come with me, and we can do some shopping. We didn’t really bring you a lot of toys or anything, so we could pick some up.”

“Sure! I’d like that. But I don't have any money.”

“You do. Your parents left money for you.”Harry informs me.

“Oh. Okay.”

Again, they fall silent. When I’m done, I take my plate and put it in the sink.“I’m going to my room. I want to check on Miss Mushroom and Mr. Waffle,”I tell them, head up the stairs. I stop before my door and sink to the carpet.

“Fuck Harry!!! She’s fucking seven, and she has more composure than most adults would after what she’s been through.”Beth says quietly, but not so quietly I can’t hear.

“She’s smart as a whip, she’s observant and seems able tocompartmentalize without even trying,”he says with a little chuckle, which also sounds a little sad.

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