I wander outside to check on the old cherry tree while Naomi speaks with Ellen.

It was hard to tell over the winter, but now I can see that it’s faring much better than it was when I first had to debug it. Soft green buds are sprouting everywhere. They should open into thick masses of pale pink flowers, given a little more time. They dance in the light breeze, which sweeps over my face, cools me down after all the running around with Ellen.

I take a deep breath when I step back into the warmth of the kitchen. Something smells good.

Kent cooks and bakes when he gets nervous, and I did notice that the oven was on earlier. I do a lap of the kitchen, searching for whatever he made. It turns out to be toasted golden swirls of buttery pastry, arranged in neat rows on a baking tray. Kent left a window pushed open so that the spring breeze could cool them, but they're still warm, throwing off steam that melts into the air.

I stand at the kitchen counter, nibbling on one, mentally going over everything I want to tell Naomi about my classes with Ellen. I don’t want to forget anything important, and - despite Gabby’s assurances, I’m nervous. I’m no certified teacher, and some anxious part of me is afraid that Naomi may inform me that I’ve been doing things all wrong.

Only the dimmest lights in the kitchen are flipped on. In the soft, warm glow, with the wind from the open window stirring through my hair, my thoughts gradually begin to drift away from the conversation I'm about to have. They go right to Aiden, as they always do.

Almost as soon as they land there, my phone lights up with a text.

Seeing a notification from Aiden pop up on my phone is always an instant boost of happiness in my heart. I love to picture him in the archives, taking the time to remove his cotton gloves so he can send me something.

The smile on my face grows wider as I look at what he sent. It’s a photo of a very old newspaper he must be archiving. The headline reads:

Centuries of Bad Luck! Motorman Smashes Into Auto and Shatters Three Tons of Mirrors!

Uh oh, Aiden wrote, beneath the picture. If this is how it works, we’re so fucked.

I smother a laugh beneath my fingers, thinking of all the mirrors we’ve destroyed during intimate moments together.

That’s weird, I text back. I’ve felt nothing but lucky ever since you rolled back into town with your one backpack, Callahan.

It's marked as seen right away, but for a few minutes, there's no response. Then Aiden starts and stops typing a few times. I watch the typing dots appear and disappear.

“Jamie,” someone says.

I look up and find Naomi standing in the kitchen doorway. She has her notebook in her hand. Her sharp, perceptive eyes are fixed on my face.

She gestures to the kitchen table. “Is now a good time for us to speak?”

I start to sense the returning rush of anxiety, but before it can come, my phone lights up again. I steal a quick glance at the notification.

Companion Plant 🍃 9:18 PM: ❤

I break into a smile, then look up at Naomi.

“Yeah,” I say, surprising myself with how at ease I sound. “Let’s do it.”

I don’t know how my Sugar Maple does this. How he can reach out across any distance and gently calm the anxieties swimming around in my heart. Without even meaning to. Without even knowing that I needed him to.

It must be a Companion Plant thing.

~~~~

Naomi takes off her watch and sets it aside so that she can take speedy notes as I answer her questions.

She has a very stiff way of holding her shoulders, and her expression remains completely neutral, no matter what I say. If I didn’t know better, I would think she was very uncomfortable or unhappy. Now, with Gabby’s explanation, I’m reading her differently. I actually think she's feeling perfectly relaxed.

For one thing, she took the clip out of her hair, let her long auburn strands spill down her shoulders. She also accepted my offer of one of the pastries that Kent made, and a cup of tea. Every now and then she lets out another short, sharp laugh, and when she does that, there’s the tiny, barely perceptible smile again.

I’m hoping this means that I’m doing okay.

I’m giving her an in-depth explanation of how my classes with Ellen work, and how Ellen behaves in them. I tell her what I think about Ellen, how she’s imaginative, creative, sweet. Much brighter than people give her credit for. Naomi listens mostly without comment, occasionally cutting in to ask a follow-up question.

Eventually she pulls a folder out of her purse and slides it across the kitchen table to me. I recognize it as the stack of disastrous report cards from Ellen’s school. The ones I read in Gabby’s office, until I had to stop because I got so indignant that I nearly started shouting.

“I told Gabby, I don’t agree with any of this,” I inform Naomi.

She nods, like she already knew that.

“The consensus of Ellen’s teachers seems to be that most of her so-called behavioral problems can be traced back to her parent’s divorce." Naomi tips her head to the side. "Gabby doesn’t think so, but she has reason to be biased.”

“I have reason to be biased, too.”

“Yes, but regardless, I’d like to hear your thoughts.” Naomi's unreadable eyes stare into mine. “You know Kent very well, don’t you? And Ellen, too. Do you think there’s any merit whatsoever to that theory?”

My mind drifts back to the days before Kent got divorced, when Julia was still here.

I used to feel so uneasy being in this house. Even when I came over just to quickly talk to Kent, or to pick up Ellen when he asked me to watch her.

It's not like Kent and Julia were fighting all the time. They tried really hard not to fight at all when Ellen was home. But even when they weren't shouting, in tears, or silently fuming - there was this tangible chill in the atmosphere. In every room of the house.

I know that Ellen sensed it, even if she wasn’t totally sure what it was. She started speaking in a very small voice at home, like she was trying not to disturb the fragile calm.

After the divorce, when it was just her and Kent living here - that was when she came back to her old self. Started getting loud, saying what she thought, laughing all the time, opening up. Turning into the happy little force of nature she is now.

I look around at the warmly lit, peaceful house. The signs of Kent’s cooking on the counter, Ellen’s outer space drawings on the fridge. Gabby’s purse on one of the kitchen chairs.

“I actually think the divorce was a really good thing, for Ellen,” I tell Naomi. “Even if it was hard on her, at first. And it was a really good thing for Kent, too.”

Naomi absorbs that in silence, looking at me.

“Honestly,” I add, “I have serious trouble believing that any of Ellen’s problems come from Kent’s parenting. He would go from horizon to horizon for that kid. He loves her so much, like - everything he does is for her.”

“I understand that Gabby is very fond of her, too,” Naomi answers. "That they've grown close?"

“Oh, definitely," I agree immediately. "Things have only gotten better since Gabby showed up. And Aiden, my boyfriend - he lives here, and Ellen adores him. He looks after her, too. We all kind of do."

Naomi nods slowly, then clicks off her pen and sits back in her chair, settles her arms over her chest.

“It’s very sweet,” she says, “To see all of you united behind Ellen. It comes as no surprise to me that she’s remained such a bright little spirit, despite what she’s going through in school.”

Naomi’s expression and tone don’t suggest that anything is sweet at all, so I wasn't expecting that. I feel myself break into a surprised smile.

Naomi doesn’t smile back at me, but I don’t take that to be a bad sign.

“Well, I think we’re all done,” she says briskly, snapping her notebook shut. “It was a pleasure speaking with you, Jamie. I very much enjoyed getting to see your class, too. I may have to bring up Nerd Darts at my conference tomorrow. What do you think, should I work it into my speech?”

I blink at her, then let out a startled laugh. “Oh, my god. Um - is it like, a big, important speech?”

“It’s the keynote.”

“Then no,” I say firmly, earning another short, sharp little laugh.

I’m smiling victoriously as I follow Naomi towards the door. She eases it open, and we step into the warm, flickering glow of the firelit living room.

I stop behind Naomi, my heart filling up as I take in the sight before me.

Kent and Gabby are sitting together by the fire, cozied up on the deep, soft rug. Ellen is asleep on Kent, her cheek smushed flat against his chest. Kent's arms are locked around her, but his face is turned towards Gabby.

Gabby has her forehead against Kent’s. She’s speaking very quietly to him, fingertips resting on his bearded cheek.

Kent looks at her with dilated eyes, a faint heat-glow around his cheeks that suggests he’s blushing deeply. Whatever she’s saying to him, he’s suppressing a laugh. I can tell by the way he’s smiling.

He shakes his head and screws up his face at her, says something very quiet in answer. Gabby laughs softly, the firelight dancing in her eyes, and an even deeper look of complete adoration comes over Kent’s face.

Their murmuring voices break off as they look up to find Naomi and me standing in the doorway.

“Oh, there you two are,” Gabby says, keeping her volume soft for Ellen. "All finished?"

She gets to her feet, and Kent gets up behind her. He gently deposits Ellen onto the couch, where she sleepily rolls over.

“Mhm, all done,” Naomi answers. “Did you two still want to go out for dinner? I know it’s late, but I’d love it if we could fit some fun into this business trip.”

“Of course,” Kent agrees, and then - “Oh. I meant for Ellen to come with us. I didn’t realize we'd be heading out so late.”

Kent is the one always telling me I need to stop doing so many favors for people. But I can’t help myself, so -

“Hey, I can babysit.”

Gabby shoots me a grateful look. “Really, Jamie?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Yeah, why not?”

Kent slaps my back, then turns to fix Naomi with a smile. “Lead the way.”

I say a quiet goodbye to everyone, then move to stand by Ellen as they all head for the door to get their coats and shoes on.

Naomi is the last one out. She turns in the doorway before she goes, flashes me that fast, tiny smile again, and waves goodbye. I wave back, then stand happily twisting the ring around my finger.

I'm feeling good about this. Naomi said she needs time to think through everything she’s learned about Ellen, but I have a feeling she’ll come up with some answers for us.

I look down at Ellen, who’s already snuggled deeply into the couch cushions. I sit down next to her, then gently shake her shoulder.

“El. We’ve gotta go upstairs, get you into bed.”

She makes a soft little sound of complaint.

“Wanna stay here,” she mumbles, still mostly asleep.

I open my mouth to argue with her, but - she looks so comfy and content where she is. I don’t want to wake her up to make her move, and I definitely can't carry her.

I pull my socked feet up onto the couch, then reach for the blanket folded up on the armchair. I spread it over Ellen, who immediately kicks it onto the floor in her sleep. I fight down a laugh, then lay back on the couch and gaze into the flames in the fireplace.

I’m so tired, myself, come to think of it. I got up early this morning to check on Aiden’s Tree, then had a long shift at the shop. Then I spent an hour and a half chasing Ellen around the living room, then had a long discussion with Naomi.

I shed my flannel when we were playing Nerd Darts, and the heat of the low-burning fire feels nice against my bare arms, against my face. It makes the fabric of my t-shirt toasty warm. Without meaning to, I sink a little deeper into the couch.

I reach for Ellen’s foot and close my fingers around her ankle, so I’ll know if she wanders off. I just want to close my eyes for a minute.

~~~~

The next thing I know, a familiar, soft-spoken voice is talking quietly in my ear.

“Jamie.”

I stir in my sleep, slowly blink my eyes open. I find myself gazing up into two serene azure pools, like the waters of a very still, very deep lake.

I stare silently into Aiden’s heartstopping eyes, entranced and speechless. He smiles down at me, curls his knuckles beneath my jaw, and gently drags his thumb over my cheek.

“Hi,” he murmurs.

He’s bending over me, one massive hand braced on the back of the couch. Cold night air is clinging to him, and the strap of his work bag is across his chest. The sleeves of his dress shirt are folded up to his elbows, the two top buttons of it left undone.

The moonlight makes graceful patterns on him. They spill down his neck, shine in his chestnut hair.

“This was a very cute sight to walk into,” he rumbles softly.

I lift my head and find that Ellen has moved. She’s snuggled up against my side, and I have both arms wrapped around her. She’s deeply asleep, her mouth half-open, her face half-buried in my shirt.

“Oh, no,” I whisper. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep! I was supposed to get her into bed, but she’s gotten too big for me to carry.”

“Good thing I'm home,” Aiden murmurs, and brushes a kiss onto my mouth.

He straightens up, reaches for Ellen, and easily lifts her up into his arms. She sleeps right through it, only moving to curl up against his chest, to automatically link her hands behind his neck. He nestles her into one arm, offers his other hand to help me up. I take it, smiling to myself.

I slip into the kitchen while Aiden gets Ellen tucked into bed. I return a few minutes later to find him on the couch, having set aside his work bag and his shoes. He smiles at me, runs a tired hand through his hair, and reaches up to accept the mug of tea I’m holding out.

I snuggle up next to him and take a sip from my own mug, trying to warm myself up. The fire burned low while I was asleep, so I’m a little cold. Aiden wraps an arm around me, and senses that.

I blink in surprise as the dying flames in the fireplace slowly grow bright with life again. I turn to look at Aiden, just in time to see the last traces of ice-blue magic melt away in his eyes.

He ruffles my hair, and we curl up closely together in the firelight. I put my head against the slope of Aiden’s neck.

“How was work?” I ask, drawing my feet up onto the couch. “You were there so late.”

“I was catching up on archival stuff.” The vibration of Aiden’s slow, deep voice warms me even better than the fire. “I’m behind, because of the exhibition. Did a lot of newspapers today.”

“Yeah, I got your text," I laugh. “You were reading all the headlines again, weren’t you? Ended up working late by accident, because it was interesting?”

A pause. “No.”

I laugh again, then set my mug down, wrap my arms around Aiden. “Tell me the good ones.”

“Feel like I’ve been doing that every night. Aren’t you getting bored, hearing me go on and on about work st-?”

“Nope," I interrupt firmly. "No. Never.”

Aiden huffs out a little laugh, then begins to tell me in detail about his day at City Hall.

I close my eyes and listen to the quiet music of his voice. Smiling to myself, because soon we’ll have our own place.

Soon we’ll get to do this every night.