Though it wasn't the swiftest of recoveries, Abelard took notice of Cainan healing as the next few days progressed. His awkward, halted gait got better and he seemed more capable with each passing day. Elsa tended to his wound, making sure it was healing properly and that it had clean wrappings. Abelard had to admit, it was a nice change to have someone new around the house. For the most part.
It wasn't that he and Bobby didn't get along, but Abelard was pleased that there was someone else to partake in conversations, even if Bobby often tended to talk too much for his liking. What Cainan spent his time doing when Abelard was by the church, he didn't know, but as long as Elsa and Bobby didn't mind having Cainan around, he wouldn't mind either.
Even despite this, Abelard had plenty of things he wanted to say to the younger cat, but for the sake of letting him heal in peace, he had decided against it, for the time being. He had meant to ask him a bunch of still unanswered questions on the day following their little nighttime conversation, but somehow Cainan had managed to sleep for a majority of that day, apparently thanks to Elsa's medication. Maybe today was the day.
Abelard had just returned from Sunday service with Bobby, when he made his way upstairs where he found Cainan in the turret study. The younger cat had elected to stay behind and wait, as had Elsa, though she was out by the garden at the moment.
"Find something to your liking?" Abelard asked Cainan when he stepped into the small diamond-shaped room. The young, white cat had taken to sitting in one of the rocking chairs, the one on the left of the table, and he seemed to be reading a book.
"Oh, I hope you don't mind – I was just looking for something to do while you were away," the young cat said. Stepping closer, Abelard saw that he was apparently looking through one of the old books on natural cures. It was one they had inherited from their grandparents. "It's interesting, though. I didn't even know plants could do half this stuff."
"Those books are mostly Elsa's. Well, at least she's the one who used to read them," Abelard explained as Cainan closed the thick, dark volume. He turned his gaze on Cainan's right leg. "How is your leg today? I noticed you're having an easier time walking…"
"Oh, yeah, it still hurts a bit, but I'm better," the white cat replied, tone casual as ever. He stood up, just about half a head shorter than Abelard when fully upright. His tufted ears gave a little twitch. "Hopefully tomorrow I can come with you to church – if Elsa lets me."
Abelard still didn't fully approve of Cainan using her and Bobby's first names, but at this point, there wasn't too much he could do about it. Especially when his sister and her husband both insisted that he do it. The only thing Abelard could really do or say was that he didn't approve of Cainan using his first name, but despite this, Abelard chose to respect the younger cat's wishes to be referred to by his own.
Remembering what little he did of the Wirths, Abelard had a hard time imagining how living with them was so bad. All the same, Abelard also wasn't at all privy to what happened behind closed doors; all he knew of the Wirths was what he had seen whilst interacting with them or what he had heard from other people in town.
"I suppose. I'm sure Wendell would be pleased to see you back – he seems quite taken with you. I suppose you really did make a good impression on him, he asked about you today." Abelard glanced out the windows. It was still early in the day. Abelard was dressed properly in his all-black geneva gown that he normally wore for services, complete with its velvet facings that ran down his front and the wide double-bell sleeves.
"Oh, I'm glad to hear… Wow, you really look-" Cainan stopped and smiled some. Abelard raised an eyebrow as he glanced down past his nose at the younger cat.
"What?" Abelard asked, already knowing some kind of snide remark from the younger cat was sure to follow. Whatever Cainan had to say, odds were it wouldn't be something he would like, but that grin on his soft, little face had Abelard intrigued enough to ask.
"Oh, it's just when you're dressed like… that… you look like you have a bit more bulk," Cainan replied casually, gesturing towards Abelard's torso as he did. He cast a curious glance at the geneva gown and reached out towards the velvet facings on Abelard's chest. "Do you mind?"
Before Abelard even gave an answer, the white cat's small hands reached out and gently brushed the velvet. Abelard scoffed and stepped back, glaring at the younger cat. "Well, I think that's quite enough, young man. Now, why don't you head on down, I'm sure Elsa might need some help with… one thing or another."
"Already asked her, said she didn't," the younger cat casually replied with a shrug, before walking past Abelard. He made his way over to the bookshelf where he put the book back where it belonged.
Abelard watched Cainan for a moment as he stood there, clearly trying to decide what to read next. Abelard snorted. "Well, if you insist on reading, I suppose perhaps brushing up on the Bible might not be a bad use of your time. Maybe join us for service next week."
Cainan looked over his shoulder at Abelard with those pale green eyes, and considered him for a moment, before turning back towards the books. "Perhaps…"
The somewhat stiff, noncommittal tone he spoke in told Abelard all he needed to know; it told him that Cainan most certainly wasn't going to do either one. He scowled behind Cainan, the younger cat's fluffy tail giving a light swish, the long, fluffy hairs moving like a curtain, almost. Back when he was Cainan's age, he had certainly had a lot more respect for the Bible. It was hard to imagine that Cainan didn't at least know something about their faith, if he grew up with the Wirths.
Once more, Abelard could recall the Wirths as being quite devout believers. The last few years before they departed from Defiance, they had always been there for services, always vocal participants whenever the church did holiday services especially. But then again, Abelard hadn't the faintest recollection of ever seeing Cainan present for services. Why was that? What self-respecting parent wouldn't bring their child along for that?
Casting a curious glance at Cainan again, Abelard really had to wonder where this young cat stood when it came to his faith. Surely, he was Christian like his parents; likely christened in the very same church Abelard preached in now.
Additionally, being inside the church had only reminded Abelard of what had been on his mind since Friday night, when he gazed upon the altar with its tablet replicas. Of course Abelard took issue with the way Cainan had spoken of his parents.
When Cainan turned back around again, he held a different book in his hands. He gave Abelard a surprisingly nervous look. "Did I-…? Sorry if that was too far, it's just those… things look so soft."
"Well, do respect my personal space, please, and I shall do the same, Cainan." Despite the rather harsh tone with which he was spoken to, Abelard saw Cainan smiling, much to his surprise. He was about to ask why, but he could put two and two together quite easily. He supposed Cainan was just pleased to be on a one-sided first name basis with him. "Well, I shall go and get changed… I'll be downstairs afterwards, most likely…"
Leaving the small study, Abelard made his way out into the small hall outside. He passed Cainan's bedroom as he made his way to his own. He hesitated by the door, however. Should he…? The urge to barge back into the study and give Cainan a piece of his mind was strong, but Abelard didn't think the time prudent for it.
Finally, he stepped into his room and sighed. The longer he went without talking about it, the more sudden the potential confrontation would seem. And on top of that, it would lose its relevancy.
Getting out of his gown was always a mixed bag for him. Abelard considered his bare upper arms and chest in his wall-mounted mirror for a moment. Thankfully the years had been kind to him in one aspect, his golden brown fur mostly covering up-
Abelard averted his gaze and got properly dressed, before leaving the bedroom. Having decided to leave Cainan be for the time being, the reverend descended the staircase in his more casual clothes. He eventually made his way out to the backyard.
Though not many flowers were sprouting just yet, the flower beds were looking remarkably more healthy and lush than they had just mere weeks ago. Elsa was out there on her knees, tending to the blossoming plants and the soil. She always did have an aptitude for looking after plants and she also readily decorated the house with them, both potted plants and plucked bouquets. Since she and Bobby had moved back in, Elsa had been an asset for the business in many ways, the main one being when it came to flowers.
Funerals and many death rites were accompanied by flowers and as it turned out, those had many different meanings. Upstairs in their study, some books detailed old rites and traditions and many of the books on plants also stated the symbolism and meaning behind each one. Elsa looked after a variety of flowers. The ones out in front of the funeral home were primarily there for the facade of the house, while the ones back here were the ones used for funerals.
"Hello, Elsa," he spoke gently as he approached her, standing by her side. He watched her snip off small twigs and leaves from the plants, trimming them. "How are you holding up?"
"Oh, I'm just fine, Abelard. Did you speak to our guest? He hasn't left the study all day. At least he's resting," she noted calmly, glancing up at him with those blue eyes they'd both inherited from their mother. "His wound is healing well. I changed his wrappings and medicated him earlier."
"So I see. He's walking around more now. I don't suppose you require any assistance out here? I could go and fetch him, if you do." To his surprise, Elsa showed one of her rare, little smiles. "What is it?"
"Oh, I don't need any help out here, Abe. Just let him rest for now," she told him, turning back towards the plants before her. She rose to her feet and brushed her dress around where her knees were.
"I should go back up and talk to him…" Abelard muttered, crossing his arms. He glanced up towards the upper floor of the house.
"And why is that?"
"I spoke to him recently. I shall not reveal what he confided in me, but… I don't agree with what he said. It's the breaking of a commandment." Elsa shot Abelard a look when he finished. Her facial expression didn't change all that much, but after all these years of living together, he could practically read his sister's mind. She didn't seem to approve. Perhaps she thought he was overreacting.
"Are you two keeping secrets now?" Elsa asked, much to Abelard's surprise. Her tone was neutral, but it felt like a loaded question to him. She looked almost suspiciously up at him. "What commandment was it exactly…?"
"Well, I choose not to divulge what he told me for the sake of respecting that he chose to be honest altogether. It isn't one of the more severe commandments, Elsa," he hastily added, seeing his sister giving him a skeptical look. Though he could indeed read his sister better than most, Abelard couldn't pretend to know what she was currently thinking, save for the chance she thought he and Cainan were somehow conspiring together. "But I still believe it's appropriate to talk to him about it; I ought to try and set him on a more righteous path… Lord knows that boy has probably already been straying too much."
Elsa crossed her arms and said nothing for a while. She turned and looked up at the massive oak tree in their garden and gave a soft sigh. "You know, you're probably the reason I never strayed from the path much, Abe. But just so we're clear, did he do something illegal?"
"No…" Abelard replied shortly, the word little more than a grunt. Abelard got another look, this one more approving. "What is it?"
Before she answered, Elsa cast a glance around the garden, then up at the second floor windows. In a hushed tone, she said, "I realize you mean well… but I do think you preaching to him over something illegal would have be… a new level of hypocrisy."
Abelard stared at her as if she'd slapped him in the face, momentarily stunned by the fact that she would say such a thing. He likewise took a glance around to make sure they were alone. "Now listen here, Elsa… You know as well as I do that what we do does not grant us any moral high ground, nor does it give us an excuse to live in complacency, whilst the rest of the world gets swallowed up by sin. For thirty two years I have dedicated my life to the word of God and that is not about to change, just because-"
Elsa held up a hand, doing a downwards gesture towards Abelard. Only then did he realize how loud he'd been getting, his voice considerably more raised compared to when he'd started speaking. He knew Elsa did not like loud noises of any kind, not even people speaking. It was but one of the reasons she didn't partake in church services; the sound of the organ and singing voices reverberating off the church's walls set her off, and so did even Abelard's voice when he preached. It was something they had found out the hard way when she first returned to Defiance with Bobby after the war.
"Sorry, Elsa. Are you alright?" he asked in a much lower, much gentler voice, though Elsa didn't seem to have been put off by his loudness at all. Her blue eyes weren't even fixed upon him, but a point past him. "What is it?"
"Just… I think you might want to be a little less vocal, Abelard. You wouldn't want to be overheard talking about certain subjects," Elsa noted calmly.
"What are you talking about? We have no neighbors close enough to hear me, even if I were to shout at the top of my lungs…"
"We don't… but we do have a guest who can probably hear you from the second floor." Abelard was taken by surprise, but when he turned his head to look, he did indeed see the outline of Cainan in the window of the second floor landing. Had he really been that loud…?
"You do have a point there… But alas, I still think I ought to properly speak to him," Abelard insisted as he turned back to face Elsa. She offered a shrug in response. When Abelard checked the upper floor window again, the younger cat was gone.
"Just remember, you were the one who invited him to stay with us. If you're starting to regret that decision over something so trivial-"
"Trivial? With all due respect, Elsa, I don't think it's quite as trivial as you make it out to be. I will talk to him and I'll make sure he understands that what he's doing is wrong and why." Elsa seemed to give up, lowering her gaze momentarily, before she gave a short nod.
"Very well," she said in her usual monotone. "Do as you wish, Abe. Just remember that you brought him here in the first place."
Leaving Elsa in the garden, Abelard made his way back up to the house, entering through the parlor door, the bell ringing above it as he stepped inside. Though they didn't get business often, they always made sure someone was nearby in case their services were needed, though the parlor was vacant at the moment, as it usually was on Sundays. Abelard crossed the room and made his way towards the door leading out into the hall, but before he could leave, he heard footsteps on the porch outside.
Turning, Abelard spotted Cainan making his way up to the parlor door, seemingly in deep conversation with Bobby as they both appeared to be carrying things with them. Abelard stopped and turned fully to watch them as they entered.
"… and I promise I won't play it too loud, and I'll keep it in my room," Abelard heard Cainan say as he stepped into the parlor. The white cat was carrying some kind of wooden box in his arms, while Bobby, who followed soon after, carried a different wooden box that looked an awful lot like a soap box. "Oh, hi there, Father Arbogast. Bobby was just helpin' me get some stuff from my car."
"What is that?" Abelard asked, looking down past his nose at the item in Cainan's arms. However, when the younger cat turned it around, Abelard recognized it to be a radio. It was made of a dark brown wood, its smooth boxy exterior just a little smaller than the box in Bobby's arms. The radio had knobs and dials on it and a speaker grate on the front. "A radio…?"
Abelard shot Bobby a look, the gray cat shrugging. "I told him it was alright, if he kept it up in the guest room. I don't see why it would be an issue."
"Very well…" Abelard said, though he still shot Bobby a look. His eyes glanced down at the box in Bobby's arms, which seemed to hold small belongings, novelties, books… was that a music box? "Bobby, can I speak to you for a moment?"
Cainan had made it to the door that led further into the house, turning back to look momentarily, though he didn't linger for too long. The white cat turned back, giving Abelard a view of that bushy tail of his, which swished about as he left. Abelard carefully closed the door that led into the house and turned back to Bobby. "Really, Bobby? You let him bring one of those infernal things in here?"
"Now, I know why you're worried, but I figured it wouldn't be an issue, Abelard. Just let the kid keep his radio in his room," the English cat insisted, scoffing at him. "I don't see the harm in that."
"Well, need I remind you why we got rid of our radio to begin with?" Abelard growled at his brother-in-law. He crossed his arms and scowled at him. "Do you really think it's wise to bring that thing in here?"
"Hmph… It's just a radio… and besides, just a radio being in the house won't distress Elsa, if that's what you're referring to…" Bobby put the box down on one of the tables in the parlor. He crossed his arms defiantly. "Abelard, you don't need to coddle her like that, I think I know my wife well enough to know that having a radio under this roof won't kill her. You needn't walk on eggshells around her."
"Very well… But remember that I've known her for decades longer," Abelard snorted defiantly. He turned to look at the box Bobby had put down. "Let me bring that stuff up to his room."
Bobby didn't seem eager to prolong the conversation any further and simply shrugged. He left Abelard to it, who in turn picked up the box. As he climbed the steps up to the second floor, he couldn't refrain from glancing down into the box to see what belongings were there. There were a few books, alongside the music box he had spotted before. Abelard also caught sight of something black and shiny on the bottom of the box.
Once he was on the upper landing, Abelard made his way into Cainan's room, the young cat having put the radio down on the floor beside the bed and connected it to the power outlet on the wall. He looked up as Abelard stepped inside, a surprised look on his face. The white cat was seated on the floor, legs crossed.
"Oh, hello… Is everything alright?" Cainan asked, clearly made nervous by Abelard's presence, if the tone of voice he used was anything to go by.
Abelard shot a glance around the room, then looked back at Cainan. "You seem to be right at home in here. I do hope my old bedroom is to your liking."
"Oh, this used to be yours?" Cainan asked in surprise, a smile spreading over his face. He chuckled. "I didn't even realize. It's a nice room – a lot nicer than the one I had, when…"
"When you still lived with your parents? I did in fact want to talk to you about that," Abelard said, not wasting any time before putting the conversation on the trajectory he wanted. Cainan unsurprisingly looked a bit startled by the statement. The younger cat turned away from the radio to look at Abelard, who in turn stood with his arms crossed. He realized he probably looked rather imposing standing over the white cat like that.
"You did? What about?" Cainan asked before he leaned back, resting his hands on the floor, looking so awfully casual, as he so often did. And that was even despite initially sounding nervous. Abelard supposed it might be some sort of coping or defense mechanism, giving the impression that he didn't care, trying not to seem nervous or vulnerable.
"The nature of your relationship with your parents." The words had barely left Abelard's lips before Cainan's ears shot backwards, laying against his head. Though his face didn't change much, Abelard recognized the sign of displeasure, even annoyance. That was the only sign of any emotion that Cainan showed until the young cat scowled. "Don't look at me like that!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting to get ambushed with a personal question," he snorted, though his posture didn't seem all too bothered as he sat there on the floor, like Abelard had done so many years ago. Still frowning, Cainan continued, "Fine, what do you want to know?"
"Among other things, I wanted to tell you that I do not approve of you wanting to disown your parents and your family name like that," Abelard told him, promptly and straight to the point. He knew there was no reason to beat around the bush with this one. "Honor thy Father and-"
"Yes, yes, I know about the Commandments, thank you very much." For the first time Abelard heard Cainan sounding truly annoyed, the younger cat almost hissing at him as he spoke. "My parents made sure to beat me over the head with them and everything else, don't you worry about that…"
"Now listen here, Mr. Wirth…!" Abelard snapped back at him, instinctively returning to using the younger cat's surname again, which garnered an annoyed flick of a white, tufted ear. "I can understand that you may not have parted ways with your parents on good terms, but I can assure you that honoring them would go a long way to restore that relationship."
Cainan smiled at Abelard, but not a genuine, hopeful smile. It wasn't the smile of someone thinking this might be a viable option – no, it was a cynical, almost condescending smile. Getting to his feet, Cainan moved to sit on the bed. When he spoke, his tone was similarly cynical, sarcastic even. "With all due respect… Father… Some relationships aren't worth salvaging. Living with my parents was a lot, and no amount of godly punishment when I'm dead and buried is going to undo what has been done."
"Then help me understand, what did they do that was so bad?" Abelard snapped back at the younger cat, looking down at him as he sat there before him. "Perhaps you were simply too young to understand; perhaps you were too ungrateful to know that what they did was something good."
"I was about eight years old when I realized what they were doing. I've seen manipulation since I left them, and I now know for a fact that they were manipulating me from the day I was born. Everywhere I've lived people have been manipulating me. So you'll excuse me if I don't see the merits of that, Father Arbogast…"
A silence fell over the bedroom as Abelard stared down at Cainan. The younger cat had averted his gaze, now looking out the window. Abelard opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped himself when he noticed how shiny Cainan's eyes were. Abelard hesitated. Did the subject-matter truly upset Cainan to this degree? He supposed perhaps the situation was more severe than he had chosen to assume at face value. How had Harold and Gabriela treated Cainan exactly?
"Listen, you wouldn't get it – if anything you'd just side with them." Cainan's words took Abelard by surprise, the younger cat still not looking at him.
"That is very presumptuous of you… But perhaps you're right," Abelard told him, his voice a touch colder than he intended for it to be. Cainan turned to look at his radio on the floor, but Abelard was sure it wasn't actually to look at it. With Cainan turned away with his eyes as shiny as they'd been before, Abelard could easily put two and two together. In silence, Abelard stepped out of Cainan's room and headed downstairs. A small part of him wanted to go back, but go back and do what exactly? Comfort Cainan? Or further interrogate him? The latter seemed needlessly cruel at the moment, while the former… Abelard wasn't sure he'd do particularly well at that.
"Cainan, could I borrow you for a moment?" Cainan had almost dozed off again on his bed when he heard Elsa's voice calling out to him, along with knocking. He glanced around. He was quite alone in his room, which… a part of him was grateful for. He'd spent the entire day in here. After having that unpleasant conversation with Father Arbogast, Cainan hadn't quite been in the mood to spend more time in the older reverend's company.
"What? What is it?" He sat up and rubbed his face, stifling a yawn as he spotted the blonde cat in the doorway. He shook his head and rose to his feet, stifling yet another yawn. Even Cainan was impressed that he'd managed to sleep as much as he had as of late, but he wasn't complaining.
"You don't mind helping me out with dinner, do you?" Cainan was apprehensive. He didn't have a lot of experience cooking, but he knew he ought to just say yes. After all, he was living with these people for free, as he kept reminding himself.
"Uhm… Sure, I can help," he said hesitantly, before he walked towards her. She simply nodded and beckoned for Cainan to follow. Still feeling particularly sleepy, he made his way across the room and followed Elsa out onto the landing beyond the door. "So, what're we makin' then?"
"Nothing too big, Cainan, don't worry," Elsa replied vaguely. As the two crossed the second floor landing, Cainan glanced to his left towards the turret where he spotted Father Arbogast. For just the briefest moment, Cainan's eyes met Father his. Cainan averted his gaze quickly and followed Elsa downstairs.
Cainan tried not to think about what Father Arbogast had said to him, though he supposed… Following Elsa to the kitchen, Cainan shook his head. No… No, this was not the time. He didn't want to think about Father Arbogast's words, nor did he want to think about his parents. He followed Elsa to the sink, washing his hands after she did. Though Cainan had helped do the dishes after meals, this was his first time helping with dinner itself. To say that he was apprehensive was an understatement.
As she dried her hands on a towel, Elsa asked, "Have you done much cooking?"
"Oh, no… I can't say I have," he told her with a light chuckle. At home when he still lived with his parents, Cainan hardly ever set foot in the kitchen, and even while living alone, his culinary skills hadn't amounted to much. When he really did well for himself with his ill-gained money, he had eaten at restaurants a lot. Another irresponsible financial choice on his part. "As long as it's not too complicated, I'll do my best to help."
Once Cainan had dried his hands off, Elsa gestured for him to join her by the Hoosier, which he promptly did. "See here, we're having roast-beef, potatoes and asparagus. All I need you to do is help prepare the vegetables. Can you do that?"
"Yeah… Yeah, I think so," Cainan replied hesitantly, though he wasn't entirely sure. Hearing his insecure tone, Elsa shot him a rare, little smile. Seeing that encouraged Cainan a little, even if the memories of the less than pleasant conversation with her brother still hung over him like a dark cloud. He was actively trying his best to think about anything but those words they'd exchanged with each other in Cainan's room… Father Arbogast's old room…
Once Elsa had given Cainan instructions on what to do, he set to work while she prepared the meat. As he cut the tough, fibrous ends off the stalks of asparagus, he glanced over sideways as she seasoned the large, round cut of meat.
"So…" Elsa didn't reply, but she cast a sideways glance his way to show that she was indeed listening. "You and Father Arbogast really have lived here all your lives?"
"More or less. Abelard never left, but I did a few times. The first time was when I wanted to become a nurse, I had to travel to St. Louis to receive proper training," Elsa explained calmly as she and Cainan worked. He looked over momentarily, waiting for her to continue. She gave a small smile to herself and shook her head. "He didn't want me to go at first. He kept trying to dissuade me."
"Really? Why?" Cainan had stopped what he was doing and was paying full attention to Elsa now. He couldn't begin to wonder why Father Arbogast wouldn't want his sister to pursue education and a job… Was he really that old-fashioned that he didn't think she should? "Didn't he want you to do what you wanted?"
"Well… Let's just say he didn't have anyone else at the time – just me," she explained as Cainan resumed cutting, although he was still paying full attention to Elsa. Her words had surprised him a bit, though Cainan wasn't entirely sure what that meant. "He didn't want to be alone here."
Cainan was left speechless for a moment as he just continued trimming the green stalks on the cutting board. That was… surprisingly sad. Had Father Arbogast really had no friends back then? No one at all? How big was their age gap again? Cainan couldn't really tell, but just based off looks and the pictures he'd seen in the living room and Father Arbogast's old bedroom, there had to be a fairly significant age gap between the two. But if Father Arbogast truly had no one…
"What about your parents?" Cainan immediately asked before he could help himself. He had noticed a lack of pictures of them around the house, especially ones of them with their children. He couldn't help himself, he was too curious…
Elsa didn't say a word for a few moments, leaving Cainan in silence as he set about washing the asparagus by the sink, before leaving them on the cutting board. Elsa glanced over, inspecting his work. "Good… Now if you could just wash the potatoes – use the brush to get the dirt off, please."
"Oh, alright," Cainan replied, realizing he might not get an answer to his question. He had accepted that by the time he set about running the large potatoes under the tap water, scrubbing the large spuds' rough exterior for dirt.
"They weren't around at the time," Elsa suddenly said rather vaguely. Cainan's ears perked up as he glanced over, Elsa's back towards him as she worked. He waited with baited breath for her to elaborate, but when she didn't, the white cat turned back to the potatoes.
He wondered what exactly that meant. Had they moved away too? Had Father Arbogast and Elsa lived here by themselves? That seemed less likely… but perhaps their parents hadn't been so different from his own, Cainan thought.
The two of them remained silent for a good, long while. Cainan wasn't sure what to say following that statement. What was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to tell her that his own parents hadn't been the greatest? What kind of comfort was that? Cainan thought he might be better off just being silent for the time being.
"I see… Well, I take it you managed to convince Ab- Father Arbogast in the end?" Cainan finally asked as he picked up another large spud and set about cleaning it as thoroughly as he had the others.
"I did, yes. Took a while, but he eventually let me go. It was hard, but he got over it. When I returned, I worked here and in the towns nearby for a while, before I went back to the city. That was before the war." Once again Cainan found himself waiting eagerly for Elsa to elaborate, his curiosity piqued. Elsa and Bobby had briefly spoken of the Great War before, but Cainan hadn't gotten much of a chance to really ask about it. It wasn't quite a topic that was easy to lead into. "It was a lot harder for him to let me go then. But I was a grown woman by then. Despite his worries and protests, I left for Europe."
Footsteps alerted both of them to Bobby's presence as the heavyset cat made his way into the kitchen. "Ah, busy at work are we? Talking about Europe too…"
"Oh, sorry – I was just curious about… Well, everything," Cainan admitted as Bobby moved up behind Elsa to kiss her cheek as she rubbed down the big cut of meat with spices and seasoning. The gray cat chuckled lightly before he settled by the sink beside Cainan who continued to clean the massive spuds.
"No need to apologize, lad. As a matter of fact, we lived over there for a little while," Bobby said, apparently launching right into a story. It took Cainan by surprise, but he wasn't going to complain. The fact that he and Elsa had been in the war was… fascinating in a way. He'd heard so little of it, not many people being willing to talk about wartime. It seemed like most people were eager to forget it ever happened, even if they never could.
"Now, Elsa and I, we met just after the war, as I said previously," Bobby said, clearing his throat. "It was in the midst of all the post-war celebrations that I met her. I had me a bad case of trench foot, but little did I know that it was the luckiest day of my life."
It was rather surprising to Cainan how Bobby seemed so jolly and full of life when Elsa by comparison seemed like she could hardly care less about anything that happened around her. Cainan wasn't sure what to make of it, the way she always fell quiet as soon as someone else spoke, even if this had to be the one time he'd heard her speaking the most. Even if she seemed strangely distant, Cainan had to admit, talking to Elsa was nice.
"So, did you move over here to the States immediately? Or did you try settling down in Europe?" Cainan asked curiously once he'd finished washing the last of the potatoes. Elsa gently nudged him out of the way to inspect his work again.
"Oh, we stayed in Europe for a few months together. We even lived on over in Bristol for a little while – had Elsa come stay with me a while, I did. It was love at first sight, you should've seen her back in the day…" Bobby trailed off and chuckled heartily as he seemed to reminisce about those days. All Cainan could do was offer an awkward kind of smile and step aside as Elsa washed her hands by the sink.
"Anyway, we moved over here shortly thereafter. At first we settled in St. Louis. Elsa continued work as a nurse, I took any work I could get my hands on," Bobby continued. Cainan just hung back and watched, while listening to the gray cat as he continued with his story.
"So, with all due respect, how come you decided to move back here?" Cainan wondered out loud, turning to look at Bobby. "I mean… of all the places in the world, Defiance is… It's not very exciting, now is it?"
Bobby seemed a bit hesitant to answer, but as Elsa moved past the two to prepare the oven and the stove, she was the one who spoke. "It's because of me. After the war, I struggled. Wasn't quite the same around big crowds and loud noises. I like it out here where nothing ever happens. I'm just grateful to Abelard for welcoming us back so graciously."
Cainan fell silent for a moment, just watching as Elsa prepared the meat to go into the oven. Whatever he had been expecting for an answer, this certainly wasn't it. While Cainan hadn't ever met anyone personally who was in a similar situation as Elsa, he had heard about it, how some people who returned from the war had changed and never seemed to be quite right afterwards. When Cainan lived in St. Louis, he'd known someone whose neighbor was a war veteran who supposedly had episodes of being very loud and destructive. Did Elsa have episodes like that? It was hard to imagine with how calm she seemed at all times, but Cainan supposed he couldn't know for certain.
The mood in the kitchen had completely shifted, and Cainan hadn't the faintest clue how to proceed with the conversation. What was he even supposed to say after that?
"What matters now is that my beloved Elsa is doing much better. The peace and quiet did her lots of good, Cainan," Bobby said, finally breaking the silence. The older cat's warm voice seemed to make the brief bit of heavy tension lift immediately. "And we're doing much better out here. As morbid as it may sound, the death business has been good for us. Goodness knows someone has to do it, and we've been at it for years. It's why we made the sitting room into a parlor."
Cainan had to admit that part surprised him; he had assumed it had been a funeral home for much longer than that. Granted, this had purely been an assumption on Cainan's part. Once the beef was in the oven, they needed only wait for the potatoes to go in and for the right time to cook the asparagus.
"So, uhm… how does it work?" Cainan asked, his morbid curiosity getting the better of him, even if it perhaps wasn't the most appropriate topic while cooking dinner. "I mean… Do people just turn up with their dead?"
Bobby let out a hearty chuckle and waved his hand at Cainan. "Oh, they usually send for us – these days it's usually over the telephone. And so, I drive out in the hearse and bring their deceased here and then we take care of them."
"How do you do that exactly?"
"Well…" Bobby chuckled and shot Cainan a funny look. "I think we'd best not go into detail about that in the kitchen – wouldn't be proper, would it, love?"
Elsa hardly seemed to have been paying attention. She'd put the beef into the oven alongside the potatoes, while she'd set a pot of water to boil. "It wouldn't… Perhaps you'd like to try and help out with the embalming next time there is one?"
She had turned to look at Cainan with a strangely searching look in those blue eyes of hers that reminded Cainan so much of-
He averted his gaze. "Oh, I don't know if I'd go quite that far… It's a pretty messy ordeal, ain't it? I don't know if I could stomach it. I don't even like visiting butcher shops."
"It's not so bad – and certainly nothing like a butcher shop," Bobby chortled, seemingly amused by Cainan's response. The older cat smiled warmly at him. "It's not for the faint of heart, but I've seen worse during the war, trust me, Cainan. Maybe we'll just have you watch sometime, how about that?"
"Yeah, maybe…" Cainan replied with a small smile, though he wasn't so sure he'd fancy that. It sounded like it was quite macabre, even if Bobby was attempting to downplay that aspect of it. "I don't know if I'm quite cut out for that sort of work – I think I'll stick to swinging a scythe around."
"Cut out for what kind of work, Mr. Wirth?" Cainan felt himself tensing up when he heard Father Arbogast's voice. Glancing over, he saw the tall, slender cat standing in the doorway, watching the three of them before he slowly approached, his posture slightly hunched as usual.
The mood in the kitchen seemed to immediately switch, as Cainan said nothing. Both Elsa and Bobby watched Father Arbogast, seemingly both having noticed that he was addressing Cainan by his surname again. When Cainan didn't answer, Bobby mercifully took the lead. "Oh, I was just explaining the logistics of a funeral home to Cainan here."
Father Arbogast shot Bobby a look when he seemingly corrected him, but he said nothing of it. "I see. Well, it is a macabre business to break into. But who knows… you may have some undisclosed talents…"
Was that a compliment? Cainan couldn't tell in all honesty. As they waited for the food to finish cooking, Bobby and Father Arbogast started discussing the coming week's business, though they did speak in a strangely… vague manner. Elsa didn't seem to think much of it, but then again she didn't seem to react to a lot of stuff. But Cainan felt like he was missing a lot, like they were speaking in code. Maybe he was just overthinking things…
Dinner had been… interesting to say the least. Abelard wasn't sure if it had been Bobby or Elsa's doing, but somehow he'd just happened to be seated beside Cainan tonight. They didn't actually have preassigned seats around the dining table. Although the dinner itself was wonderful, some of the best Elsa had ever made, Abelard didn't pay too much attention to it, nor did he pay attention to Bobby's endless talking.
No, Abelard's focus was on Cainan as they ate. The white cat was surprisingly subdued, even when he spoke to Bobby. He kept up polite smalltalk with Abelard's brother-in-law, but generally seemed to prefer listening tonight. He also hardly seemed to turn Abelard's way, which… Well, Abelard couldn't blame the young cat. The last words the two of them had exchanged up in Cainan's room – his old room – hadn't been pleasant and Abelard regretted leaving things off where they had. This wasn't the way he wanted things to have gone, but he also knew he couldn't take it back.
It was hard for Abelard to forget what Cainan had said. He hadn't the faintest idea what Cainan had really been going through, but all the same he still found it hard to take Cainan's words at face value; he found it hard to truly trust him. Perhaps it was a remnant of how shifty he had seemed when they met, his suspicious demeanor certainly hadn't done him many favors. But likewise, he couldn't forget the look on Cainan's face before he'd finally left him alone.
He didn't know why he should care. Regardless of Cainan's supposed upbringing, there were more important things in life – in the present time. Cainan could still be saved, he still had time to forgive his parents, and Abelard knew that if nothing else, he should encourage Cainan to be forgiving, just as God would forgive.
However, Abelard was rather relieved to leave the dinner table once the meal had come to an end. Everyone seemed full and happy, even if Cainan was still subdued as he helped Elsa do the dishes.
"So… what did you do?" Bobby asked Abelard as the two of them retreated to the parlor. The mostly dark room was quiet, vacant. Abelard crossed his arms and looked at Bobby.
"What do you mean?" Abelard inquired as he scowled at the heavyset, gray cat. He still had his arms crossed as the two looked at each other in the dimly lit room. Abelard didn't know what Bobby was hinting at, but he did have a small hunch.
"Oh, I just noticed that our young guest is a bit… quiet tonight…"
"And? How or why exactly do you think that has anything at all to do with me?" Abelard, however, had a feeling he knew what Bobby might say. Then again, Cainan being quiet and nontalkative was something that stood out quite a bit, given how friendly he'd seemed over the past few days. But why would he think that Abelard had played a hand in that? Perhaps because he was being so defensive, Abelard realized too late.
"Hmmm, well, Elsa told me you were going to give him a talking to – I assume it didn't go well," Bobby replied calmly. The English cat snorted when he saw the look on Abelard's face, as he glared at him. "Please, I know what you're like. You started preaching at the poor boy, did you not?"
"What went on in his- my old room is none of your concern. I just had a matter to discuss with him, for the sake of setting him right," Abelard insisted. He turned and walked over to the turret windows that overlooked the front of the funeral home. When he turned back towards Bobby, Abelard scowled yet again. "You didn't think I should have? When I had a chance to better things for him?"
"Well, do excuse me, but he didn't seem bloody happy at dinner, did he?" Bobby asked, annoyance obvious in his voice. He gave a derisive snort. "Just because you're ordained to preach in a church, doesn't mean you have to preach when you're home too. If it's so important, bring the boy to church. He's a nice, young man as far as I can tell. What was even the issue?"
"That is between him and me, Bobby, I'm not going to disclose Mr. Wirth's troubles," Abelard insisted, their eyes locked. That said… Abelard didn't know if he ought to apologize for what he had said to Cainan before leaving. He averted his gaze and turned his sights upon the door, before looking towards the turret. "In any case… I expect you'll be taking care of business tomorrow night…"
"Yes – as per usual." Bobby didn't hide the annoyance in his voice when he spoke with finality. They both knew this conversation was over. Abelard looked out the left turret window where he could see an old barn in the distance. That was where they kept a truck that was used to transport their illegal liquor to the locations designated for their clients' pickups. Abelard didn't often partake in that part of the process, but he knew there was safety in numbers. Granted, Bobby never went unarmed.
Once Abelard was finally alone in his bedroom later that night, he sat down upon his large bed. The bedroom he occupied now had been Elsa's many years ago. It was about the same size as his old bedroom, but once Elsa had left to live in St. Louis and study to become a nurse, Abelard had taken to living here. With his only family gone, it was the best way he could feel close to her at the time. And when she returned with Bobby, he had let them take what used to be their parents' bedroom.
Abelard's current bedroom wasn't so different from the one Cainan now occupied. He had windows overlooking both the front and the back of the house, as well as the shed nearby. He didn't furnish his room much outside his bed, but he did have a large wardrobe, a nightstand, a dresser and a desk with a chair. A small shelf above his bed held a few books, a framed photograph of Elsa, which she had sent him all the way from Europe. He remembered that time… Remembered how worried he'd been for her safety; how she had been the focal point of his nightly prayers; and how nerveracking receiving mail was during those days, as he was always dreading the worst news…
Rubbing his face, Abelard stood up and prepared to undress for bed, before he moved to close the curtains of his windows. He started on the left side of the room, the windows on either side of his bed, before finally coming to the last one, the one facing the balcony. Abelard peered through the window and he found himself hesitating. He could see Cainan's windows, light shining through his curtains. One window was open, the one further away from his own.
Abelard moved his own curtains further apart, before he slid the window open. He left his ashtray on the desk, not looking to smoke for once. The cool night air greeted Abelard as he leaned forward, resting his arms on the windowsill. Before Abelard could stop himself, he cleared his throat. "Mr. Wirth…?"
Left to wait in silence, Abelard didn't hear any movement from within Cainan's room. He called out for him again, at which point he heard footsteps from within. The curtains of the already open window parted and Cainan appeared as he fully opened the window closer to Abelard. Framed with the warm light from his room behind him, Cainan's off-gray fur appeared to almost glow like fire.
"Oh, hello…" Cainan greeted him cautiously. Abelard could tell he was hesitant at best, but he couldn't blame him. Cainan's face was mostly neutral, though perhaps his face seemed a bit tighter than normal. "What is it, Father Arbogast?"
"Mr. Wirth…" Abelard instantly saw Cainan avert his gaze as soon as Abelard addressed him the way he did. He frowned. "I just wanted to make sure you were… fine. I realize I do not know how well you got along with your parents or not. And I apologize for my… less than courteous tone and my harsh words. I realize I ought to set a better example for you."
The Turkish Angora seemed genuinely surprised by this, staring at Abelard for a moment in complete silence. "Oh. Well… Thank you, Father Arbogast. I'm- It's fine, I forgive you. But… in the future I'd just rather not talk about… them."
Abelard fell silent and the two stood didn't speak for a while. As Cainan turned his head and glanced out at the cornfields. Abelard cleared his throat. "But… Speaking of forgiving, Mr. Wirth, it isn't too late to seek or show forgiveness, as far as your parents are concerned. Mr. Wirth? Mr. Wirth…!"
Cainan had shot Abelard a very blank stare that showed no emotion, those light green eyes staring into his own, before the white cat had retreated and slid his window shut without another word. Curtains closed, he left Abelard where he was.
"Mr. Wirth!" Abelard called, but he didn't get a response from the younger cat, who remained in his room. Abelard stayed where he was, however, calling his name yet again, but he didn't get any more responses – all he got was Cainan closing the second window. Abelard watched the windows of his old bedroom, now both closed.
Though the younger cat didn't make a reappearance, Abelard could see the vague outline of his shadow moving around behind the curtains of the windows. Abelard sighed and finally reached up to grab the window, preparing to shut it. Abelard did realize it had perhaps been foolish of him to expect to immediately have this talk with Cainan. He shook his head and sighed.
He called out for him one more time, but the name had barely left him before the lights inside Cainan's bedroom were turned off. Abelard's old bedroom was cast into darkness and Abelard knew Cainan wasn't likely to make another appearance. "… Cainan?"
After waiting for another fifteen seconds or so, Abelard sighed and shook his head. Finally, he retreated, closing his window and its curtains. While Abelard knew that he could easily go and knock on Cainan's door, he didn't think it appropriate. He really ought to have not brought it up so prematurely. Maybe one day Cainan might organically change his mind on his own. And when that time came, Abelard would teach him about forgiveness the way the Lord would have.
But for now, Abelard would leave Cainan alone. He'd already distressed the younger cat enough over the course of a few days; from a physical injury to the less than pleasant conversation subjects and his harsh words. No, Cainan deserved to be left alone…