The God of Wishes

3

Chapter 3

She thanked the heavens for this boy. He was the key to filling the void in her heart. She tried to fill the void with vast amounts of books, but her attempt was far too shy. Just when she was about to give up, Cole entered her life and gave her the strength she needed to continue. A tear slipped and Cole stirred; Ina hugged him and he smiled in his sleep; the action sent him further into his dream. The comfort and warmth he was receiving was known even in his sleep.

Ina fell asleep, embracing Cole tightly against her chest. Ina fell asleep late so Cole only naturally arose before her. He awakened and saw the position they'd slept in; it made him smile.

He got up and tucked Ina back in without stirring her. He headed for the pond to wash his face and body when he spotted a wooden stick. He sharpened it against the tree quietly as so not to wake Miss Ina.

While washing himself, the stick that he sharpened acted as a spear. He caught fish for them and set up a fire. He peeled the fishes' scales and heads and roasted them against the fire.

Smelling this delicious aroma, Miss Ina stirred awake. She looked around until she saw the boy; sleep was still dancing in her eyes but she couldn't help but to smile sleepily.

"You're awake," said Cole.
"Yes," Ina replied.
"Go wash up while the food is cooking," he said.

She did as so and couldn't help but scrub; this was pond after all. Cole laughed at her and proceeded to rotate the fish. He figured by the time she was done, the fish would be thoroughly cooked. After a while, she was finally done; she dressed herself and returned to his side at once.

"Here," he paused to hand Miss Ina her share of the food, "It's hot so blow."

She nodded and they ate quietly until a thought crept up on Cole.

He asked, "What happens to your library?"
"I don't know. That's a good question," she shrugged.

"How can you say such a thing when you put your hard work into that library? We can go back! Come, let's go right now."

He stood up and she laughed.
He inquired, "Why are you laughing?"

She halted her laughter, "If we go back, Daniel would surely not let us leave. Those books, those shelves, that place— it was just to help myself deal with pain I'd been avoiding, but you wouldn't understand that at such a young age. I don't need the library; I only need you now."

He was overjoyed to hear that; he felt so warm and appreciated. He hugged her so tightly that she thought her ribs would break. The day went by quickly; they discussed how things would work at this new place.

Cole told her he'd go do some jobs and lurk for building material to build themselves a shelter. They couldn't just sleep underneath the tree; the rain and other things would threaten them. Miss Ina understood and didn't argue; she only thought about how he'd accomplish a feat with him only being six.

A week had passed by and Cole only earned thirteen silver coins. Miss Ina was delighted, but Cole was saddened. He thought at that rate, he'd never be able to build them a shelter and repay her.

"Cheer up," she rubbed his back and held him until he fell asleep. She tucked him in and stepped away for the night; if Cole could make money, she could too. She knew Cole wouldn't wake throughout the night and headed into town to her library.

She wore a soft, brown cloak hiding her head and face as she travelled. She unlocked her library and took books from there, selling them to people who were still awake. She made a few coins, returned the books, locked up and left for Cole.

She ran, making sure she wasn't followed and also she wanted to get some rest, too. She was getting tired. She finally reached Cole an hour before sunlight and snuggled in close to him after removing her traveling clothes.

Cole knew all along that she wasn't there throughout the night; her warmth wasn't there anymore and he awoke a long time ago. He figured she'd be back so he didn't think twice about it; he was still sad about Ina disappearing, but he trusted her.

He laid back down and waited patiently for her; he felt her snuggle into him before the light and chuckled at her. She was asleep and now Cole was up, getting ready for his day.

He cooked her some food, bathed and then kissed her goodbye until later. He set off, doing small jobs in the nearby towns and cake picked up supplies for their shelter.

Miss Ina taught him that it wasn't okay to steal; he didn't want to defy her, but winter was arriving soon and they still didn't have shelter. He stole for the first time in three months and he went unnoticed.

He took the supplies back with him in a wheel barrow, running as fast he could. Miss Ina was still asleep when Cole arrived and he smiled seeing her beautiful face. He was happy she wasn't losing any weight due to their circumstances and he was happy that she chose him. A tear fell down Cole's face and he began to work on their shelter before winter arrived.

He once read a book on how to build shelters and houses so he figured it wouldn't be too hard. He just had to make it big enough for the both of them; it didn't have to be fancy or anything. He worked diligently but silently. He sweated profusely but he didn't stop even while his hand ached.

When Miss Ina awoke, she found Cole asleep next to a pile of wood and brick. Was he actually building a shelter, she thought. She smiled at his hard work. She kissed him and set off into the town to make money.

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Author's Note: This is awesomeeeee! >> Thank you for reading <3 ❤️.