(COMPLETED) The Lunar Chronicles - Winter's Summer

Part 3

The Rieux Tavern had not changed in the very long time that Scarlet had come here last. After she came back from Luna, Gilles had put up a plaque in her honor, like he promised he would, and Scarlet had immediately hated it. Her trips to the Tavern became less and less frequent, and now Wolf almost exclusively delivered here. Scarlet's face turned red with embarrassment if the place was even mentioned.

But here she was, somehow, standing back in the entrance of the sticky, smelly Tavern she had tried so hard to avoid. If not for her burning curiosity about Winter's news, she would have insisted that they go somewhere else.

"Scarling! Look, it's our Scarling, back in the Tavern again!" Emilié was nothing less than thrilled to see Scarlet back in the Tavern, and everyone rose to their feet and started to applaud at her words. Scarlet's face was burning- this was always the worst part of visiting.

It didn't help that Winter was smiling and waving and curtsying. Scarlet mustered up a large fake smile and waved, once. Then she gestured for Winter to follow as she walked to the nearest empty booth.

"Bonjour, Scarlet. What can I get you today?" Gilles said, coming to stand beside the table, dropping menus down in front of them. He smiled so wide at Scarlet, she was sure that it was hurting his mouth. He insisted that he be the one to serve Scarlet every time she came in, and every time he greeted her with that smile, looking like a proud father.

Scarlet didn't need a menu. She immediately said "Red wine. Hamburger with tomatoes, please." She looked at Winter and it occurred to her that she might not have decided what she wanted yet. "Oh, um... can you come back in a few minutes? I think Winter needs a moment." He nodded and walked back to the kitchen. Scarlet was his only customer. Or the only one that he, personally, would serve.

Winter scanned the menu with a passion she had never seen from someone ordering food, and Gilles had had her sub for sick waitresses all of the time, before this mess with the Lunars. She had time because her grandmother was still around to take the orders that Scarlet couldn't do.

Her chest hurt a little. It was hard to think of her grandmother, even though it had been nearly three years since she died.

When they got back to Earth, Wolf had taken her to the opera house, where he got her grandmother's body, and he buried her in one of the fields. She had always said she wanted to be back with the Earth and sky. Scarlet hoped that she had done what she asked, and that she was happy.

Scarlet had gotten to say goodbye to her, and it was what she was most grateful for. She had been pushed into a whirlwind adventure, and hadn't found the time to grieve properly, what with all the fighting for her life. The funeral gave her closure, and there was very little in the world that was more valuable than that.

She could have had her farm burn down and be chased out of town, and it would have been okay, if not because she had Wolf, than because she had said goodbye to her grandma. She had cut all the strings keeping her in Rieux. There was nothing preventing her from leaving, and that feeling was intoxicating.

She could leave. She could live in New Beijing with Kai, or stay permanently on as crew of the Rampion with Cress and Thorne. Or, she could work with Iko in her clothes shop, or even go to Luna! The possibilities were endless.

She knew that Wolf would do whatever she wanted, would follow her across the world, stab himself in the chest if she asked, and it was that knowledge that kept her from going to New Beijing or the Rampion or Luna.

She wouldn't exploit his love. It was too much like something Levana would do. She knew that Wolf was happy on the farm, that he liked the work and the house and the animals. And, true to his word, the animals liked him back. She wouldn't ask him to move. She would be happy with his happiness, even though staying in Rieux had been piercing her heart with memories of her and her grandmother.

It had gotten better, but it was still hard.

Winter slammed the menu shut. "Ice cream," she declared proudly. Scarlet shook her head. She had been lost in thought, staring at the corner of the table, where there was a fly. She had been watching it, barely aware of her own thoughts.

"What?"

"Ice cream. I shall be having ice cream for dinner."

Scarlet scoffed. "Um, you need to eat dinner before you eat dessert. It's in the rule book."

Winter frowned. "What rule book?"

Scarlet played with her hair. "You know. The rule book."

Winter catched on to Scarlet's teasing tone and said, "Well, I must not if it brings about this much confusion. Nevertheless, I shall find this rule book and I shall tear out the pages that say no dessert before dinner, because," her voice got soft and conspiratorial, "Scarlet-friend, I will be eating ice cream for dinner. And there is not a force in this galaxy that will keep me from doing so." She smiled like she had just won an argument.

Scarlet threw her hands up in surrender. "Fine, rot your teeth, I don't really care either way."

Winter laughed. When Gilles came back, she ordered ice cream, as promised, and Scarlet ordered her food. When she got her wine glass, she took a long sip. It had been a hard day.

She had forgotten to feed the chickens because she was getting ready to meet Winter, and when she went out to do it, far past their feeding time, they were mad, and had been relentlessly pecking her bare legs. She fell down in the gravel driveway, bruising her leg. It was still slightly sore.

She kicked her heels off under the table, pressing the soles of her calloused feet into the cold floor. After one sip, her head felt more clear, and she felt more relaxed. As Winter began digging into her extra large portion of ice cream ("On the house," Gilles had said, "For our Scarlet's friend.")

Scarlet kicked her gently under the table.

"Hey," she said.

Winter kicked back, slightly harder, her heels still on. "Hey."

Scarlet leaned across the table, resting her head on her hands. "Didn't you have some big important news that you wanted to tell me?"

"Ah!" Winter put down her spoon and straightened up in her seat, folding her hands in her lap. The gleam that was in her eyes when she told Scarlet that she was the happiest she had been since Levana had died and her reign ended had appeared again. She leaned across the table, her face close to Scarlet's, like she was sharing a secret.

"You know Jacin?"

Scarlet laughed. "Yes, I know Jacin."

Winter smiled. "Well, we both have a wonderful scrap of news for you and your Wolf and the rest of our friends."

"What is it?"

"I am pregnant."