Chapter 9 On the Sabbath, They Rested
On the Sabbath, They Rested
“Will you tell me about your aunt?”
Drew looked up from the snow globe he was examining to find Zach watching him intently.
“What do you want to know?” he asked, putting the globe down and moving over to the next shelf in the display.
Kensington had given him the whole of Sunday off, so after spending the morning doing some coursework, they’d decided to go for a wander about town and do some sightseeing.
They’d ended up down by the waterfront and were killing time while they waited for the ferry over to Protection Island by browsing a souvenir shop.
“Whatever you want to tell me,” Zach said, ignoring the trinkets around them, Drew his only focus. “I know she took over raising you when your parents died, but you haven’t said much else about her.”
Drew smiled fondly. “Harriett is amazing. She never wanted kids of her own, she thinks she’s terrible with them, but she did alright by me.
She’s a very no-nonsense woman, but she’s such a nice person.
I mean, she can be sarcastic and hilarious but she’s .
. . kind. She’ll drop everything to help anyone who needs it.
” He picked up a beanie and fiddled with the tag as he spoke.
“She always told me she was never trying to replace my mom, but I hardly remember my mother. I remember her making me cinnamon buns, and I remember her staying up all night once when I was really sick with a fever. I remember little things like that, but I can’t remember what her voice sounded like or what sort of clothes she liked to wear.
I have photos of her and my dad, but I don’t think I could pick them out of a police lineup, if that makes sense.
So whether she meant to be or not, Aunt Harriett is my mom.
She raised me, she gave up so much for me, and she loves me exactly as I am.
I don’t think my mom would mind that I see Harriett in her shoes now because she’s done such an amazing job. ”
“What was your childhood like?” Zach prompted.
Drew shrugged. “I dunno, normal I guess? I don’t really remember too much about my life before.
I was just young, and I guess the trauma of losing my parents doesn’t help.
I can’t even imagine how hard it was for Harriett.
She’d just gotten back on her feet after getting out of a horrible relationship with some absolute asshole.
He’d pretty much taken everything from her and left her with nothing.
So here she is, slowly scraping her life back together, and she gets lumped with some kid she never wanted. ”
Zach frowned. “Did she ever say that to you?”
Shaking his head, Drew put the beanie down and moved on.
“God, no. She came to Edmonton as soon as the social worker called to advise her of the accident, even though she couldn’t afford the expense of a trip across the country.
My parents didn’t have much either, but what they did have paid for us to move my stuff over to Victoria and to buy the basics.
Harriett didn’t have much of a social life, but what she had now played second fiddle to taking care of me and picking up extra shifts at the hospital.
Her wage barely covered her own living expenses, let alone another mouth to feed, but she never complained, never made me feel guilty. ”
“She does sound lovely,” Zach said, wrapping an arm around Drew’s waist as they left the store and started along the boardwalk toward the small ferry dock.
“She is. I honestly never realised how tough things were for us until I was much older. She hid it from me so well.”
“How so?”
“God, there are so many ways. Okay, so take Christmas for example. We didn’t have much at all and she could never afford to buy me huge gifts or anything, but she always made the occasion really special.
Leading up to Christmas, we’d walk around the neighbourhood and look at all the lights, and we’d stay up late with mugs of hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies.
We’d go to the dollar store and buy cheap decorations for the apartment, and if I was lucky, they’d have some discounted baking supplies and we’d make simple cookies.
My gifts were normally homemade, like knitted scarves and beanies and gloves, or she’d make me a scavenger hunt and I’d have to find clues around the neighbourhood.
They’d lead me back to the apartment where she’d hidden a toy she’d managed to save up for, and then we’d have lunch together.
Christmas lunch was always really fancy, and I think that was because food pantries always get nicer donations during the holidays.
There were always some treats, and I looked forward to it every year. ”
They joined the line for the ferry, squeezing into the floating waiting room and snagging the last two seats on the wooden benches inside. A man came around selling tickets, and Zach waved off Drew’s offer to pay for them.
“Tell me more,” Zach urged as they watched the tiny boat which would take them across to the island approach.
Drew thought for a moment, then said, “A couple of times, we didn’t have enough money to pay the hydro bill, so we didn’t have power for a few days.
I never actually realised, because Harriett would tell me we were going to be doing ‘living-room camping.’ We’d make a tent out of all the blankets—essentially a blanket fort—and she’d string up these battery-operated fairy lights, and I had a Transformers flashlight I’d gotten for my birthday that I loved using.
We’d play card games and make shadow puppets on the walls, and tell ghost stories.
I was always so excited when we got to do living-room camping that I never questioned it. It was just too much fun.”
“If I ever get the pleasure of meeting your aunt,” Zach said, as the small boat bumped against the dock and the crew got it ready for the people coming from the island to depart.
“I am going to lavish her with gifts and all the things she could ever need or desire. She deserves so much and more for being such a wonderful support to you.”
Smiling, Drew squeezed his hand. “And I’d let you do that because she does deserve it. She deserves all the good things.”
The tiny ferry emptied and those in the little waiting room were allowed to board.
Being a warm summer’s day and a Sunday to boot, the ferry was absolutely packed, and Drew and Zach squeezed into a space on the narrow bench seat.
Zach lifted his arm and held Drew close, ostensibly to make more room for the couple who tried to fit in next to them without climbing right onto their laps, but mostly, Drew suspected, because he simply enjoyed being affectionate.
He was constantly touching Drew, whether it be casual touches as he spoke, a guiding hand to the small of the back as they walked, or cuddling up close as they watched a movie before bed.
Drew knew Zach was attracted to him, but the majority of his touches weren’t sexual in nature.
They were casual, performed without conscious thought, just simple acts of affection.
It made Drew feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.
The ferry was soon motoring through the harbour towards Protection Island.
Drew had been before, and although there wasn’t much to do there, he had wanted to share it with Zach.
Lunch at the pub and then a stroll around the island would be a relaxing way to spend the afternoon.
He was still doing the homework Kensington had assigned him, locating his centre and making contact with his power in the middle of everyday activities.
He figured now was as good a time as any to do so, and he reached down inside himself, pleased when he immediately felt the spark waiting for him.
He gathered a small amount to him, not doing anything with it, just running his metaphorical fingers through it .
. . connecting with it. Drew almost felt like he was getting it used to him, somehow.
Like perhaps it was a stray cat and it would get spooked if he suddenly tried to snatch it up out of the blue one day.
He took a few more moments to just be with the magic and then he let it go, letting it slip back into the well of power within him.
The sun was warm against his face, Zach was a solid presence by his side, the cool breeze whipped against his skin, and Drew relaxed back and simply enjoyed being in the moment. A few minutes later, they were docking at Protection Island and they patiently waited for their turn to disembark.
They headed straight for the Dinghy Dock Pub, since it would likely be at capacity this close to lunchtime, and managed to snag one of the last remaining booths.
Drew was pretty sure it wasn’t luck that got them the table but the charming smile Zach flashed at the waitress.
She looked a little flushed as she walked away, and he couldn’t blame her.
Zach was looking particularly sexy today in slim-fit jeans, a tight white tee, and heavy military-style boots.
Where Drew was sure his own hair looked like a bird’s nest from the wind off the ocean, Zach’s dark hair looked artfully tousled by the breeze.
He’d shaved that morning but he already had a hint of stubble, and it made his plush lips look all the more kissable for it.
They both ordered fish and chips, and chatted while they ate, and Drew amused himself by using his magic to move the salt and pepper shakers around the table when he was sure no one would notice.
They didn’t linger once their meals were done, since it was very crowded and noisy in the pub, and they were soon climbing up the ramp from the dock and walking along the narrow laneways that snaked around the island.
“So, when will you see your aunt again?” Zach asked, harking back to the conversation they’d been having previously.