The gators greeted us with opened jaws and snorting.

I didn't know that they could make noises like that, but they'd been noisy all the night before. It seemed like my arrival was some sort of hoohah they ain't have in a while. I still weren't brave enough to go and pet them on the snout the way Rivka did. I swear that woman was fearless.

Swinging her bag of purchases, she lead me all the way to the kitchen, hands still locked together. I musta been like some sort of toddler to her with how different out ages were. She had centuries on me, if I was doing my arithmetic right. There was I, a girl of eighteen, holdin' her hand and eating popsicles while I followed after her. I woulda been embarrassed if it weren't for how comfortable I felt. I didn't do none of that with Mama; she didn't move much.

Rivka finally let go of my hand as she set to pulling everything she bought out of the bag. Either my eyes were playing tricks on me, or the bag was deeper than I'd thought. Stuff like this, I would reckon, woulda taken about ten bags to hold, and then some to make sure they didn't drop out. She had no problems with stuffing them all in one, though.

She caught me starin', wide eyed and curious.

"You gonna help me take this stuff out, or is you just gonna keep watchin' me, li'l girl?"

Before I could say anything smart, I stuffed my mouth with the popsicle. My fingers were sticky from the chocolate that had melted off of it and the cherry-flavored syrup of the last one, so I had to wash it off. The sink pumped out a good helping of cool water before shutting off on its own, sending me on my merry way to help the witch.

Xerxes hopped off my shoulder, landing soundlessly on the counter.

"Didja buy the good stuff, Riv? I like my fish first rate, you know that," he stated. His words were drawn out in a yawn as he stretched himself out.

"Yes, yes, I know how picky you are," she sang, her voice cheerful.

I was silent as I watched the two of them, carefully turning over whatever I took out in hand before setting it down on the counter. I was tempted to take an olive out of the jar I had in my hands when I realized the two of them had stopped talking. A smile, slightly different from the one she wore before, was stretched out over her lips.

"I heard you made a friend," she prompted.

"He's a liar," I dismissed, setting the olive down and sticking my hand in the bag again.

"Oh, I don't think that's something you can say about someone you just met," she objected.

"Well, he lied to me," I stated, sticking to my opinion.

"He was tryna be nice," she said.

"There are plenty o' other ways to be nice."

"Would you be sayin' all this if he weren't so cute," Xerxes interjected. I tossed a can of something at him, only for him to hop out of the way easily.

"Oh, so he was cute," Rivka mused.

"I didn't say that," I protested.

"But you didn't deny it."

My mouth snapped shut real quick, no reply coming from me. Not sure what I would've said since I couldn't think of nothing to say. He had been cute, as far as I was concerned. His voice was just as cute, laced with the late crack of puberty. I doubted he was like me in that respect, though. Mama said I weren't gonna get any prettier than a rotting fish.

The silence only seemed to prove Rivka right and she went right back on peckin' at me about boys and what not. I wasn't really listening. It went in one ear and came out the other as I stared over at Xerxes. The old tom cat was certainly the boy, that much had been made clear to me already. What I wondered was why my chest wasn't tightening when I first saw his human form.

Xerxes had been a pretty sight, minus the nudity. But he also looked mean as hell when I'd woken up to him. That, or it was just the jitters of seeing him that way. Max had sure been a nice sight for sore eyes, but the reaction had been different. It was like someone had knocked the air right out of me.

As I said, I weren't paying no attention to what Rivka was saying and that was what earned me a nice swatting on the rear from her. When I did look over her direction, I was greeted with a flick on the nose.

"What was that for," I asked.

"Not paying attention," she retorted, as if it couldn't have been anything else, "I'm tryin' t' teach you some important lessons, li'l girl."

"Oh, yeah, and what could they be?"

"Like...how to tell if a boy only wants your sweet little kisses."

My hand flew to my lips, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. I tried my best to look upset by the notion, though I didn't care much for it. I knew there was a very slim chance of me ever getting my lips on a boy's, and it weren't gonna be soon. Not with the way I was or how I looked.

I was stick thin and in desperate need of one of those spa treatment things. Nothing compared to Rivka, who I stole a glance at. Even in all her long and billowy dresses, you could make out the curves of her figure. This was the beauty of woman matured, and I wasn't no woman. Not yet, maybe. Or ever. Sucking in air through my teeth, I rolled my eyes and dropped the act.

I reached for the last thing in the bag, and found that there was nothing else in it. We were left with the task of putting everything in its proper place, and that was something I would need assistance with. But, like it had been for some time, something was bugging me. It was there, peckin' away at my brain.

Rivka had told me her whole story, how terrible her life had turned. But she never said why she was still here. The whole world was out there for her, and I would have jumped at the chance to go see it if I had the chance. But I was broker than a bum and living off of her kindness; I had no hope of seeing anywhere other the street corner if I left her.

She had this look of success to her, though. It was a look that said she could make it anywhere if she took a step there. Like everything would be lined up for her before she could spit twice. I wish I looked that way, but I knew well that I didn't. But it didn't mean I wouldn't try when I was a little richer than I was. The idea of askin' her about why she stayed was suddenly a daunting task that I wasn't sure I wanted to take on.

Lips pressed together and brows furrowed, I must have looked like I had some kind of backup in my system because Rivka was laughing again. It was a nice sound, like water trippin' over rocks in a brook. So smooth it melted into her words.

"What's got your face all twisted up," she asked, hands on her hips and head cocked to the side.

"I was jus', uh—I was jus' wonderin' why you stayed here in Gavlier. Y'know, with all the things you can do," I tried after a moment.

I looked down real quick, toein' the edge of a cabinet with my shoe. I didn't look up again until a little huff left her. The first thought was that I made her upset somehow by my askin', but the small smile that settled on her lips wasn't something that could call up the devil. It was sad and lonely, giving her eyes a little rueful light to them. The one thing I noticed on her face, though, was some kind of regret.

But it was gone before I could say a thing about it, luckily. Lord only knows what kind of stupidity woulda left my mouth.

"I just like it here," she stated, like that was all the answer I needed, "Now, hurry up and put them jars away so I can start on lunch."

Just like that, the mood turned into something else and I was relieved of any kind of doubt I would have had. I let myself be calmed by that smile, ignoring that I knew there was more to it, and that she knew I knew.

She'd tell me when she was ready.

// happy sunday, y'all. looks like Alma's got a crush; or not. who even knows at this point. anywho, please remember to comment and vote if you like the chapter. cheers, rem.