Nail Biter

7

“Are the kids finally asleep?” Gwen absentmindedly poked at the campfire with a long stick. She dug the glowing end of the dead branch into the cold dirt where it stood up on an angle on the damp ground. David sat down by the fire next to Gwen. The blaze lit up a small circular field that they used to tell stories to the kids before sending them off to bed at night. They sat on five different logs that were organized around the fire site, but David chose to sit next to his co-counsellor. That shouldn’t have bothered Gwen as much as it did.

“Yeah, they tired themselves out during the paper plane turf war.” The fact that David managed to say that in a somewhat serious tone made Gwen laugh.

“What?” David chucked, too. Gwen immediately tensed up. She wiped the corner of her mouth with the palm of her hand and cleared her throat.

“The way you said that was funny,” she said. “‘Paper plane turf wars’ is something I’ll carry with me for sure.”

“Glad to have made an impact, Gwen!” David smiled at her and they laughed again, together this time. Gwen was laughing more at herself than David at this point, but he didn't seem to notice.

The light of the campfire cast sharp shadows across David’s face. Gwen watched the lights flicker in his eyes for a moment before he met her gaze. His grin faltered slightly.

“Do I have something on my face?” David asked with a silly smile.

“No, you look great,” Gwen stumbled to end her sentence when she realized what she’s said, but David was already laughing again.

“I try to at least look presentable!” He said. He adjusted his vest in an exaggerated fashion as if to prove his point.

Gwen smiled back at him and looked down at her hands. She held them still on her lap but tapped her foot on the ground. David noticed the faint knocking of the heel of her boot against the log they sat on. He glanced down at her feet and then looked up again. Gwen stared forwards at the fire. She could see David's look of slight concern from her peripheral but pretended not to notice.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Me?” Gwen sat up straight. “I'm great!”

“Having trouble keeping your hands still?” David’s voice had softened. He tilted his head and glanced at her curiously as if he was gauging her reaction to him bringing up her habit.

A few seconds of silence followed. “Yeah.” Gwen’s response was short and concise, no need to elaborate.

“I was looking around online,” David scooted closer to Gwen and reached into his pocket. Gwen didn't move away but stopped tapping her foot. “You know, for stuff that might help. I made you this!”

David retrieved his hand from his pocket and held out two key rings that had been looped together. It was decorated with several violet beads. Gwen stared at it for a moment before holding out her hand. David dropped the rings into her open palm.

“See, it's a little fidget toy you keep in your pocket!” He explained enthusiastically. “If you ever need something to do with your hands, you can just toss it around!”

Gwen turned the toy over in her hands. She twisted the rings and watched the four plastic beads click together when she turned the metal circles over her fingers. Smiling softly, she looked back at David, tightly clutching the trinket in her right hand and running her thumb across the row of violet plastic.

“Thank you, David.” It was possibly the most sincere thanks that she had ever given him. The words seemed to come through on their own. “Not just for the rings, but for helping me. I feel like I should thank you a lot more than I have, and I can't keep up because I've been such a dick. I can't pay you back because I've been terrible to work with and you've been so-” Gwen twisted the rings and they clicked together as she struggled for a word that wouldn't sound condescending or overly sappy. “Sweet to me.” She concluded. It wasn't exactly the kind of speech he deserved, but she was never good with words, anyway. It wouldn't matter to him. There was heart behind it and that's all David really cared about.