Adrian Silvercrest's Arc

Chapter 17 of 23

Adrian sat on the bench for a long time after Aldric stopped speaking. Eric played on the rug, banging the rattle. The beads clicked inside the glass window. Aldric watched Adrian without softening his face. "Go," Aldric said at last. "Say the true thing." Adrian stood. He walked to the door. He put his hand on the latch and stopped. He tried out words in his head. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. She's not the reason. Every version sounded like a man protecting himself. He let go of the latch. He turned back to the room. "I don't know what to say to her," Adrian said. "Anything I've got sounds like an excuse." "Then sit with it until it doesn't." Adrian sat back down on the floor beside Eric. He picked up the rattle and shook it. Eric laughed and grabbed for it. Adrian let him take it. The boy climbed into his lap, warm and heavy, and pressed the toy against Adrian's chest. Adrian meant to think. He meant to build the sentence that would open the door for him again. Instead his eyes closed. He had not slept in a day and a night. Eric's weight settled against his ribs. The rattle slipped out of the boy's hand and rolled onto the floorboards. Adrian dreamed of nothing. He did not hear the door. Aldric came back in from the wood pile with an armful of kindling. He stopped inside the threshold. Adrian was on his side on the rug, one arm curled around Eric. Eric was asleep with his mouth open against Adrian's shirt. The rattle lay two feet away. Aldric let out a breath through his nose. It was not a kind sound. He set the kindling down harder than he needed to. Adrian did not stir. Aldric looked at the two of them a moment longer. Then he pulled the folded blanket off the back of the chair and went out the door. Elara sat on the low stone at the edge of the clearing. Hope was asleep in the sling against her chest, hand covered by cloth. Elara's lips had gone pale. She was shivering. Aldric came up quietly. He shook the blanket open and laid it over her shoulders. He tucked one corner under her arm so it would hold. He sat down beside her on the stone. She did not look up. After a moment she leaned sideways against him. He put his arm around her and settled his hand on her shoulder, careful of the baby between them. She began to cry. Not loud. Just steady, into the wool of his sleeve. "He's asleep on the floor with Eric," Aldric said. "He never got to you." Elara nodded against him. Aldric watched the trees. He tightened his arm around her and held on.