Even If We're Broken by A.M. Weald

Author:A.M. Weald [Weald, A.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Drama, Mental Health, Archaeology, Body; Mind & Spirit, Upmarket
Publisher: A.M. Weald
Published: 2024-04-04T13:10:44+00:00

27

Sunday, 12 July

Day Twenty-one

This morning, a dusting of tiny white flowers greeted Kate outside her tent.

Seeing them made her feel not just happy but adored. She left them as the offering they were, hoping the wind wouldn’t scatter them.

The entrance to her tent faced the entrance to the trailer. The space between was only as wide as two yoga mats, and rarely did someone who wasn’t her or Ben walk through it. But it was possible to see the flower offerings when standing on the dirt road. It was possible everyone had seen them.

And so, while meandering the aisles of the Springdale souvenir shop, she pondered the possibility that everyone knew Ben was giving her flowers. That everyone knew he was… That they were…

Something. Whatever they were was something.

Yesterday was amazing. Dungeons & Dragons! With Ben! Who had giggled with delight on multiple occasions. And Jake’s antics had him barrel laughing. Alex had helped ease Ben out of his shell. Then again, that was one thing the game was good for: helping awkward nerds relax. Even shy Mina had gotten rowdy, though that might’ve been because she’d played a stab-happy rogue.

Kate wanted to repay Ben for his kindness, for being a good friend. Conveniently, his birthday was this Wednesday. Friends bought friends gifts, after all, particularly for their birthday. So long as whatever she gave him wasn’t romantic, he probably wouldn’t be weirded out by it. Then again, what if it was—just a little bit—romantic?

Never in her life did she get flowers from someone who wasn’t either family or a romantic partner. Granted, the flowers Ben gave her were, at least initially, only meant to cheer her up. Eventually, they worked. Today she was downright elated. It was weird.

Previously, the only thing that made her feel this happy and smile this wide was bones. Anything to do with them. Real bones, sketches of bones, things made of bone, candy skulls, jangly plastic skeleton earrings…

That was it. Not any of her exes, not even coffee or her parents or Clara. Just bones…and Ben.

Kate was staring at mugs.

She looked around the store and realized she’d registered nothing. Not the t-shirts, the weird handmade items, or the snacks, magazines, or maps.

The shelves of mugs bowed in the center from their collective weight. Standard mugs with red handles and the obligatory maple leaf, vintage-style mugs with lipped rims and black handles bearing a marijuana leaf, a black mug with a rainbow-colored maple leaf…

When she saw it, her jaw dropped. Lipped vintage style, thinner and more squat than a standard mug. White, with a rust-colored brim and handle. On one side was the Canadian maple leaf, and on the other, a big ol’ bear.

She bought two. And the Gay Canada mug for Felicity, who was Canadian. Maple candy for Clara.

Purchases made, Kate returned to Erik’s SUV to call Clara while Jorunn finished shopping.

“I got it!” Clara squealed when she answered.

Kate lowered the volume on her phone. “The grant?”

“The graaaaaant!”

“I’m not surprised. The world needs your research.

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