Bird Wings

Chapter 18

True to her word, Wren took advantage of her next free afternoon to walk across the village to Clay's house. Time had worked away at the good feelings she'd had about this until she was left with mostly dread. Coming face to face with her friend's front door made her think wistfully of all the peaceful, solitary things she could have chosen to do instead.

But Clay's hug stuck with her. Wren's eager warmth at the end of their visit had exposed something in Clay that felt too delicate to ignore. Her ego was quick to jump past what Clay had actually said and believe that she had in fact missed her, had actually felt Wren's neglect, and hadn't wanted to give up their friendship so easily. Effort like that had to be matched, so here Wren was. She reached out and tapped the knocker.

The door opened to reveal Clay's mother.

"Oh, Wren. Hello." She seemed rather disconcerted to see her.

"Hello. I'm here to see Clay, is she busy today?"

"Um, I think she might be. Please just wait there a moment and I'll see." She gestured to reinforce that Wren should stay outside the house and left the door open only a few inches.

Wren felt the rudeness. It was very unlikely that Clay's mother didn't know whether she had time to see Wren today or not, especially if she was home at the moment, and not to be allowed even to step inside the front door? She bounced on her heels impatiently.

"Hi Wren!" Clay's face poked around the door, smiling brightly. "You're here!"

That warm of a welcome almost made up for the coolness of the mother. Wren grinned back, her reluctance to be there melting away. There just was something about Clay that comforted her turbulent spirits.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk with me."

Clay was happy to. She tapped the doorway charm, called a goodbye into the depths of the house behind her, and stepped out onto the step with Wren. The days were still clinging to summer warmth, so both girls walked with bare feet.

"I'm sorry if my mom was weird. You know how people are."

Wren knew indeed. It made the way Clay was all the more refreshing.

"How's your quilt going?"

"Oh, terrible of course. I'm beginning to think my genius design looks like a toe and now I can't stop seeing it that way when I look at it."

Wren giggled.

"A toe! I can see it too!"

"No! Don't say that, I already bought the fabric!"

"Ohh no, it's going to be a foot quilt. You'll pass it down to your grandkids and they'll wonder what you were thinking. Did you pick a flesh tone for the main colour by any chance? I can't remember."

"You're not helpful at all. If it looks so much like that, why didn't you notice it before when I showed you?"

"You didn't see it then either! I'm being unjustly attacked."

They laughed together as they walked through the village, moving in the direction of the river in unspoken agreement. After a few minutes Clay fell into a thoughtful silence, looking over at Wren.

"What?" she asked.

"You're just as friendly as ever," Clay answered. "People were saying that you were weird now, or distant, but I don't see it."

Wren chewed on that observation a little before answering.

"I feel better around you, but they're probably right. I know I've been acting weird and pulling away from everyone. I don't know how to help it; most of the time I feel like I can't even remember how to be likeable - or "friendly". I used to know what to do and how to talk to people, but I can't seem to get it right anymore."