The Short Demon King

Chapter 23

"Yer coffee's done!" Melinda announced while carrying the two cups over to us.

I looked up from the rustic countertops and smiled at her with my mouth closed, careful to conceal the fangs. My mind may have been in turmoil, but I didn't want to seem rude. Kevin and I each grabbed a cup, saying "thank you" when she gave them to us.

"Need anythin' else? 'Cause if not, I'm gonna go finish cleanin' outside," she explained.

"I think we'll be good, thank you," Kevin replied.

"Just gimme a holler if ya need anythin'!"

She smiled once more, before leaving us as the only ones inside her shop. I blew on the top of my coffee before taking a sip. This time it didn't set my mouth ablaze.

The shop stilled, leaving only the silence between us as Kevin still awaited my answer. Melinda had interrupted our conversation, but now I had to offer some sort of answer. I sighed softly, before looking up to meet his gaze.

I brushed my finger against the cup's rim. "I think it reminded me of my mother."

I waited for a moment so Kevin could reply, but he said nothing, allowing me time to process these emotions on my own, to articulate them into words without interruption. I bit the inside of my lower lip, but continued explaining it to him.

"When I was young, she was the one who looked after me and everything. We lived with the rest of her family, but they never liked me much because no one knew who my father was. We were a... prestigious family, so that meant a lot to them. They had very high expectations for my mother." I paused briefly to recollect my thoughts. "But it was only ever while with her that I ever felt so happy and comfortable. Enough to purr at least. After she-"

I held back the tears in my eyes, gently rubbing at the corners of them. Kevin took another sip of coffee and watched me with the softest expression. Not with pity, but with understanding. I took a deep breath to calm down and keep my composure.

"After she was killed, I never heard a sound like it again. Even with my closest friend, I was never as safe or carefree. I guess hearing that sound here brought all those memories of her back to me."

Kevin reached for my shoulder, but hesitated, looking up at me. I nodded when I noticed the question in his eyes, so he placed his hand down to comfort me.

Maintaining eye-contact, he said, "I'm so sorry it brought up hard memories for you. And if something like that ever happens again, please know that you can talk to me about it. I want to be here to support you, and I kind of understand what that feels like. Even though I was technically an adult when it was just Maya and I, the pain from losing our parents so soon still hasn't left. I'm not sure if it ever will."

Kevin stayed fairly well composed. His gaze was a little far-off, but he still seemed to handle all this better than me for the most part.

I took another sip of coffee before getting the courage to ask him more. "What were your parents like?"

He smiled fondly. "They were the kindest, sweetest people ever. They both came from low-income families, working really hard to make enough to support us all. So whenever they saw someone in need, they'd always try to do at least a little something to help. My mom was a baker too, so she'd often bake treats with Maya and I and give those out to people, especially during the holidays. I always did admire that about them both."

He scratched the side of his cheek with his index finger, looking a little guilty. "That might be where my over trusting that Maya always complains about stems from. I'm just trying to make them proud, you know? They loved each other, and us, so much."