The Glistening Key (A Key Keepers novel) [Completed]

Episode 10: Stories

When Lulu woke up, Alice and Vi were already awake while Sky continued to sleep next to her.

Lulu rubbed her eyes as she hopped off the wagon. "Morning..."

"Morning, Lulu," Vi said.

Alice was squatting by a nearby pot. "How did you sleep?"

"I'm not used to sleeping in the wagon, but I think I slept okay." She ran her fingers through her hair. "Should I wake Sky up?"

"You can wait a minute," Vi said. "The smell of the food might help him wake up on his own."

Lulu turned to look at Kai, and shouted, "Why haven't you gone to sleep yet? Aren't you tired?"

"Lulu, you'll wake Sky if you keep shouting like that," Alice said.

"I'm going to bed after we eat. Vi can take you to the inn and I'll take a nap when we get there."

"Alright..."

That was when Sky climbed down from the wagon. He had bedhead. "Morning..."

"I hope you're hungry," Alice said.

He rubbed his eyes. "I could smell your cooking when I woke up."

Alice giggled. "I love you, Sky."

"I love you, too, Allie," he replied.

Alice gave Kai the first bowl. "Get to bed before you pass out."

"I'm fine. That nap I took yesterday really helped."

"Still," Vi said. "You sound like your mom. She wouldn't sleep until she passed out if Edgar let her."

Alice sighed. "She did hide that her arm was broken for several days."

Vi shook her head. "It's beyond me how she was able to do that."

"She has her ways," Kai said. "Dad didn't know she could hide her pain like she was."

"Do you know how to do that?" Sky asked.

Kai shook his head. "I don't think that would work on Vi even if I could."

"When you're caring for someone who can't tell you that they're sad or that their head hurts, you have to read the littlest signals. That's why I'm able to notice things like that."

"Didn't you say that you studied people's brains?" Kai asked.

"Psychologists study the mind! Not the physical brain itself!"

"I mean doesn't that help you notice those sorts of things?"

She shrugged. "Maybe it does. I had developed that skill before I started studying psychology."

Kai face palmed. "It's an impressive skill regardless of how you developed it."

"I agree with Kai," Alice said. "It's probably a useful skill for a woman with small children."