SM owns twilight, I own a couple of silly hens.

Chapter 11. A time to be silent and a time to speak.

I spent the morning working on my stone wall, it was starting to take shape, and even I was getting impressed with my slow, but steady pace.

It was around a meter high at the highest point, but took many stones, in many stone-layers to reach that height. The curve of the wall was starting to show.

The placement of the bigger foundations stones with Carlos and Leah had already been done, thank heavens, it would have been almost impossible for me to do the foundations all alone.

I worked in silence this morning, slowly and carefully selecting the exactly right shaped stones from the piles. It was good and satisfying work.

Although initially my muscles were aching when I first started, and I had no stamina at all. I was now surprising myself with the hours I put in, and the quiet satisfaction I got out of progressing at a very slow snail's pace.

The activity relaxed my mind; my focus was just on shapes and placement of the various stones.

There wasn't any mortar to worry about, or places to rush off to.

The phone didn't ring and I just kept plodding along.

Leah was life-modelling for another artist again this morning, and the house was quiet.

Eric the Red, stood by calmly chewing and keeping his one good eye on me. He had started following me about after the attack on Daisy.

He loved close company and I enjoyed him, just hanging there, close enough to be company but not get in the way.

Alpacas are a lot quieter than horses or dogs. He liked being handled and had that huge eye with the long, long curved lashes, which he batted at me. His other eye was closed; it had been damaged when he was a baby, by a crow trying to peck it out. So the vet sewed it shut.

He coped pretty well with one eye, unfortunately it didn't give him much hope with the lady alpacas, who didn't give him a chance...pity, he would've made lovely fluffy rusty red coloured babies.

I worked, Eric watched with his one eye, chewing and chewing.

Just before noon, I thought it was getting too hot to do anymore work. Eric and I walked up to the house. He stood in the shade under the wisteria and I went into the kitchen to get a cool drink and something to eat.

We sat together in the quiet.

I sighed and got up to fill a container for him to drink out of,poor guy I had forgotten his thirst.

I wondered how all the fellas were doing at their men's only camping trip...I hoped that whatever they were up to was going well, that they enjoyed each other's company and were able to kick back and relax.

I missed Jasper... but not desperately, I knew in my heart he was safe and well, I didn't need to worry at all...I just missed his smile and his kisses and the way we held each other and dreamed the same things, thought about the same thoughts...and breathed in and out at the same time.

He was mine, I was his.

Like twins, or one soul split in half.

I felt like his pain had lifted, just as mine had.

I was looking forward to seeing him, and holding him again.

My lover, my heart, my soul...my wonderful, wonderful man.

The men's return was going to be sometime late today or tomorrow, depending on Garrett and his 'rituals' went, according to Leah...I hoped they weren't too painful or difficult...my mind wondered what was involved...I guess it was secret men's stuff. I knew Leah wasn't going to tell me what Garrett had in store for the men, even if she did know.

I huffed and got up, patted Eric and went inside.

I looked around...the front door was crowded with all the plastic bags of books and clothes, ready for my trip down to the charity shop and local library.

I sighed, I didn't really want to go out to be in the public and talk to anyone, but there was no point in letting the pile of bags sit there, waiting for someone to trip over them...now was as good a time as any to put them all in the car and go for a trip into town.

I looked at myself in the hall mirror, I was a little bit dirty and scruffy from building with stone, but I wasn't going to be socializing, or anything, just dropping stuff off...I didn't want to change out of my work clothes just yet.

The backseat, passenger seat and boot were full-to-bursting, gee... I really did have a big clean out!

I stopped at the library first, I hoped they'd take the books, nearly all of them were in great condition, and I knew they didn't have a lot of funds for new acquisitions. I really hoped they would take them...

I parked close to the front door, and walked in, my work boots were really dirty and my jeans all dusty...never mind...

I spotted a new librarian over at the desk.

"Hi I'm wondering if you'd like to take some books off my hands, I had a clean up yesterday, they are in good condition, and most of them I haven't gotten to read...they're all fiction...different genres, do you think it might be something you would take off my hands?..."

The poor guy looked up at me; a little spooked, he went bright red and opened his mouth to speak, but only managed to make a squeaky noise...he huffed, got even redder, then just nodded and gave me a shy smile.

"I've got my car parked just outside the front door, would you like to give me a hand? I put them all in bags so they're easier to carry." He got up from the inquiries desk and nodded...it was a little like talking to that guy on the Big Bang Theory, Raj... the one who was shy of women, maybe this guy was socially-phobic or something...I sighed and went out to my car, he followed.

He waved me goodbye, still not having spoken a single word, I had to shake my head and giggle to myself.

I set off to the charity shop...I wonder what that would be like? The ladies, who ran the shop, were always ones for a long gossipy chat, just the exact opposite of the shy library guy. God help him if he ever had to answer a direct complex question...I wonder how he ever got the job?

I pulled up near the door to the shop and smiled to myself, Shelley Cope was volunteering today, good!

I could be in and out without a lot of explaining to do.

I unloaded as many bags as I could carry in one go, and headed into the shop. Shelley looked up and smiled.

"Bella honey, let me help you with that."

She bustled around, getting more bags of clothes out of my car, and I pulled out another lot of things from the boot, mostly handbags and shoes I had never used.

The last lot of clothes were a big bag of maternity clothes I never got around to wearing. All lovely things still with price-tags attached.

I suddenly felt a little sad that I'd never, ever get to wear them...

I stood like a statue there on the kerb, looking at the bag of band new clothes, in my favourite colours. I closed my eyes, willing myself not to cry...but alas, it wasn't to be, the traitorous tears streamed down my face.

Shelley came up next to me and put her arm gently over my shoulder.

"Come on, I think you need a cuppa, before you head off..."

I nodded and followed her into the shop.

"How's everything going sweetie?"

I blew my nose and sniffled some more...I shrugged.

"Do you miss Jasper? I bet you do...he'll be home soon...I bet he comes home tonight, right? Have you been doing a bit of clearing out recently?"

I sipped the tea, it felt good to swallow. My throat had been so dry.

"I decided that I needed to clear out some stuff, I gave a heap of paperbacks to the library...oh ...that poor new guy they have there now is a bit shy, but seems nice enough. I tackled my closet too, it was so full, and I never wear most of the stuff. Steve keeps sending me so many outfits all the time, it's lovely, but ridiculous, seeing as how I'm more of a relaxed casual clothes kind of person, now that I don't have to be neat and smart for my work..." I looked down at my dusty clothes I was wearing and shook my head.

"I also packed all the maternity outfits, which I never got to wear... it made me sad to see them all, I guess. They are my favourite colours and lovely soft fabrics...it makes me feel bereft or empty to see them in the bag, and never be able to ever have a chance to wear them."

I closed my eyes and huffed. Shelley patted my hands, nodding.

"I know darling, I know... If Jasper's not home tonight, do you want to come and eat dinner with me? I could use a little company and good conversation."

I snorted, I wasn't the most erudite and witty person to be with at the moment...

But sharing a meal would be nice.

"Ok, but don't count on me to be full of funny one-liners and deep philosophical theories...I might just keep my comments to boring stuff like, Eric being my new shadow and the slow and steady progress of the dry-stone wall."

We softly smiled at each other. Thank God for lovely supportive friends like Shelley.