Page 16 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
Sparky was in good hands with Saphira. As Aiden made his way home, he recalled how she had smothered Sparky with kisses, how affectionate and bright she was. He admired that about her.
Aiden was so used to being closed off that it was jarring to see someone be so open, so free. It could make even a man like him want to stick around, if only a bit of her light could shine on him.
He had almost done it, too, when she had asked him to stay with her big brown eyes, but he had to be firm. Racing was dangerous because dragons got too excited and bloodthirsty. The race usually ended with either one of the riders or the dragons or both being injured, if not dying. Which was why it was illegal, but of course Drakkon families had their particular protected interests.
With a start, Aiden realized he was home, standing in front of his door. Sometimes he got so deep in his own head, he forgot about everything else around him. Usually he enjoyed the winding road that led up to his cottage, taking in the sight of all the leaves returning to the trees, the buds that would soon bloom. But he hadn’t noticed any of them today, he was so lost in thought.
Pulling out his keys, Aiden let himself into his home, inhaling the smell of mint. He had a bunch of mint plants all around the house; mint tea was very calming for him. Aiden was not a big coffee drinker, which was why he had been surprised that morning when he had genuinely enjoyed the concoction Saphira had made for him. (Distantly, he wondered if it was the coffee, or just her, that had appealed to him so greatly.)
Setting down the keys on the front table, Aiden turned on the lights, revealing the comforts of his home. He liked to keep the place clean, which was why it was sparsely decorated with the necessary furniture and some potted plants.
There was a bit of a mess toward the dining table, he noticed, courtesy of Sparky this morning, who had not been happy to leave Saphira’s cafe and return home with Aiden. Sparky had sent all of Aiden’s mail flying this way and that, and Aiden picked up the stray envelopes now, setting them down in a neat pile atop the table.
With a sigh, he looked around. His home was quiet, and it felt eerie. Aiden had scarcely had a moment of peace since Sparky was hatched. He decided to revel in it, and went to the kitchen, pulling out ingredients to make himself dinner.
Aiden cooked in peace, making a chicken and rice dish that he hadn’t made in a long while. Usually with Sparky jumping from one corner of the house to the next, Aiden was resigned to making quick meals and eating them even more quickly before Sparky caused some sort of lasting damage.
After he finished cooking, Aiden sat down and ate his food. As he did, he looked around his little home, a strange feeling in his chest. He had been expecting to enjoy this, but instead he felt … lonely.
And when he felt lonely, he missed his brother. Like a toothache you could ignore all day when you were out and about, talking and laughing, but that hurt all the more the moment you lay down to sleep, the pain suddenly underscored in the silence.
Whenever Aiden missed Danny, he always felt guilty, too, for all those times Aiden would get irritated or impatient with his brother. Danny was always hyper—a bit like Sparky—and sometimes (okay, maybe a lot of the time) Aiden just wanted some peace and quiet. He wouldn’t want to hang out with Danny, go out on some grand adventure—he just wanted to stay home.
And now that Danny was gone, Aiden thought of all those times he could have simply said yes. All those times he could have sucked it up and spent time with his brother. His best friend.
Maybe heshouldstick around when Saphira trained Sparky.
Usually Aiden didn’t enjoy being around people, especially new people, but there was something inexplicable about her. The way she looked at him, curious. He thought she might actuallyseehim and understand, if he would let her.
He didn’t have to bond with Sparky … Sparky could still be safe. He could just watch! He was more interested in the trainer than the dragon, anyway.
The doorbell rang, interrupting his thoughts. His heart leapt painfully, and he clutched a hand to his chest. Was it her? Conjured from his thoughts?
Aiden stood and went straight for the door, his heart pounding. But when he opened the door, he saw someone else entirely.
It was his cousin, Emmeline.
“Oh.” He deflated. “What are you doing here?”
“Hiya,” she said, kissing his cheek, seemingly ignoring his dour mood. In a cloud of perfume, she let herself in, her heels clicking on the floor. Aiden closed the door behind her as she took off her coat to reveal an expensive-looking silk dress.
Her eyes were lined with kohl, and her lips were painted with blood-red lipstick. To the naked eye, she looked as if she had just come back from a glitzy party, but he knew her well enough to know this was just a regular day for her.
She hung up her coat, then turned to him with a dazzling smile. “Gee, it’s great to see you too! I’m well, thanks for asking. Yes, of course I’ll have some dinner, that’s so sweet! What did you make?”
Emmeline made her way to the table, sitting in Aiden’s seat. She tossed her long black hair back, then began eating from his plate, which was pretty much untouched. Aiden had been too distracted by his thoughts to focus on eating.
Grabbing a second plate, Aiden served another portion for himself, then sat down next to Emmeline at the table. Neither of them was really annoyed with the other; they were accustomed to the other’s nature.
Besides, Aiden didn’t really have friends—since he and Danny had been only a year apart, Aiden never needed friends because he always had Danny—but Emmy was the only one of his many cousins he was close with.
“Ooh, this is good,” Emmeline said. Then, she looked around. “Where’s Spark? Asleep?”
“No.”
“Okaaaaay.” Emmeline paused, waving her fork around.“Where is he? What’s going on? You haven’t been picking up anyone’s calls, so I’ve been sent to check in on you, being your favorite cousin, and all.”
“Don’t tell Oliver,” Aiden said, referencing one of their cousins.
