(COMPLETED) The Lunar Chronicles - Winter's Summer

Part 11

Wolf felt a hand on his shoulder and skittered back, not expecting to be touched.

Winter jerked back her hand. She squeaked out an apology, that Wolf instantly waved off. "What is it?" He said, trying not to sound overly gruff. It wasn't Winter's fault that he didn't hear her. It was strange, having someone sneak up on him. It wasn't something he particularly liked.

He was normally so good at picking up on people around him. What was it that he was doing that distracted him so much?

"Scarlet made lunch."

He immediately relaxed. He hadn't realized how tense he was until he could feel his muscles unwinding and his heartbeat slow.

"Thank you."

Winter nodded once, then made her way back to the house.

Wolf still hadn't fully adjusted to Winter being here yet, even though it had been a week since she moved into their spare room. When Scarlet proposed the idea of having her stay with them for a few months, Wolf thought nothing of it. She would just be around, maybe help out a little on the farm. It hadn't been like that.

She was intrigued with the work that they did, but didn't have to strength or capabilities to actually do anything. She sat by, making flower crowns for herself, piling them on her head until they all fell off. She distracted Scarlet, making her work slower and poorer. And when Scarlet wasn't working, Winter commanded all of her time.

Wolf didn't want to be petty, or jealous, because Winter was living with them and she was one of Scarlet's best friends, and she was pregnant. And he knew it made no sense to feel threatened by her, but that didn't change the fact that he did.

With Winter here, he and Scarlet have been talking less and spending less time together. It felt stupid to admit it, but Wolf felt like a third wheel.

He straightened up from his spot on the ground. He had been planting flowers in front of the barn. They blew slightly in the wind, and Wolf took a deep inhale. This was his favourite part of being on a farm. Just being able to be outside, in the fresh air.

On Luna, the biodomes made for a feeling of being trapped; like a bug in a jar. But on Earth, it was all open fields and bright skies and sun rises that happened daily. Wolf's favourite thing to do was to wake up at five o'clock and watch the sun rise.

He was amazed at how many different colours he saw in the sky, and amazed at his good fortune that he had access to this beautiful thing every day. It made him really happy.

He made his way back up the path that went from barn to house, wiping his hands on his already dirty jeans as he went.

He walked into the kitchen to Winter and Scarlet sitting at the table, already having started eating.

They were talking about Jacin's medical school. "So, he has another three years, right?" Scarlet said, taking a sip of milk to wash down a bite of sandwich.

Winter nodded, her mouth full. She swallowed, then said "He is trying very hard to get into better courses so that he can be done sooner. I think he will be able to do it. He is very persistent."

Wolf sat down at the last open chair to find an egg salad sandwich waiting. He had double the portion that Scarlet and Winter had, and his had bits of bacon in it. Scarlet noticed him for the first time when he sat down.

"Hey you."

"Hey."

"How was your morning?" Scarlet asked, Wolf picking up his meal in his enormous hands. He shrugged.

"It was fine. I got the peonies planted, so that's something off my list."

"Oh, good." Scarlet brightened. "How do you like it?" She asked, gesturing to the sandwich. "Winter gathered the eggs."

Wolf took a bite of the sandwich and nodded, swallowing before he had chewed it enough, causing him to choke slightly. He coughed into his elbow, feeling slightly embarrassed. But Scarlet wasn't paying attention. She was playing with the ring on her finger.

"It's good."

She turned back to him, a large smile on her face. It looked a little like it was stuck there with pins.

"I'm glad you like it." She turned back to Winter, listening to her saying something about Iko's clothes shop that Jacin was living in. Wolf wasn't really listening.

He shoveled the food into his mouth, not really tasting it, feeling like he needed to leave the table, the house. It was a horrible feeling to feel ignored, and unfortunately, he was becoming very familiar with it. He needed someone to talk to, but with Scarlet being part of the problem, he couldn't tell her. He knew who he wanted to talk to, but they were unavailable. Still, they would best know what Wolf was talking about.

He finished up quickly, then put his plate in the sink. He bent down behind Scarlet to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Going out for a few hours. I'll be back after dinner."

She frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I have some business I need to take care of. I just remembered now. Don't wait up."

Scarlet smirked. "You know I will." Wolf moved into the entry hall, hurriedly put on his coat, and blew a kiss from the doorway. Then he was down the path to the hangar.

It would take eight hours to get to Paris on maglev train. Four, in a podship. Wolf was going to try to make it in two.