“Well, don’t you just look darlin’ in your li’l jumpsuit!” Cane said with a wide smile as he approached the cabin the following morning. “How’d you sleep?”

Rhys, who had been enjoying some tea on the porch, slid his hands into the pockets of his navy jumpsuit and smiled, “Good, thank you for bringing me home. And sorry for falling asleep again.”

He looked refreshed. The dark colors under his eyes were lessening, though his eyelids did seem a bit puffy from his excessive crying the night before. He was a determined man, Cane could tell. It seemed that he didn’t let things hold him down for long, or he was immensely adept at hiding his real feelings beneath a soft veneer and kind smile.

“No problem. You ready t’go? It’s gonna be an all day thing so make sure you have everythin’ you need,” Cane stated as he pointed his thumb back toward the road. “The truck’s that-a-way by the fork, it’s hard t’back out of here with the trailer on the gravel path so we’ll have t’walk a bit.”

Rhys blinked “A-all day?”

“All day, like… the sun’ll be goin’ down by the time we get back. Didja get your medications? Your wallet?”

Rhys held up his hands, “Give me a few, sorry.”

Cane chuckled, “Go on, we’ve got time.”

Rhys raced back into the cabin. Cane smiled. The large brimmed hat over Rhys’ head and the way he hid his hands beneath the long sleeves of his outfit made him look like a small child. His chunky heeled boots made loud noises on the wooden floors as he darted back inside.

After a few minutes, Rhys came back out with his cell phone and wallet in hand, along with a backpack with little bat wings on the front pocket that he threw on over his shoulders.

“Okay, now I’m ready. I took my meds, thanks for reminding me,” Rhys said as he slid his hands into his pockets.

“Either we’re gonna get you a whiteboard for that fridge so you can leave yourself reminders or I’m gonna have t’knock on your door every night t’nag you about it,” Cane teased.

Rhys pouted, “This is all new to me, I’m not used to it.”

They began walking down the gravel road toward the truck.

“When did you get sick?” Cane asked.

“Back in January,” Rhys replied.

“Oh, so this is a new-new thing.”

“I was feeling off back in October but it got bad after the new year. I started having severe pain and passing out a bit too regularly for my liking, and every time I’d go out in the sun I’d break out in hives.”

“And nobody can figure it out?”

“No. All of my bloodwork looked good and none of my scans showed anything strange so I don’t think I’m dying, I just feel gross and I’m always sick. Someone said I seem ‘wilted’, and they’re not wrong.”

As they approached the vehicle, Rhys wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up at the still slightly-dark skies overhead. Cane opened the passenger door of his truck for Rhys to hop in and made his way to the driver’s side. They got comfortable and Cane took off down the road.

“I’ve got muffins, protein shakes, and fruit in the cooler there by your feet, feel free t’eat whatever you want. I usually stop by a li’l bistro for lunch but that’s still a few hours off, so make sure you eat,” Cane offered as he grabbed his sunglasses.

Rhys took his hat off and set it on the seat behind him. He studied the road and he watched the trees whip by with fast motions as the truck and hefty trailer it towed moved along the unsteady ground.

“Where all do we have to go?” Rhys inquired as he picked up the cooler.

“First stop is the lumber store so we can load that up in the trailer, then the nursery t’get the trees and gardenin’ stuff you need. After that we’ll grab some lunch, then head t’the grocery. I gotta stop somewhere t’get Cas a birthday gift ’cause that’s comin’ up faster than my dumb brain can process, then the bookstore so I can get our monthly manga order. I need t’refill my gasoline canisters, and I need t’swing by a florist to get a new bouquet for Cash’s grave since that storm did a number on the last one,” Cane explained.

“And you do this multiple times a month?”

“Yep, there’s just some stuff I can’t get in Wylder Wood, and I like drivin’ so it’s a nice change of scenery. I’m from a big town—Atlanta, in case you were wonderin’—so I need the stimulation every now and then. The noise and the traffic and such. I’m glad you’re here this time, though, it can get lonely doin’ it by myself.”

“Does Cas not come with you?”

Cane smiled a bit sadly, “They used t’come all the time. Cash dyin’ made them realize how… mortal they are. Leavin’ the house scares them, now. And I gotta respect it, I do, but it gets lonely bein’ at home all the time. But, I also get lonely when I’m not ’round them so… huh, guess I’m a bit lonely.”

“I’m glad I could come.”

“Me, too.”

Rhys looked at the muffins inside of the cooler and tried to decide on which flavor he wanted.  He watched Cane push his sleeve up and cocked an eyebrow in question.

“What happened?” Rhys asked as he held a strawberry muffin in his hands.

Cane looked at this arm, his cheeks turned bright red and his eyes darted back up to the road. He white-knuckled the steering wheel and parted his lips as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say.

“I… um… sometimes adults… do stuff. Cas and I did… adult stuff last night,” Cane stammered.

Rhys chuckled and pulled the wrapper off of his muffin, “Cane, how old do you think I am?”

“Um…”

“C’mon, how old do you think I am? You keep calling me kiddo so I’m curious.”

“I don’t know…”

“I’m 23. I know what adult stuff is, you don’t have to be so coy.”

Cane sighed, “Okay, but how am I s’posed t’know that! You look so young! I thought you were 18 or somethin’.”

“I owned a business!”

Cane shrugged, “Yeah… yeah… I figured you had a lot of money or somethin’, maybe you had rich folks, especially since you outright bought the dang farm.”

“The tea shop was my mother’s and I inherited it when she passed, but I ran it on my own for four years so she could let me have the experience of managing it, she stepped down and did the office side of things for a few years. I opted not to go to college, took some herbalism certification classes and I spent about nine months in Japan learning from tea masters. I worked at a tea house in Okinawa for a while. I ran the shop until I got sick, but I bought the farm with my own money!”

Cane laughed, but his bright smile faded quickly as realization set in, “Did you have t’sell the tea house, then?”

“Yes, I did. It hurt but… I needed to do this, and my mom would have been upset with me if I didn’t take the risk. So, I took the risk.”

Cane inhaled deeply, “I’m glad you’re here, kiddo. I’m sorry things have been so rough, but I’m glad you’re here.”

Rhys crossed his legs and bit into the muffin. He watched the world roll by through the windows and savored the sweet flavor against his tongue. Cane turned his eyes back to the road and flipped on the radio to help alleviate the heavy air he inflicted upon them. He saw Rhys shiver with satisfaction as he ate the muffin and couldn’t help but smile again. In many ways, the young man reminded him of his partner when they were younger and less afflicted by the world.

“D'you want t’talk ’bout it?” Cane asked. “No pressure, but I’m here if you need t’talk.”

“About it?” Rhys questioned.

“Last night, you were pretty upset.”

“Oh…” Rhys sighed, “I feel… gross, like I said, and not knowing what’s going on with my body makes me feel uneasy. It feels like everyone is hyper aware of how ill I am and that other vampire’s comment… hurt. I was embarrassed.”

“Well, since you’re trapped here with me, I’m gonna tell you a story,” Cane said with a smile, “So buckle up.”