by Maya Carnage
At least it won't be boring while working here. "Did Lucia actually offer her help, or are you assuming she will?"
Pops whips his head over to me. "I might be getting old, but I can tell the difference between thinking about something and hearing something. She came to me the other day and said that if Exxil needs the help, she would be glad to lend a hand."
"Are you going to take her up on it?" I asked Exxil.
"I don't know, it doesn't seem right," he sighed.
"If she's offering than it's fine," Havrick says around another mouthful of food. Another task I can take on while waiting for Tracy could be teaching my brother simple manners. Depending on how long Tracy takes, there might not be enough time for that.
"All I will say is that I'll think about it," said Exxil.
"You know Hexxil really likes here, and the boys will, too," I say to him.
Grumbling under his breath about intrusive family members, he gets back to the sharpening.
I ask Pops if there's anything he needs me to do. Pops says that the weapons by Exxil all need to be shined by tonight before the hunters come to pick them up. Taking a spot next to my older brother, I begin shining a spearhead. I would say that the four of us worked in silence, but I don't think Exxil and Havrick are capable of not uttering a word for more than a minute.
The rest of the day goes by surprisingly fast. There's plenty of work to do around the shop, so it isn't spent idling around. Exxil goes to his house to get the children, Pops, Havrick, and I head home. While Pops begins the evening meal, Havrick fills me in all that happened while I was away.
"Hexxil spent most of the time with Lucia. Exxil practically had to drag her away. She's been more vocal since spending time with the human women. We're all happy to see Hexxil enjoying herself," he said.
"Did Lucia really offer to help Exxil?" I couldn't help but ask. Pops can exaggerate some things when he wants to. It would be great if she did, and if Exxil accepted her help.
He nods. "Hexxil mentioned something to her, we don't know what, but she came to Pops not that long after you and Tracy left. She said that she'd love to help out with the kids. She seemed honest. Exxil is stubborn. He thinks he can do it all on his own. It's tough on him, working and taking care of them. Lucia would be great for him he wouldn't have to be so stressed all the time. He should take her up on her offer. What harm would it do?"
Exxil has tried to be the perfect father since Meema died. Sometimes he tries too hard. It would do him some good to have a break.
He's doing the best job he can with those children, and it wouldn't mean any less of him if he had some help outside of the family when it came to taking care of them. Lucia is a decent female. If Exxil would give her a chance, I think he would come to see the benefit of having less work to do. He wouldn't need to rush home to cook for them or leave in the middle of work because he has to check on them when they are by themselves at the house.
I know he feels that it would be replacing Meema, but I think she would want Exxil to move forward with his life. He doesn't have to mate Lucia. No one is saying that, except for Pops, but we can ignore him for know. Until he becomes overwhelmingly demanding, then we will have to deal with him, but that probably won't be for some time. He needs to give her a chance.
"He said he'll think about it, if he still is against it after he's done thinking about, then we'll have to intercede," I said.
"We'll take him out to the Desert tribe's land, tie him to a tree and let him sits there until he changes his mind." Havrick nods his head firmly, set on his plan.
I shake my head. I have one brother who thinks too much and another who doesn't think enough. "When the time comes, we'll come up with another plan, Havrick."
The front door swings open, banging against the wall. Ferle and Rexxil come rushing into the house, Exxil, and Hex right behind them. The two rowdy boys jump onto the couch, tackling Havrick and me.
Havrick picks up both boys and stands up. He swings them around in the air, both of them laugh loudly at their uncle's antics. He tosses them onto the couch.
I get up when Ferle challenges Havrick to a fight. Not wanting to be kicked in the face, I go into the kitchen with Hexxil and Exxil.
Pops stand at the fire, a pot boils on top of it. He asks Hexxil to set the table since the food is almost done. Exxil and I take a seat at the table. "Have you thought any more about the Lucia thing?" I whispered not wanting Hex to overhear us.
"It feels wrong, Lorth. Meema hasn't been gone that long, only three years, and I don't want Hex and Rexxil thinking I replaced their mother."
"You're not replacing her, Exxil. You need help around the house, and Pops is getting old. Between working at the shop and helping you, it's wearing the old male out. It would ease his mind if he knew that you have someone to help you. And it might even be good for the children. Hexxil seems to adore Lucia, the boys will, too. I think that if you gave her a chance, you would, too. Plus, you would have more time to yourself. Honestly, you've become a bore since having children," I said jokingly.
He looks pensive. When Hex sets a plate down in front of him, he grabs her hand, halting her for a moment. "Your grandfather thinks that it would be a good idea if we had someone help out around the house and keep an eye on you and your brothers. What do you think about that?"
Hexxil's shoulders tense up. She glances over at Pops with an annoyed look. "We don't need someone watching us, Ferle and I aren't babies. I capable of watching Rex while you're at work, and Uncle Havrick and Uncle Lorth helps out all the time. Why would we need another person?"
Exxil looks at me with a snarky expression. "That's what I said."
Exxil lets her hand go, but before she walks away I ask her, "What if that person was Lucia?"
She grins. "Why didn't you say you were talking about her, I love her, she's awesome! When does she start?"
I return Exxil's snarky look.
"I haven't decided. It probably won't be for a while," said Exxil.
"But I think we need the help now. I'll let her know in the morning!" Hexxil gets back to setting the table. She smiles the whole time, clearly excited about having Lucia around more often.
"I know you're upset, but she makes Hexxil happy. That's something we've all wanted for a long time," I said consolingly.
Exxil sighs.
It's going to be rough for him in the beginning. He's going to feel that Lucia is taking over Meema's spot, but once he gets to know her and see that she isn't after replacing his children's mother, he'll realize how great it's going to be for the children.
Pops calls everyone over to the table for dinner. He makes a plate for himself and Rex. Havrick drops the boy into the seat next to Pops. Ferle follows Havrick to the pot, talking the whole way there. Havrick sits down between Hexxil and Ferle. Exxil and I make ourselves some plates after Hex gets done with hers.
When we are all sitting down at the table, to Exxil's dismay, Hex tells her brothers the good news.
"Lucia is going to come and stay with us! Poppa asked her to help out around the house and to watch Rexxil. You're going to love her, Ferle. She's awesome," said Hexxil.
Pops grins widely at the news. "I was the one who thought of it, you know. I'm glad he finally decided to see things my way. You'll have to let me know when she starts. I'll make a big meal to celebrate."
"Have I met her, yet? I know met some of the human women," Ferle asked.
"She was at the tribe's bonfire, she's the one with the long curly brown hair," said Hexxil.
"Oh, yeah, I remember her." Ferle takes a bite of the meat stew. "Why isn't Tracy here? Isn't she going to be your mate, Uncle Lorth?"
The silence at the table is interrupted by the clattering of Havrick's spoon hitting the floor.
Ferle looks up mid-bite, spoon halfway to his mouth. Brows creased, "What?" he asked.
Pops opens his mouth to speak, but before he can say a word, "Tracy is taking some time to herself, and we'll finish the trials w
hen she is ready," I said. I give Pops a small smile, letting him know that I 'm okay. Tracy will be my mate it just isn't going to happen right now. I'm patient. She can take as long as she needs because when we do become mated, I don't want her to have any regrets.
"I get it," said Ferle.
"How can you possibly understand, child?" Pops asked.
Exxil, Havrick, and I share a chuckle, with Ferle you know you're about to get an entertaining explanation.
"One of the females in my group and I were together. It was going fine until she said that she wanted to be a hunter, too. That got me to thinking. If we're both hunters, how will we ever see each other? Most of the hunters don't all go out at the same time. They go in groups of threes or more. So if we aren't in the same group, we'd never see each other. I decided it would be best if we broke up now instead of later," said Ferle. "I'm going to get mated to Kerrin. She wants to be a mage. They never leave the tribe."
Pops shakes his head.
Exxil and the children leave after dinner. Ferle says he has to get up early because he wants to train with Harvin in the morning. Pops turns in early, complaining that he hasn't gotten enough sleep lately.
"It's because he's been up late plotting against Exxil. You know he probably bribed or threatened Lucia into helping Exxil," said Havrick as he washes the dishes.
"I could see him doing that," I said. I try the dishes off as Havrick cleans. Surprisingly, there isn't that many dirty as there usually are. We're done in a short amount of time. Wiping down the water on the side of the sink, I ask Havrick about his interest in Helencia.
Tracy mentioned to me that her friend, Helencia, liked Havrick. Helencia and my brother are very alike, so I don't know how well they would do together, though I have seen more odd pairings in my lifetime.
"Uhh... which one is that, again?" He goes into the living area and sits on the couch.
I sit in the chair across from him and prop my feet on the table between us. "The one that likes males, a lot."
He smiles knowingly. "I know her quite well. Why did you want to know?"
"Have you already been with her?"
"Not exactly. We were about to fuck when the elder came out of his house and shooed us off." He looks forlorn at the memory. "That was a couple days ago. I haven't talked to her since."
"Were you about to mate with her up against someone's home?" I asked, appalled.
"We were in the moment. I completely lost track of where we were. It happens to everyone."
"No, it does..." Actually, he might be right. Remembering the incident from several days ago, I stop talking. I was in a passionate haze when I forgot that Karen was in the back bedroom. Even now, days later, I still blush at the embarrassing moment.
"Ahh, you do get it, don't you?" Havrick's laughs at my darkening face.
I throw one of the pillows, that Pops keeps in his chairs, at my brother's offending face. It misses him, which causes Havrick to laugh harder.
I rise from my seat. "It's late, and I have to be in the garden early tomorrow, night." As I climb the steps to my room, I can still hear Havrick laughing from behind me.
∞∞∞
It's just Lucia and me in the garden the next morning. Exxil said he would bring Hex by later. Lucia keeps looking up at me, and quickly back down. After the seventh time of this, "Umm, is there something you wanted, Lucia?" I asked.
She drops her rake. Sitting back on her haunches, she pushes her curly hair back. "Tracy told me what happened." She hesitates before continuing. "I don't know what to say. I want to tell you that it's going to be okay, but you probably don't want to hear that. So I'm not going to say that, but I will say this. You love her, I can see it in the way you look at her, and when her name is mentioned your whole body comes alive. She needs this time to deal with everything. A lot of us forget that Tracy is a person who feels emotions, she's always so strong and resilient that we forget. She's never really said that much about her family, or her life back on Earth, but we can tell she misses them a lot. She's happy with you, and in time she'll come back. So don't worry, okay?" Lucia picks up her rake and gets back to weeding.
I've been thinking that myself, and it has been the only thought that keeps me from falling apart. To hear what I've been thinking from another person, someone who is close to Tracy, it feels like some of the weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
After my mother died, it took me a while to look at life the same. It felt like I was living in a place, nothing looked familiar or felt the same. I had to learn to live without her, and it was strenuous at first, but I had the support of my brothers and Pops. Pops made sure to keep it together in front of us boys, and we figured if he could keep going, then so could we.
Tracy is doing the same thing.
All I've wanted to do since getting back yesterday is go over to her house and grab her by her shoulders and shake some sense into her. I want to be patient, I'm trying so hard to be, but I miss her.
Listening to what Lucia said, it makes me see things differently. I can't ask Tracy to rush through this process. She has to heal those wounds, and it won't be easy. I know because I've been through it myself.
I'm going to talk to Tracy after I get done here. I need to let her know that she doesn't have to worry about me. That if she needs me to be her friend for now, then that is what I'll be. I love her, and I want what is best for her.
"Thank you, for saying that," I said. "It has probably been terrible for all of you, and I don't think that the tribe has realized that this wasn't your home at first, that you were taken from your life and force to make a new one here. I forgot that, and I'm sorry."
"You should tell Tracy that," Lucia smiles. "It's been tough, but we've all been making the best out of it, some more than others."
I continue my work in bliss, smiling the whole time, even when my thumb is pricked by a briar. About mid-morning, Exxil walks with Hex to the garden. Lucia waves when she sees them. Hexxil jogs over to the shed to get her tools, Exxil strides over toward us. Lucia works across from me, and Exxil stops between our two rows.
"You two have left some work for Hexxil, didn't you?" He asked, seeing that most of the weeding is done.
"Don't worry, we're going to need help prepping rows for some sprouts we're going to transplant tomorrow morning," Lucia said, cheerfully.
I catch Exxil's stare and jerk my head at Lucia. He glares at me. He better ask her before Hex gets back over here. If not, then I know Hex will say something to Lucia before the day is done. Maybe he needs a slight push. I never thought I would intrude like Pops does into Exxil's life. He's not here, and it has to be done."Pops said that he mentioned to you about helping Exxil out? He wasn't for sure if he asked or not, he's getting forgetful these days."
"Yeah, he said something like that. If you need any help with the kids, Exxil, I would be more than happy to help out," said Lucia, she looks at Exxil expectantly.
"Uhh, if you really don't mind, then it would be nice having you help with the children, as long as it doesn't take you away from your other work! I wouldn't want to be a burden. I've managed to take care of them on my own for a while, so it wouldn't be a problem if I had to continue doing it on my own," Exxil says to her, looking uncomfortable the entire time.
With a grin, I get back to work. Exxil leaves after Hex joins Lucia. It doesn't take us long to finish the morning weeding, and since we still have some time before Tracy and one of the mages show up for the evening watering, and whatever else needs to be taken care of, Hex and Lucia take a break under the shade. I let Lucia know that I'm leaving early.
I find Tracy at her house. She's alone. Karen is probably at the hunter's field training. I don't have an idea where Kate could be, Tracy thinks she's meeting one of the males, but she isn't certain, says that it is only a hunch.
"Hey." Tracy motions for me to come inside. "What're you doing here? Is the morning work already done?"
We sit down on her couch. The same couch we were on
the last time we were in her house. My cock stiffens at the memory. I think of boring thoughts to calm down, now isn't the time. When I get myself under control, I answer Tracy's question. "Most of it is, I left Lucia and Hex there to finish the rest of it."
"Lucia said that she was staying late anyhow, to help prep for tomorrow's planting. Aaga might be joining us. She's feeling pretty good, practically her old self again. I don't know if she will help tomorrow morning, she might be too tired from today's work."
"It's good that she's getting out. My father visited her the other day. He was worried that she might be overdoing it, I don't know what he will think of her working outside under the sun. He can be overprotective at times," I said.
Tracy chews on her lip. I swallow down the lump in my throat. I didn't think it would feel this awkward. It shouldn't, but I guess we're both uncomfortable with what sits between us. Gathering up my courage, "Lucia said something today, that helped me see this situation in a better perspective. I was angry with you. I thought that it wasn't fair that you called off our relationship on such short notice. I will admit that I didn't fully understand why you did it. But I'm beginning to. I wanted to let you know that, I'm okay with us being friends for as long as you need us to be. Even if it's for the next fifty seasons, that's okay. As long as I get to have you in my life, I'll be all right."
Tracy places her hand on top of mine. I flip mine over, grasping hers.
"I don't think it's going to take that long. I'm glad we can be friends through this. I was kind of getting sad not having you around, which is kind of ridiculous since I saw you yesterday morning," said Tracy.
"I felt the same way, Pops told me to stop moping around," I said. "I told him I couldn't because my hearts are missing."
Tracy squeezes my hand.
This isn't what I want, but it is better than nothing. I meant what I said earlier to Lucia, as long as I have my mate in my life than I will be okay.
I tell Tracy that Exxil finally asked Lucia for help. Hexxil is excited to have her around more often, though not as excited as Pops. She tells me that Karen is officially becoming a hunter. She announced it last night at dinner. "We've already kind of guessed that was what she was doing, but she never said anything until now. She's looked really happy, Lorth. It's going to be sad once she is a hunter. She'll be gone a lot, busy with the hunting. I know that they come and go, but the selfish part of me wants all of us together twenty-four seven."