Page 81 of Bones
His smile was so sweet and soft. “You’re welcome, Bones.”
* * *
More kids did come, slowly, then as the weather got colder, all at once. Somehow we managed to get every kid who showed up a bed, and they didn't seem to mind that they were squished into the loft, sleeping on top of each other. Once people noticed the kids sleeping at the clinic, many of them started bringing extra food and clothing. Their generosity startled me. I thought no one else cared, but the people proved me wrong.
Leda and baby Jet came by almost every day. Leda had an eye for organizing and soon the loft upstairs had a semblance of being a bedroom. She even got Griz, Sam, and Trey to build some makeshift bunkbeds.
"I've wanted to do something about these kids for a long time now," Leda told me one day, Jet perched on her hip chewing on a wooden teething ring. "I wish we had a school, but Madame won't approve a building for one."
A schoolwasa good idea. I’d learned how to read at the small schoolhouse in our hold, and I would’ve been fucked if I hadn’t. I wasn’t surprised Madame didn’t think it was necessary though. So long as she had bodies for labor, she didn’t seem to give a shit about the rest.
“Bones?”
I snapped out of my thoughts with a jolt. Leda stared at me, one eyebrow raised.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I asked, my face heating.
“I was just sayin’ that Trey seems to be taken with you.” She gave me a sly grin, her teeth flashing white against her dark skin.
I kept my face blank. “He’s working.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Oh is that all?”
I shrugged, trying to push away the memory of Trey’s arms around me as I fiddled with things on the counter. “I’m with Zip.”
“Yeah, I heard about that.”
I wasn’t brave enough to look at her, but I could hear the disapproval in her voice.
“All I’m sayin’ is I’ve known Trey since he was in diapers, and I’ve never seen him so focused on someone before.”
When I glanced up to glare at her, she just grinned.
“It’s just his job,” I said, my voice a little sharper.
Before she could respond, the door opened and Trey strode in, kicking snow from his boots and shaking it from his hair. He smiled at both of us, taking off his jacket before coming over, something in his hand.
“Hey Leda,” he greeted her. “Thanks for all your help getting the beds situated upstairs.”
“Of course.” Leda smiled, then she glanced at his hand. “Whatcha got there?”
Trey’s ears went a little pink. “Oh, I made something for Bones.” He placed one of my small green glass bottles on the table with a single dandelion flower inside.
As I looked closer, I realized the flower was carved out of wood and painted a cheerful yellow with the stem green.
“Can’t get the real ones now, so I figured this could stand in for ’em during the winter.”
My heart felt impossibly tight and too big all at once. I picked up the little wooden carving, trying my hardest to keep my expression even, but I struggled. When I looked up, both Leda and Trey smiled at me.
“Thank you,” I said, trying to pretend my voice didn’t wobble.
“You’re welcome, Bones,” Trey murmured.
I knew if I held his gaze I would cry, so I turned and walked over to the mirror, setting the little dandelion carving on the shelf. Itdidadd a little bit of sunshine. I washed my hands in the sink as an excuse to hide in the corner a little longer, pulling myself back together. When I came back to the table Trey had moved over to his mattress to take his pistol apart and oil it. He glanced up once and smiled warmly at me before focusing on his gun. Leda shifted Jet to her other hip and gave me a smug grin.
“Definitelyjust his job,” she leaned in to whisper to me.
I rolled my eyes.
