Disclaimer: The world and characters of Emelan belong to Tamora Pierce, not to me. Written for 100W Week at Goldenlake.
Routines
"Brush my hair?"
Briar wipes his muddy hands on a towel. "Gimme a second."
It's strange, this ritual they've adopted after returning to Emelan. No one's ever taken care of Evvy; no one's ever wanted Briar to care for them. It's unfamiliar, but not unwelcome.
She plops down on a flagstone edging the garden. "How are the roses?"
"Almost ready to bloom."
Briar sits behind her, stretching his legs around hers so his toes dig into a patch of blue fescue. He starts detangling her hair with his fingers. Smiling, Evvy starts chattering about her malachite.
Unfamiliar… but not unpleasant.