Pan of brownies out of the oven. No new updates on the party preparations. A chime from my phone announced the sixth person asking if I had invited James to the party yet. 

The lock on the door shifted as I was typing out a reply. James only hesitated a moment at seeing me in the kitchen.

“Welcome home!”

He nodded.

“I have something to ask,” I said. I gestured to my ears.

He nodded again and slid the noise canceling headphones down to rest around his neck.

“It’s the fourth of July today. Some of my coworkers, friends, and vets from the VA are getting together later for the annual party. Would you like to come with me?”

His gaze drifted to the desserts laid out on the counter. The apple pie seemed to catch his interest the most.

“There will be lots of food at the party. Someone always brings a radio, or a CD player, so there will be music too.”

Once in the kitchen, he hesitated, looking over the desserts again. A bottle of water was taken from the fridge instead of making a move toward them. I walked around him over to the washer and dryer. Caught a glimpse of him looking back at the desserts from my peripheral as I bent to take the clothes out of the dryer.

“You could always listen to your music with your headphones if you liked. Or you could stay here and relax. Sophia bought the wains bubbles this year so there’s sure to be chaos.”

I got no answer as I put my clothes on hangers and folded his. He was fingering a cotton shirt when I returned from my bedroom. The rest of his clothes had been put away in his plastic organizer.

“Location.”

“There’s a park a little ways from here that we go to. Gives the wains a place to play.”

His gaze took on that thousand-yard stare quality for a few moments.

“Protection detail.”

“No.” I shook my head. “It’s a party. You can come if you want or stay here if you’d rather. Or go somewhere else entirely. It’s not a mission, lad.”

His brows dipped in confusion. A frown settled on his lips. His fingers twitched at his sides like he was trying to keep them relaxed.

“What’s wrong, lad?”

His jaw clenched. He set his gaze somewhere behind me.

I let it go. Took a shower and got dressed in a fresh outfit. Brushed the tangles from my hair. Covered the desserts with tin foil. 

He took the pan of brownies from me when I tried to balance it against a hip and the wall to grab my keys out of my purse. My thanks was met with a curt nod. Once the car was packed, he slid into the backseat.

I smiled at him through the rearview mirror. “I’m glad you decided to come. If it gets too overwhelming or you decide you want to leave for any reason you can, alright? I can drive you or you can walk.”

He nodded as I pulled out of the parking lot.

The traffic was heavy with people on their way to parties. Halfway there, a bicyclist cut across the lanes cutting off the car in front of me. I had to slam on breaks. 

“Are you alright?” I asked, twisting to check on James.

His left hand was braced against the box of desserts. His right had somehow latched onto my shoulder without me noticing. Wild eyes were scanning the traffic. A honk from behind made us both flinch. He turned to glare out the back window.

“Is alright. We’re alright. We’re alright,” I reassured as I set the car back into drive.

Too shaky to risk taking a hand off the wheel, I brushed my cheek against his hand instead. His grip loosened just a wee bit.

“We’re alright. I’m sorry, James.”

His expression was colder when I checked on him through the rearview mirror again. He watched the traffic with a critical eye for the rest of the trip. Didn’t remove his hand from my shoulder until I was taking off my seatbelt at the park.

“Here we are.”

Some of the wains were chasing each other around the swing set. I called out a quick reminder to be careful as one of the wains on the swings almost kicked one of the ones running in front of her. More wains crowded around the picnic tables blowing bubbles and sneaking cookies.

Introductions went alright, I think. He didn’t panic, but he also didn’t say anything. Stuck close to my side. I noticed more than once how he scanned the growing crowd around the park. No one questioned it.

Well, most people didn’t question it, I should say. The wains, once one had taken notice of his left-hand glinting in the late sun, crowded around him asking all manner of questions. He didn’t answer and they weren’t dissuaded when the headphones were placed over his ears. If anything, that made them want to crowd around him more because they wanted to hear whatever he was listening to.

“Not much of a talker,” came a familiar voice from behind.

I lightly squeezed Imani’s arm in greeting. Once the vest was removed, I reached down to pet Cupcake.

“I don’t think he’s used to being allowed to talk,” I confided to her quietly.

She hummed. “I hear he’s been staying with you a month now. Think he’ll be back on his feet soon?”

I watched a rare quirk of a smile appear as he lifted his left arm with a wee girl dangling from it. She squealed in delight, the other wains tripping over themselves to follow while he walked over to a picnic bench. Once her shoes touched the bench other wains were jumping trying to grab at his arm.

“I don’t know. It’ll take time.”

She nodded. “The children sound happy.”

“A bunch of the wee ones are crowding him.”

She smiled. “Kids can be a good judge of character. So can dogs.”

“I noticed he passed Cupcake’s assessment,” I replied and reached to scratch behind the dog’s ears.

“Not an easy feat.” She tilted her head to answer a greeting from someone who had just arrived. “You’re a good judge of character, Maeve. I’ve heard the rumors and the gossip. What do you think of him?”

I found James sitting in the grass closer to the playground this time. Some of the wains had gone back to their games. The few who had stayed with James were taking turns blowing bubbles and jumping around to pop them. He looked… softer somehow. Less worn out from lack of sleep and anxiety. The little smile was gone, but he didn’t seem upset. A wee boy tucked himself into James’ lap with a bottle of bubbles. He only spared him a glance before his gaze turned back up toward the sky. 

New iridescent bubbles filled the air. I couldn’t help but smile as he lifted a metal finger to pop one. His fleeting expression of awe was adorable.

“He’s a good lad. A gentle soul I’d say. Just needs time to heal.”

Her hum pulled my gaze away from the sweet scene. I followed her over to an empty bench. Once seated, she patted my shoulder.

“I’d like to meet him again when he’s more talkative,” she said.

Someone called out that dinner was starting. A few wains rushed over to grab at the stack of paper plates. Someone’s Da made his way toward James to collect his wains who refused to climb off the lad who had laid back in the grass. Apologies laced with good natured laughter didn’t receive a reply.

“He might like that,” I answered.

The first firework of the night a couple hours later was pink. It was the vivid kind that looks so bright toward the end it could be mistaken for a plain white one. The colors of the next three were a mystery as I became pinned to the picnic blanket.

“James?”

I tapped his arm. Struggled to push myself up. Shivered when turning my head pressed my face against the cold metal of his hand. He pulled me closer.

“Stay down!”

His shout prompted Cupcake to bark. The group in front of us began to curse. One of the wains being scolded was cut off by the boom of another firework going off above.

“Is alright James. Just fireworks. You’re alright,” I tried to soothe.

He squeezed my body closer to his as three in rapid succession shot off. The disembodied voices of the others came in and out between fireworks and James’ ragged breathing. His mutters made little sense.

“Crazy fuckin Germans. Firing on civilians. Bloodthirsty monsters. Just stay down, doll. I gotcha. Just stay down. Damn USO. Fuckin Germans. Gonna be okay, doll. You just breathe.”

This is the most he’s ever said to me, and I can’t make sense of more than the command to stay down and breathe.

One arm unwound from me to strike at someone. My headphones were too far out of reach. James’ pair thudded against my outstretched fingers. I couldn’t hear much of the accompanying apology.

“James. James, breathe, lad. You’re alright.”

A few of the lads finally managed to pull him far enough off me to wrench around and force the headphones back over his ears. His flailing kept up even then. Whoever the two were holding onto his left fell back with a grunt after a particularly hard thrash.

“Enough, lad! You’re safe!” 

He immediately stopped when I grabbed his face. The next firework made the blue of his eyes glow.

“Look at me, lad. Is alright. I’m alright.”

His metal fingers spasmed against mine. Erratic, short breaths began to even out long after I had coaxed him closer into a hug. An apology was made by the guilty wain for stealing the headphones away. Everyone, including Cupcake, surrounded us. The remainder of the firework show was spent in the middle of a protective circle.