Our Immeasurable Bond

Chapter 26

Wednesday sat quietly at the kitchen table, her fingers curled around a warm mug of black coffee.The steam curled lazily into the air, mingling with the early morning light that filtered through the large windows.

As she took another slow sip, she heard the soft creaking of footsteps on the staircase.

Her eyes flicked up to the doorway just as Pugsley appeared, his hair tousled from sleep, and his expression groggy.

He moved with a deliberate slowness, clearly not yet fully awake, and headed straight for the kitchen sink to get some water.

Wednesday watched him quietly, her dark eyes studying her brother’s every move. After a few moments of silence, she spoke, her voice cutting through the quiet like a knife.

"I know why you didn’t want to leave," she said, her tone straightforward.

Pugsley froze in place, his hand hovering over the faucet. Slowly, he turned to look at her, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Please don’t tell them," he blurted out, his voice tinged with panic. He hadn’t expected her to find out, let alone confront him about it so directly.

Wednesday tilted her head slightly, her gaze unwavering. "That’s what I’m saying, Pugsley," she replied, her voice calm but firm. "Why are you hiding it? You know it’s fine with them, right?"

Pugsley’s shoulders slumped, and he looked down at the floor, his hand dropping to his side.

"I just… I didn’t know what to say to them," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He seemed almost embarrassed, as if he were ashamed of his own feelings.

Wednesday sighed softly, setting her mug down on the table with a quiet clink. "If I didn’t stalk you, I wouldn’t have known," she said, her tone still even, but there was a hint of reproach in her words.

Pugsley’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Wait, you stalked me?" he asked, his voice filled with surprise.

Wednesday’s expression remained unchanged, her gaze steady. "Well, yeah," she said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You wouldn’t tell me. So I had to find out for myself."

Pugsley just shook his head in response, a sigh escaping his lips. He should have known that Wednesday wouldn’t just let it go. She never did.

"But you know I support you, right?" Wednesday continued, her voice softening. It wasn’t often that she expressed her feelings so directly, but in this moment, she knew Pugsley needed to hear it.

Pugsley looked at her, a genuine surprise in his eyes. "You do?" he asked, as if he could hardly believe it.

"Of course," she replied, her tone as firm as ever. "But you should tell them about this. They deserve to know, and it’ll be better for you in the long run."

Pugsley sighed deeply, the weight of her words settling on his shoulders. He knew she was right. But the thought of opening up to their parents, of explaining why he was so hesitant to leave, filled him with anxiety he couldn’t quite shake.

"I just don’t know how to start," he admitted, his voice barely audible. He looked down at his feet, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what to do.

Wednesday watched him for a moment, her sharp mind already working on a solution.

"You don’t have to do it all at once," she said after a brief pause. "Just start with the truth. Tell them about the girl. The rest will follow."

Pugsley’s eyes flicked back up to meet hers, seeing the reassurance in her made him feel at ease. For all her cold exterior, Wednesday did care deeply, in her own way. And that was enough to give him the courage he needed.