Book IV: Avi Dragon

Laundry Day

Avi blushed, even though she wasn't looking. They were married, but it was just as embarrassing for him as it was for her. Maybe they'd get to the point where they didn't bother with clothes around the house (when the kids were asleep), but not today. He lunged for his suitcase to grab his pajama pants.
   "We, ah, probably ought to find the laundromat here before we leave. Most of her clothes just got a quick rinse in the bathroom sink, and almost all of mine could stand up on their own." He was rambling, but she didn't mind. The chatter filled the awkward silence, and gave them something to focus on.
   "Sure. Why don't you call the front desk and find out, while I'm texting everybody."
   "Yeah, I can do that."
   She must've been Watching, because when he turned around, her eyes were open. Her fingers flew across the screen with moderate speed, presumably managing multiple chat windows while he inquired about the facilities.
   "Did you know there's a pool?" he asked when he hung up.
   "No, but it makes sense that there'd be one. Most of the larger hotels have them up here." She didn't look up from her phone, but he didn't expect her to. She was arranging the severance of her entire life here, so he gave her space. He gathered their clothes together, including the tainted ones, and put them in his suitcase. The wet garments he put in the plastic bags from Target. He checked the diaper bag, and found a soiled dress that he tossed in.
   "I'm going to get change for the laundry soap machine," he said, heading toward the door.
   She bounced up off the bed, baby on her hip, eyes glued to her phone.
   "You don't have to come with me, y'know."
   She looked up, over her glasses. "I can't See as far as the front desk, so yes, I do."
   "Oh, right." He grinned down at them. "You do such a good job protecting us that I forget we need it." He kissed her nose, turned, and swiped the key from the little table. "Guess we'll be needing this."
   He took a few steps toward the door before it registered that the sound he heard behind him was the suitcase he'd filled.
   "Here, let me get that. I thought we'd come back for that," he chided.
   She shrugged, the rolling motion making the baby giggle. "I don't see why we would. May as well do it all in one shot."
   He grinned and shook his head. "As you wish."
   She spluttered behind his back, but he was already out the door, holding it for them. She tugged once on his beard on the way by, eyes sparking a dangerous blue-grey. He just smiled at her as she stalked down the hall ahead of him.
   It hit him, as the desk came into view, that he'd done the same thing Dan had done. What was it about his Angel that turned a potentially painful gesture into an endearment? Was it because it didn't actually hurt? Was it her diminutive stature that lent her an elfin charm?
   She asked where they got change for the laundry soap, and the attendant cheerily told her that he could do it right there. Avi suppressed a twinge of jealousy at such an innocent exchange, and handed over the bills he thought they'd need converted.
   "There's a change machine in the laundry room if you need more quarters," the younger man said with a smile.
   "Of course there is," Angel said. Her answering smile was as tight as her turn toward the aforementioned laundry room. She didn't know how she knew where it was; she assumed they'd been told when they checked in, and she retained the memory.
   She was surprisingly efficient with a baby on her hip. She made a game out of bending to put things in the washers, which made her squeal with glee.
   He smiled throughout the domestic chore, which was a rarity. He dropped kisses on his girls as he passed them with clothing, or detergent. Menolly giggled, but his wife was stoic. He didn't understand what had happened to change her mood so drastically.
   "What should we do while the washers run? There's a little cafe we could hit up before it closes. Sound like a plan?"
   She gave him that tight-lipped smile. "If you're hungry, we can do that. Maybe they'll have some applesauce for the little miss." She jiggled the baby on her hip, just enough to make her giggle. He got the feeling she was avoiding eye contact.
   She's gone all mysterious again, he thought uneasily. It wasn't easy being married and Bound to a mercurial dragon, but for the moment, he relished the challenge.
   The cafe was winding down for the day, but they were more than willing to feed the little family before they closed up. They were told that the restaurant would be open for dinner, or they could order room service.
   Angel looked down at the half dressed baby and chuckled. "I think we might opt for room service, since it's laundry day." She felt self-conscious in her pajamas, next to a shirtless Avi. He didn't seem to notice, but she couldn't ignore it.
    They got two full meals, despite her protests. She didn't want to draw attention to the reason she wasn't hungry, so she nibbled at her food until he finished his. She wanted to feed the baby the yogurt, but she knew better than to introduce dairy so early. Fortunately, they did indeed have applesauce for her.
   When he got up to throw away his trash, she piled her plates in such a way as to hide how little she ate, and followed suit. She felt guilty for wasting food, so she saved the muffin for later. When he asked about it, she said she didn't want to eat too much sugar in one sitting.
   "Besides, we don't know if there are muffins in the room service kitchen."
   He inclined his head in agreement. As they walked back to the laundry, he slid an arm around her shoulders. She lightly bumped against him all the way down the hall, wondering how she'd handle a man who seemed to want some sort of physical contact whenever they were in public.
   Then it clicked. He wants us to look like a happy family unit. She mentally shrugged. At least now I know to expect it, she thought. It costs so little to support his illusion. Maybe I can even pretend with him, and it won't ache so much.