The Second Shot

Chapter Fifteen

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Eacker said.

Maria smiled up at him, quite pleased with herself.

Maria had managed to sneak onto the train and sit in the luggage compartment for the whole ride. She had even packed a small bag of her own.

"You're too clever for your own good." Eacker said, lifting her up and placing her on his hip as he reached for his bag "And you're lucky no one caught you."

"A few people did walk through, they just didn't notice or didn't care." Maria said, leaning away from Eacker to try and see out the train windows.

"What am I supposed to tell Mother and Father?" Eacker asked, stepping out of the train. Maria's coat was made for warmer weather, and he held her closer to him so she wouldn't freeze.

Maria was quiet, having clearly not thought about what they would have to tell their parents.

"I'll just tell them that you insisted on coming so I brought you, and you'll be staying with me for a few weeks."

"Only a few weeks?" Maria complained.

Eacker stepped of the platform and began his way home. He wasn't sure where Maria would sleep yet, considering that he only had one bedroom.

"Don't complain, Mar, a few weeks is a long enough amount of time already." Eacker said. Maria huffed and rested her head on his shoulder.

Eventually they arrived at Eacker's house, and he opened the front door to let Maria run inside.

"It's cold in here!" She exclaimed.

"Because I haven't turned on the oven or the heating yet." Eacker replied. He placed his suitcase by the stairs and went to start the oven.

Maria sat near the oven when Eacker was finished starting it, and he went upstairs to put his suitcase on the bed and start the heating.

"Hungry?" Eacker asked Maria, who nodded eagerly.

He toasted and buttered some bread for them, and then sat down near the oven with Maria as they ate. The temperature steadily rose, and Maria shrugged off her coat.

"We should get you a new coat," Eacker said "That one's made for weather in Virginia, not New York."

Maria nodded and yawned. It was only 8:30pm, but she was used to going to sleep at that time.

"Time for bed." Eacker said, standing up.

"Nooooo." Maria whined, but followed him up the stairs anyways.

Eacker sat by his sister, rubbing her back until she fell asleep. Then he wrote a letter to his parents which he would send tomorrow. Finally he got ready for bed himself.

Maria was sleeping in a nest of blankets on the floor as she had insisted upon. Eacker got into his own bed and fell asleep.