Shifting Boundaries

Chapter Twenty-Three

Everett

My life fell into a routine.

I worked in the daycare while supporting Harry as much as I could. In fact, I spent several hours over the course of the next week sitting in a corner of the daycare room with Griffin on my lap and my laptop in front of me, working while he fidgeted with a toy or watched a show on my phone.

Felix was home with irregularity, but we always managed to spend some time together. My mother had dinner at my home every night, which I was grateful for. Seeing her and Felix together set off a warmth in my chest, and when Felix wasn't home for dinner, it was nice not to be alone.

I did have to go to Delta on Tuesday. I received a text partway through the day from my mother asking me to video chat her when I had a chance. When I did, she focused her camera on a red-faced Griffin who had clearly been crying.

"See?" my mom said. "There's Everett. He's going to be here tomorrow, okay?" To me, she added, "Tell him you'll be back tomorrow, Ev."

A knot of emotion built up in my throat, making it difficult to speak. Was he upset because of my absence? It wasn't good for him to be feeling that way, I tried to tell myself. He was going to go back to Neruda when the forest fires were contained and he shouldn't be missing me when he was there. But I felt so much for that little boy and knowing that he honestly cared about me had me melting inside against all reason. "Griffin, hey. Don't cry. I'll see you tomorrow," I assured him.

Griffin looked at me and said, "Errit."

I was getting better at puzzling out what he meant when he spoke, which was definitely less than a boy his age usually would. Still, it was my mother who caught his meaning. "Yes, Griffin, that's Everett."

He was saying my name.

The warmth in my chest bloomed into an affection I couldn't contain. "You be good for Anya, okay? No more crying?"

A fat tear rolled down his adorable toddler cheek and he pouted. "Errit come."

"I'll be back tomorrow," I told him. He probably didn't have much of a concept of what "tomorrow" was, but it was the best I could do.

"How about we have a snack, huh?" My mom asked.

Griffin looked at her and said, "Cookies?"

My mom's face appeared on my screen and she said, "I'm hanging up before he remembers he was talking to you. Love you, dear."

"Love you, Mom."

After my screen went dark, I stared at it for a long moment. I was still trying to come to terms with the warmth Griffin had sparked in me. I still had another two meetings this afternoon, but I badly wanted to get in my car and rush back to Lakota. If I hurried, I could see him a little before his packmates came to pick him up. Besides, I would be getting home later than Felix today, which rubbed me wrong. He was home so little that it felt like a huge wasted opportunity to miss any of it.

There were only twenty minutes left of my lunch break, so I hurried down to the dining hall. No use worrying about things I couldn't change.

--

On Friday, two women from Neruda joined us in the daycare. Molly had finally given them clearance to join us. Their names were Penny and Jessamine, and they mostly spent their time fielding the Neruda children. It was a relief to have them here since there had been more Lakota children arriving at the daycare each morning.

I was on my laptop in the corner when they arrived. Griffin was strapped into a stroller that could seat three kids. His eyes searched the room and found me, and he shouted, "Errit!"