Chapter 13
The days leading up to the opening passed in a blur, bringing them straight to Friday, the day before the opening.
While Azam did the finishing touches on the sample pieces and finalized his sketches for the portfolio, Sonya cleaned and made sure everything was shining and spotless, and Kiri cooked and baked the refreshments for the party.
Each day, they sent Dania over to a neighbor who had children around her age to keep her out of the way, but by Friday, Dania was sick of it and wanted to stay home.
Meanwhile, Kiri had finally agreed to allow Caden to court her, with some gentle encouragement from Sonya and Azam.
She’d invited him to tea, but when the day arrived, Kiri was strung taut.
‘It’s a terrible idea,’ she muttered to herself, aggressively whisking a bowl of eggs and sugar. ‘Why did I agree to it?’
Sonya was polishing the spoons and forks, some of which they had borrowed from their neighbors, and Dania was playing with a ball, bouncing it around.
‘Dania, I told you not to play with that ball inside,’ Kiri said, lacking her usual patience. Dania pretended not to hear. Sonya approached Dania, trying to coax her out to the garden, but Dania ignored her as well.
And then the ball went bouncing straight towards the kitchen.
‘No!’ Sonya cried, eyes wide. She reached for it as Dania ran, catching it just before it knocked Kiri’s bowl over.
Unfortunately, Dania did not catch herself.
‘Oof!’ Little Dania crashed into Kiri’s legs, and Kiri flailed, reaching for the counter to steady herself. The bottle of vanilla extract fell to the floor, instantly shattering.
They all froze.
Dania began to cry. ‘I’m sorry,’ she sobbed, tears falling down her fat cheeks.
Kiri looked about ready to burst. ‘I need the vanilla extract,’ she said, her eyelid twitching. ‘I can’t make these without it!’ She began to frantically search the kitchen for a spare bottle.
‘It’s alright, don’t worry,’ Sonya soothed, scooping Dania into her arms. They all had bare feet, and the last thing they needed was for her little toes to get sliced up.
Moving carefully across the floor to avoid the glass, Sonya took Dania to the shop, to Azam.
‘Jaani, please go and sit with Azam so your feet don’t get hurt, okay? ’
Dania sniffled, rubbing her eyes, then went crying to Azam, who comforted her as Sonya went back to the living area.
Kiri released an exasperated sound as she closed a cupboard door, turning so quickly that Sonya cried out: ‘Watch your feet!’ She reached for a towel to scoop up the glass shards and the spilled essence.
‘You can’t find the spare?’ Sonya asked, wiping the floor.
‘I can go to the market and get some more.’
Kiri released a breath. ‘Oh, darling, please go,’ she said, wiping her brow. ‘You’ll be much quicker with those young legs of yours.’
Sonya rose, and Kiri took over cleaning up the floor as Sonya dashed out.
‘I’m going to the market!’ she called to Azam from the hallway, putting on her shoes. She was out before he could respond. The sky was gray and she wanted to be back before it started pouring.
Sonya made it to the market, heading for the grocery, where she purchased the vanilla extract and tucked it into the pocket of her apron.
As she turned to head home, it began drizzling, and Sonya quickened her pace, holding her hand over her pocket to keep the little bottle of vanilla extract from jostling.
But she was so focused on keeping dry and getting back quickly, that she didn’t realize she had taken a wrong turn until she had hit a dead end.
Her stomach curdled with dread. ‘That shouldn’t be there,’ she said to herself. She looked around, taking a deep breath to stay calm. She turned back, leaving the alley and heading back for the road, but she had ended up on a street of cottages, none of which looked familiar.
‘You know where you are,’ she told herself.
Surely she wasn’t lost. Not after all this time! She just needed to retrace her steps and find a familiar marker. Just the place she had gone to, a place she had been to more than a dozen times, now.
She wasn’t lost. This couldn’t be happening, not now! Not when there was so much to do and Kiri needed her, and the opening was tomorrow, and, and …
Sonya walked slowly, looking around carefully, even as the drizzle turned into steady rain and panic threatened to set in.
‘You aren’t lost,’ she told herself, voice firm. ‘You aren’t. You can’t be.’
Her hands were shaking, and her stomach curdled. Even Dania knew the way home from the market! She wasn’t … She couldn’t be …
But she was. She was lost.
Sonya stopped in her tracks, tears welling in her eyes. She tried to push them back, to swallow the lump in her throat, but her head spun. Vision blurring, she closed her eyes, trying to steady herself. Maybe if she calmed down, she would find her way back. Yes, she just needed to relax.
She took a deep breath, then exhaled very slowly. The anxiety ebbed, and she opened her eyes.
But she still didn’t know where she was.
She didn’t know what to do. Her heart pounded painfully against her chest and bile rose in her throat. She was lost. How could she be lost?
She suddenly felt so terribly weak and stupid. She wasn’t at all like the heroes she read about in all her favorite novels: they were always strong and knew how to defend themselves, they were fierce and brave and stood up for people. But Sonya? She couldn’t even take care of herself!
It was such a simple task and she couldn’t do it!
There were so many simple tasks she didn’t know how to do, so many simple things she didn’t know about at all. She was learning, and there was joy in learning, but right then all she felt was frustration.
She had been so sheltered and protected—to her own detriment. Her father and her brothers had not realized what a disadvantage this put her at. They wouldn’t always be there to save her, and she didn’t know how to save herself.
Sonya began to cry. Tears fell down her cheeks, mingling with the rainwater. She sat down against a nearby stone wall. She would wait for the rain to stop. For now, she couldn’t do anything.
Her mind was spinning too fast and she couldn’t think at all. And her feet were soaked, her toes freezing.
But the rain would not relent; it carried on and on, until the sky grew darker and Sonya was freezing. She wrapped her arms around herself, trembling, and it felt as if no time at all had passed between now and the night she had run away.
What if she never made her way back?
She buried her face in her hands and cried.
She only stopped a little while later when she heard barking. For a moment, she thought she was imagining it. It sounded quite familiar. Then she heard it again, and it almost sounded closer.
Then Sonya felt a snout rub against her face. She opened her eyes, and there was Butterscotch, his fur soaked through. A cry of relief rose in her throat, and she threw her arms around the dog.
‘Scotchie,’ she said, voice trembling. ‘You found me.’
Butterscotch nudged her, encouraging her to stand, and then he led the way home, pausing every few steps to check she was following.
They made it home not twenty minutes later, and when she entered the cottage, she was mightily grateful to kick off her shoes, then enter to a roaring fire. Caden and Dania were sitting on the couch, and when they saw Butterscotch, they immediately stood.
‘Oh, thank goodness!’ Caden cried, his hand to his chest.
‘Where is everyone?’ Sonya asked.
‘Kiri and Azam went out to look for you,’ Caden explained. Just as the words left his mouth, she heard Azam’s voice.
‘Sonya!’ He cried her name from the doorway, then came bounding in as she turned. He was drenched and, once he saw her, his face broke, and then hers did, too. She started to cry.
He bridged the space between them in two strides, pulling her into his arms. ‘You’re okay,’ he breathed. ‘You’re safe.’ He held on to her desperately and she could feel his heart pounding, his hands trembling as he stroked her hair.
She wanted to apologize, but she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t do anything but hold on to him, her eyes closed as she inhaled the scent of rain and tea, the feel of his muscles strong beneath his wet clothes.
‘Are you hurt?’ Azam asked, drawing back to inspect her. He cupped her face in his hands, gazing into her eyes.
‘I’m alright,’ she managed to say.
‘God, I thought—’ He broke off, clenching his jaw. Before she could ask what he’d thought, she felt a tug on her dress. She turned to look at Dania, who was frowning.
‘Why did you get lost?’ Dania asked.
‘I don’t know,’ Sonya replied.
‘She’s here now,’ Azam said firmly. ‘And we won’t let her get lost again.’
There was a surety in his voice that helped calm Sonya’s frayed nerves. She felt much better.
Then Kiri returned, and she breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Oh, thank goodness you’re here,’ she said, coming over to give Sonya a hug.
‘I knew Butterscotch would find you and bring you back,’ Caden said.
Sonya wondered if his shepherd magic meant he was able to tell Butterscotch to find her and lead her back to the cottage.
But she was still shaking, and Kiri rubbed her arms. ‘Let’s get you out of those wet clothes,’ she said.
Sonya turned back to glance at Azam, who was very quiet.
There was an intense expression on his face, and she saw that he was shaking as well.
She felt there was something she was missing, something obvious.
He clenched his jaw, looking away from her.
She wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth, no words came.
Sonya followed Kiri upstairs, and at the top of the steps, she remembered the reason she had gone out in the first place. She pulled the vanilla extract from her pocket. ‘I’m sorry,’ Sonya said, showing Kiri. ‘I went because I was supposed to be quicker, and instead I caused all this trouble.’
Kiri tsked, leading Sonya to her room. ‘Don’t be silly,’ she said, hand gentle on Sonya’s back. ‘We’re all just glad you’re okay.’
Still, guilt needled through her as she thought of Azam’s clenched jaw. ‘I’m sorry for worrying you all.’
Kiri waved a hand. ‘You worry when you love someone, and you never have to apologize for love, dearest.’ She gave Sonya a smile, taking the vanilla extract. ‘Now get changed and then come down. I’ll boil water for tea.’
Sonya did as she was told, changing into dry clothes. Her feet were still cold, so she pulled out a pair of thick wool socks Azam had given her. They were his but he’d told her they had shrunk from too many washes, and while they were still a little big on her, they were very warm.
When she went down, she was glad to see the mood was significantly less tense.
After a few warming cups of tea, Kiri and Caden worked on the refreshments for the opening while Sonya pulled dinner together and Azam went back to his samples, taking Dania with him.
They regrouped for dinner, eating seared salmon—Caden had brought fresh fish—along with asparagus, snap peas and roasted radishes.
‘I’ve never had roasted radishes before,’ Sonya said, taking a bite. They were usually so sharp when they were raw, but this way they were juicy and soft, and that opened an entire debate as to which was the best way to enjoy radishes.
After dinner, Caden went home and Sonya stayed up with Kiri, cleaning up the dishes and setting things out for the following day. By the time she made it to bed, she was exhausted and very ready to sleep.
Except that, alone, she felt the fear creep up again, as if she was lost in the rain once more. She clutched her blankets around her tight, trying to sleep.
Until she heard a creak at the door.
Sonya opened her eyes to find Dania had popped her head around the door.
She was holding her stuffed bunny. ‘Dania? Is everything alright?’ Sonya asked.
Dania entered the room, closing the door halfway behind her before climbing onto Sonya’s bed.
Sonya made room, lifting the blanket, and Dania slid in.
Her feet were warm as she pressed them against Sonya’s knees. They faced each other, sharing a pillow.
‘Are you going to sleep with me tonight?’ Sonya whispered. Dania nodded. ‘And Mr. Bunny, too?’
‘Mr. Bunny was scared when you got lost,’ Dania said. Sonya’s heart all but melted.
‘I am very lucky to have you both keep me company,’ Sonya said, putting an arm over Dania and her bunny. Dania nestled closer.
‘I’ve never had a sister before,’ Dania whispered.
‘Me neither,’ Sonya whispered back.
‘Can we be sisters, Baji?’
Sonya smiled, elation spreading through her. ‘Yes, but only if you give me lots of hugs and kisses.’
Dania giggled. ‘That’s easy!’
‘Alright, then. We’ll be sisters.’
In the morning, Sonya woke to a soft knocking on her door.
‘Sonya, have you seen Dania?’ Azam asked. ‘She isn’t in her room.’
Sonya opened her eyes. The door was half closed, but Azam wasn’t looking in. Dania was already wide awake, and at her brother’s voice, she smiled, then hid under the blanket.
‘Oh!’ Sonya replied, voice theatrical. ‘I don’t know where she could be!’
‘Can I come in?’ Azam asked.
Dania giggled under the covers.
‘Yes,’ Sonya replied, sitting up. Azam entered. He was already dressed, as if he had been up for some time. He looked confused, then spotted the lump in her bed. Realization dawned on him.
‘Ah.’ The worried expression on his face shifted into something unreadable as his gaze went to Sonya’s bare shoulder, where the nightdress had slipped. Heat poured through her.
His face went blank as if he’d lost his train of thought. She pulled the sleeve up over her shoulder, and he cleared his throat.
‘Sonya, what is Mr. Bunny doing in your bed?’ he asked in mock surprise.
‘Um …’ Sonya trailed off, trying to keep up the charade, but Dania’s muffled laughter filled the air.
‘And why is your blanket giggling?’ Azam asked, coming closer. Then he pulled the blanket down, revealing Dania. She shrieked. ‘You found me!’
‘Did you sleep with Sonya?’ he asked. Dania nodded. ‘We shouldn’t bother her.’
Sonya frowned. ‘She’s not a bother.’
‘Yeah,’ Dania replied, sticking her tongue out at Azam.
He held his hands up in defense. ‘Alright, alright. Come on, let’s wash up.’ He held his hands out, and Dania rose to her feet on the bed. Azam picked her up, and Sonya watched them go, hugging her knees to her chest.
Before he left, Azam looked over his shoulder. He flashed her a private smile, and her pulse quickened.
She fell back onto her pillow, clutching both hands over her heart.
There was no time for swooning. Today was the big day!