pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. “It wasn’t something we did consciously. Or maybe we did. She’s already been through so much. It seemed cruel to drop something else on her.” A single tear trickled down Avala’s face and cut my temper in half.
I knew Avala would do anything to spare her sisters pain, and I knew that if she could Avala would take that pain onto herself if it made it go away. “I know, but to find out that way wasn’t kind either.”
“I had no idea she went out there. She was supposed to be with Morgaine in the greenhouses. We thought maybe another day or so for her to settle in before…”
“She’s sleeping now.” I told her instead of allowing her to judge herself any harder than she already was. “If you’ve got some soothing tea, and maybe some soup that would be easy to digest I can take it over.”
“I have some lemon chicken barley that she’s fond of for comfort soup. She likes lemon in her chicken soups,” Avala rose smiling faintly and walked over to her freezer. “I made the pot before she arrived as I know she goes through it as fast as I make it. We’ll add some quiet tea too, though I doubt she’ll drink it. Hadley doesn’t like muddling her mind with the herbs even when it’s good for her.”
“What about the smelly stuff?” I asked, “What’s it called, aromatherapy?”
Avala pursed her lips as she set the Tupperware of frozen soup on the bar. “Lavender and sandalwood certainly.” She hummed as she moved around the kitchen and opened her herb closet. “A touch of mint perhaps.” She mused to herself as she gathered dried herbs and laid them out on the counter.
I just watched as Avala studied her stock, selected, trimmed, and ground it into a powder. She added things she hadn’t named to the mix and did some more hand grinding with her marble mortar and pestle. Avala’s motions were smooth and practiced. In a few minutes, she was pouring the mixture she had made into a small wooden box. Then from her closet, she pulled out a small bag of what looked like sand, a marble or granite bowl, and a short curved black rock.
Avala set all the items on the counter and I saw the black rock was actually some kind of charcoal. She pulled a grocery bag from under her sink and began to carefully stack everything in the bag.
“Put the sand in the bowl and the charcoal in the center of the sand. Then light the charcoal. It’s not a toxic mix so don’t worry. Let the charcoal heat, and then sprinkle the herb mix over it. I wish we had time to let it sit for a few hours, hopefully Hadley sleeps that long so it can cure a bit. I’m sure you know how to deal with soup, and Hadley has jugs of water over there. She’s not really fond of much else when it comes to liquids. I’ll come over with Glory and Morgaine later, if you could stay with her until then. I just need to…find the words.”
I studied her sad eyes then nodded. “If you could let my brothers know. I think they’ll take it better from you.”
“Of course.”
I didn’t question Avala when she came to relieve me. I had done as Avala had asked and then just sat with Hadley holding her hand in mine while she slept, hoping she knew that she wasn’t alone even in sleep.
“If you need anything,” I began but she nodded absently and ran a hand lightly over Hadley’s hair.
“I know where to call. Thank you, North.”
“Sure.” I quietly left the sisters. It was after all a family matter. While their mother had been a stand in for mine, it wasn’t something I was even comfortable talking about. Her death had been unfair and in my mind unjust.
When I reached the lake, I realized I had left my skates next to Hadley’s door. There would be no skating in the foreseeable future without them. Slightly put out, I stomped–the best I could through almost a foot of snow–to my shop to do some work before suppertime.
The warmth and smell of the space was almost enough to make up
I knew Avala would do anything to spare her sisters pain, and I knew that if she could Avala would take that pain onto herself if it made it go away. “I know, but to find out that way wasn’t kind either.”
“I had no idea she went out there. She was supposed to be with Morgaine in the greenhouses. We thought maybe another day or so for her to settle in before…”
“She’s sleeping now.” I told her instead of allowing her to judge herself any harder than she already was. “If you’ve got some soothing tea, and maybe some soup that would be easy to digest I can take it over.”
“I have some lemon chicken barley that she’s fond of for comfort soup. She likes lemon in her chicken soups,” Avala rose smiling faintly and walked over to her freezer. “I made the pot before she arrived as I know she goes through it as fast as I make it. We’ll add some quiet tea too, though I doubt she’ll drink it. Hadley doesn’t like muddling her mind with the herbs even when it’s good for her.”
“What about the smelly stuff?” I asked, “What’s it called, aromatherapy?”
Avala pursed her lips as she set the Tupperware of frozen soup on the bar. “Lavender and sandalwood certainly.” She hummed as she moved around the kitchen and opened her herb closet. “A touch of mint perhaps.” She mused to herself as she gathered dried herbs and laid them out on the counter.
I just watched as Avala studied her stock, selected, trimmed, and ground it into a powder. She added things she hadn’t named to the mix and did some more hand grinding with her marble mortar and pestle. Avala’s motions were smooth and practiced. In a few minutes, she was pouring the mixture she had made into a small wooden box. Then from her closet, she pulled out a small bag of what looked like sand, a marble or granite bowl, and a short curved black rock.
Avala set all the items on the counter and I saw the black rock was actually some kind of charcoal. She pulled a grocery bag from under her sink and began to carefully stack everything in the bag.
“Put the sand in the bowl and the charcoal in the center of the sand. Then light the charcoal. It’s not a toxic mix so don’t worry. Let the charcoal heat, and then sprinkle the herb mix over it. I wish we had time to let it sit for a few hours, hopefully Hadley sleeps that long so it can cure a bit. I’m sure you know how to deal with soup, and Hadley has jugs of water over there. She’s not really fond of much else when it comes to liquids. I’ll come over with Glory and Morgaine later, if you could stay with her until then. I just need to…find the words.”
I studied her sad eyes then nodded. “If you could let my brothers know. I think they’ll take it better from you.”
“Of course.”
I didn’t question Avala when she came to relieve me. I had done as Avala had asked and then just sat with Hadley holding her hand in mine while she slept, hoping she knew that she wasn’t alone even in sleep.
“If you need anything,” I began but she nodded absently and ran a hand lightly over Hadley’s hair.
“I know where to call. Thank you, North.”
“Sure.” I quietly left the sisters. It was after all a family matter. While their mother had been a stand in for mine, it wasn’t something I was even comfortable talking about. Her death had been unfair and in my mind unjust.
When I reached the lake, I realized I had left my skates next to Hadley’s door. There would be no skating in the foreseeable future without them. Slightly put out, I stomped–the best I could through almost a foot of snow–to my shop to do some work before suppertime.
The warmth and smell of the space was almost enough to make up
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