For the first time in what felt like forever, Lloyd woke up feeling rested. His body, usually stiff from cold and exhaustion, felt oddly light. He stretched, muscles cracking faintly, and turned his head, only to find the other side of the bed empty.
Silvia was gone.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Where could she have gone? For someone who had burned up with fever the night before, she was moving around quite well.
Before he could ponder further, panic gripped him.
Nora! Breakfast!
The thought shot him out of bed like an arrow. He rushed to the hallway, but just as he was about to head to the kitchen, he caught the sound of laughter, light and soft, coming from Nora's room.
Curiosity tugged at him. He slowed his pace, approached quietly, and peeked through the open doorway.
Nora sat nestled in Silvia's lap, her small hands moving wooden trains across a makeshift track. She was explaining something in her usual excited tone and Silvia was listening intently, her emerald eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I won again!" Nora bragged with her head held up high.
Silvia pat her head.
"You sure did buddy. Rematch? I'll win next time" Silvia brought their toy trains back to the starting point.
The goddess, who once received offerings in sacred temples, now sat cross-legged on a wooden floor, completely immersed in a child's game.
Lloyd leaned on the frame, arms crossed.
A rare smile curved his lips up.
Deciding not to interrupt, Lloyd tiptoed back toward the kitchen. They're fine. Let them have their fun.
He hummed a light tune as he walked. There was a special guest today, he couldn't feed her scraps of vegetables and porridge. No, he needed something special.
He took out the leftover pork belly he got from Auntie Yang out the fridge and set it down. The meat was cold in his hands. He sliced it clean and even, then rubbed in a bit of salt, some soy sauce, and crushed garlic that hopefully wasn't expired.
The pan was already heating. He laid the pieces down without oil and let them cook slow. He watched the fat melt and waited. Then, he flipped each piece once it browned. He kept going until the edges turned crisp and the inside was cooked through, the smell filling the small kitchen. Lloyd's stomach grumbled loudly, but he had to lock in.
Back in Nora's room, Silvia smelled the scent in the air and perked up.
"Mmm… what's that smell?" she murmured.
"Ooh, I smell meat!" Nora shot up excitedly. Waddling over to the kitchen like a hungry bunny.
The pink-haired lady quickly scooped the little dumpling up in her arms and walked over.
"Baby, I'm going to play a little prank on your big brother, alright?" She whispered to the kiddo.
Nora's eyes lit up as she snuggled deeper into Sylvara's embrace.
Silvia's steps were light, almost imperceptible. She crept up behind Lloyd, her lips lightly on his ear.
"Boo!" She shouted loudly.
Lloyd, who was too preoccupied by cooking to notice, nearly flipped over his spatula.
"Haha, very funny." He rolled his eyes sarcastically.
"Loin! I'm hungry." Nora piped up.
Lloyd pinched her thin cheeks. "Nora, what did we say about pronunciation? LLOYD. Not Loin."
Silvia chuckled. "It's the same thing give or take."
Lloyd stared at her blankly. "No the fu–" He caught himself. "No the fudge it isn't."
"...fudge? Really?" She side-eyed him judgementally.
"I can't have Nora gaining bad manners. Brother duties come first."
Silvia leaned closer, nearly bumping his chin.
"Even above me?" She whispered slowly with a low tone, casually wrapping her arms around his neck.
Lloyd paused then poked her forehead.
"Especially above you. Sit down already. I'll bring breakfast over." He turned away from her in a rush, reddening ears betraying his nonchalance.
Watching him scurry off, the rejected lady couldn't help but smile. Soon after, Nora tugged her shirt, demanding attention. Silvia lifted her up.
"Your brother is so cute." She poked Nora's cheek.
"But I'm cuter!" The munchkin piped up.
…
Lloyd finally laid the dishes on the table. Glazed pork belly, a side of sauteed cabbage, and warm rice.
He waited nervously as Silvia took a bite.
The goddess furrowed her brows, then her eyes lit up.
"I haven't had a meal in so long" She sighed before taking another bite. Her cheeks puffed up as she kept chewing.
Lloyd laughed at the sight. She must've been starving, rightfully so of course.
After eating, Lloyd cleaned up. He wiped the table, washed the dishes, did anything a good homeowner would do. The goddess patted her full stomach while Nora copied her actions.
Seeing the two bums doing nothing, Lloyd clicked his tongue with a tsk. However, he didn't have the heart to put them to work. He simply finished his duties and went to the fields.
The cold gale was something he still wasn't used to it; something he would probably never get used to. He crouched and studied his land. The kale he had planted yesterday was holding up, but barely. The wood chip mulch was doing its job insulating the soil, but the temperature had dropped further overnight. He got down and pressed two fingers into the soil.
Then he groaned. The temperature had gotten too cold overnight and his dirt wasn't kept warm. It was too hard, too tough.
He smacked his lips.
There was no point forcing it. Trying to plant anything directly in this soil right now would be a waste of seeds he couldn't afford to lose. He'd already pushed his luck with the kale. He needed a way to heat his field. But right now, he obviously couldn't.
He was left with only one choice: To use the communal greenhouse. He gulped, his feet unwilling to move. He waited a few minutes to catch his breath and then trudged along.
…
The communal greenhouse sat at the edge of the village. It was low, weathered, held together with old timber and foggy glass patched over the years. Not much to look at, but it worked. Each family had a small plot inside for the harsh months. His family's patch hadn't been used in a while, but judging by it's stable state, other families had no problem using it for themselves.
Lloyd felt his head throb, a few memories forcefully flooding in. His mom would always go here, taking him with her. He remembered it clearly.
He recalled being maybe seven, trailing behind her with a watering can too big for his arms. She had her hair tied up which showed off her youthful face even more and dirt already on her knees before they even got through the door. His mother, unlike Lloyd, had hazel eyes that seemed to hold warmth for anyone staring at them. She was always like this in his mind; warm and bubby with enough energy to run his dad ragged.
The greenhouse back then felt massive to him. He took in the colorful green and the sound of people talking.
There was a woman nearby his plot, crying hysterically. Most people avoided her, but his mother immediately rushed to her side. They talked and talked for what felt like hours to a little boy. The tears dried up and was replaced by a hearty laughter and warm smiles. More people came to join them. He tugged his mother's shirt and looked up with her with big blue eyes, "When are we going home?"
His mother ruffled his hair. "Be patient baby."
By the end of their stay, the crying woman's station was filled with seeds and packets of other goodies. In the past, he felt proud of his mom for being such a good sport. In the present, he cursed at her naivety for helping the ones who would backstab her later.
He stood still with clenched fist, taking in the memories he tried so hard to block out.
He changed so much since that day.
So, so much.
A tea dropped from his eye, practically imperceptible. He smacked himself and forced his eyes dry before proceeding farther.