James never fell asleep, tossing and turning until he heard people stirring downstairs. He could hear Millie and Genevieve speaking quietly amongst themselves, the smell of ammonia hit him as he walked down stairs. He left his hoodie and cap upstairs, his hair flowed to his chin and his metal arm shined under the old fluorescent bulbs. She had almost forgotten he had it until he sat down on the couch, startling her a little and causing her to drop a bottle of cleaner. She stuttered a quiet morning and turned towards the kitchen before feeling his hands on her forearms. Then the soft cushions of the couch against her back as he placed her delicately.
"James-"
"You just relax. I'll do the rest of the cleaning." She sighed before getting back up and closing the bathroom door behind her. He could hear Millie upstairs getting into the many books of Genevieve's room. She was trying to read, he could hear her whispering sounds and trying to string them into words as she walked down the stairs. He grabbed a rag from under the sink and began wiping the dust away from the cabinets, keeping an eye on Millie as she dug herself into the armchair.
She was reading a fairytale of some sort from the words she had spoken.
"Princeeess….faaairreee…. " He corrected her in a soft spoken tone, eventually sitting on the arm of the chair and reading with her.
Genevieve stood in the small room, listening with a smile while she straightened her hair. Once the curls turned into silky straight strands of fire, falling midway to her back she put everything away and slid against the wall. She leaned against the bathroom door listening to the two of them once she was finished, sitting on the stark white tile. Slowly, she cracked the door and watched for a brief moment. They had moved to the couch, following the words with their fingers. Millie was leaning against his arm that was wrapped around her shoulder. James seemed there when her eyes turned to him to ask a question or to see his reaction to her pronunciation but he wasn't there. Not completely anyway.
She opened the door and sat next to Millie, her hand on his arm. They sat together for a little while, reading together. One of them would run upstairs to grab another fairy tale. James realized that most of the books were old and worn, many written in French.
Fairer-than-a-Fairy, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, The Imp Prince…..
Genevieve stared at one hidden beneath the pile with its painted little pictures and maidens of red curly hair. The sunlight hitting it and making the golden lettering glitter and washing her face in a warm hue. She placed her hand on top of the book, feeling the divots in the embossing, the gold flaking on her fingertips. The dream she had on the ferry had stitched it's way into her mind. What had the man done to Frederick? She knew who he was from those piercing greedy eyes. What role had he played in her life?
"Mama!" Millie cried out from downstairs, making James laugh. "Did you find a book yet?"
"She's getting impatient, Evie!"
Evie….Genevieve.
Katja. Loki.
She shook her head and grabbed a different book, halfway running down the stairs. "I'm coming, cherie!"
Taking her placed on the couch she handed him the book.
"A Book of Mermaids," he muttered, putting his thumb to his lip and nodding in approval. "It's a welcome change from the fairies."
Genevieve turned to him with a look, shaking her head. "There's more fairies." He groaned and looked at the time on the small radio on the end table beside him.
"There's always fairies," Millie muttered, feeling the glitter on her cheeks from another over application of makeup. Genevieve look at James and then the clock.
"Well, it seems to be bath time," she told the girl, who was midway through a yawn. "Then dinner and bedtime."
They watched as she crawled into the bed, wrapping herself in the clean sheets. James tucked her in, kissing her on the forehead. Genevieve followed his lead, she went to turn off the bedside lamp but James stopped her when Millie pulled her body back up.
"You can turn it off when you're ready," he told her as she crawled back under the sheets. "Call us if you need anything." Quietly, they closed the door and went down the stairs. She walked in the dark kitchen, the deep wood of kitchen reflecting the lights from outside as she grabbed a saucepan from one of the cabinets. Her eyes squinted as he flicked on the light switch, she placed a hand in front of her eyes.
"Oatmeal?" She asked, blinking a few times. "I'm gonna clean out the basement. There should be more junk down there." He sat down at one of the stools in front of the island, asking what she meant. Appliances for the kitchen, an old bike, blankets, clothes…..
They ate, not making eye contact or speaking. He followed her down the eerie steps again.
He said to not bother bringing everything out, not knowing how long they might stay in this home. She pulled out the bicycle, taking it up to the living room.
"Something we can teach Millie," she said as she cleaned it off in the living room, it leaving against the old box television. He went through a box she had pulled out; blankets, heavy clothes, first aid kits, and thermoses were haphazardly thrown in it. Another box of clear jars of dried herbs.
"These will be useless," he started.
"They're for you. Actually," she almost hissed. "Valerian to get you to sleep, cleavers to reduce the swelling around your arm, angelica for appetite loss….Should I continue?"
He just stood there with his mouth slightly agape.
"Some of them will be good for Millie too. Turn the Valerian and lavender into a tea. Maybe."
"Why not just use your powers?" He asked, she turned to her palms. Her eyes flickered again and again like a candle. A soft hymn sang and then dissipated with each attempt. Her face floated and fell down with each song.
"I can't use them much more I don't think." She spoke in a soft tone.
"You don't think?" He moved closer to her his hand denting the box of the television as he closed in.
"I don't need them," she muttered, moving his hand away from her face. Her eyes lingered on his as she got closer to his face, their noses almost touching. "It's only for emergencies now."
"What constitutes as an emergency?" He half whispered with his breath ghosting over the shell of her ear as they heard Millie walking above them to the bathroom next to the staircase.
"If either one of you are in danger." She replied, her head leaning against his metal shoulder. The coolness of it relaxing her.
"And yourself?" His eyebrows furrowed and fear washed over his face as he turned his face to hers.
"I'll be fine regardless of my powers." She sat upright, "But I wonder if…" Her hands reached out for his and placed them on the sides of her own.
"Is this an emergency?"
"No, an experiment. I don't want Millie in my head," she closed her eyes, "she's seen enough horror for being so young. I trust you enough to let you dig in there."
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "You can't sleep well either."
She let out a sarcastic laugh. "Who can anymore?"
