Chapter 57
My mother's face turned grave when I said that, and she slowly nodded. She didn't say a word about that but cleared her throat and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Is that Toran's shirt?" she asked and turned her direction to the shirt in my hands while she changed the subject.
"Yes, Ma'am," I said and nodded in confirmation. "Do you need me to work on it, Mama?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
She hesitated before she gestured for me to follow her to the counter while she walked that way, and I did just that.
"Let's see what he had been up to first before I say something else, my child," she said, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl when she said, "my child," even though I was her child.
"Do not roll your eyes at me, Marini," she warned and looked at me with something in her eyes that I couldn't put my finger on but didn't like for some reason. "You are my child, are you not?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
I bit back a small sigh and slowly nodded, knowing full well where this conversation was going to go. "Yes, Ma'am," I said, bitterly. "I am your child."
"Then why shouldn't I call you "my child," Marini?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
I didn't say a word and shrugged, biting back a small grimace, and my mother smirked and dipped her head closer to her chest, amused.
"Hmph," she said, biting back a small chuckle. She gestured for me to place the stuff on the counter, and I did what I was told to do. "Did Maron get me something to use to eat the food?" she asked, and I nodded in confirmation.
"There is a fork in there, as well," I said and moved the food toward her and placed the shirt beside it. "Go ahead and eat it before we look at the shirt."
My mother shook her head and bit back a small sigh. "Let's get the shirt looked at so that you can go and then I will eat the dessert," she said. "You still have business to attend to, Marini."
I bit back a small chuckle and shook my head. "I don't have anything else to do, Mama," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet, growing serious. "I have something else going on later this evening so..." I shrugged and grimaced.
My mother frowned and pressed her lips into a thin line. She didn't say a word while she stared at me with something in her eyes, and I couldn't help but feel slightly nervous and unnerved.
Finally, she sighed and shook her head, pursing her lips in annoyance. "Just stay safe, Marini," she said softly. She grabbed the shirt from where I had placed and looked at me when I made a small noise, and amusement flashed through her eyes.
She cleared her throat to hide a chuckle and looked at the shirt instead.
"We are going to do this first, however, before I eat," she said and unfolded the shirt, and a look of shock and nervousness appeared on her face when she saw the claw marks on it, and I knew that she knew what caused them.
'Werewolf,' she mouthed silently, confirming my suspicions, before she quickly folded up the shirt, hiding the claw marks before she looked around with wide eyes and looked very nervous.
"Mama?" I asked and cocked my head while I furrowed my brows with a small frown on my face. My whole body was tense, and my heart started to pound faster and harder in my chest, my throat closing just a little. "What is it? What's wrong, Mama?"
"Who saw this, Marini?" she asked, not answering my question and stuffing it back into my arms. Her voice was hard and cold, and I couldn't help but hear a trace of fear in it. "Go ahead and put that back in your basket."
"Bu-"
"Now, Marini," she said, interrupting me with a raised hand, silencing me. She scowled and narrowed her eyes while she stared at me. "Who else saw it?"
I hesitated before I slowly nodded and did what I was told to do, bristling ever so slightly but also growing nervous because I had no idea why she was so worried. "Only Toran and I saw it, Mama," I said, hesitantly, my voice barely above a whisper. "And now you. Why?"
"No one else?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question, not answering my question. She tucked her head closer to her chest while she stared at me, silently warning me not to lie to her.
I shook my head no, staying silent and tucked it under something so that it wouldn't move or be seen if I were shoved or pushed down again.
I didn't say anything about Shilan seeing it, knowing full well that it wasn't safe for me to mention him, and I prayed that she would know he saw it too without me telling her that he saw it.
My mother cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. "What about the person who did this to you, Marini?" She gestured toward me, and I knew that she was talking about the person that had ripped up my skirt and hit me across the face. "Did they see?"
Again, I shook my head no. "I made sure that it was tucked under something so that they wouldn't be able to see it," I said. "Why? What happened? Wha-"
"Hush," my mother scolded, and I pressed my lips into a thin line. "There is no need for that many questions at once, Marini. I will get you some stuff to sew it with, but sew it where no one can see you. Is that understood?"
I furrowed my brows further together while I cocked my head and studied her. "Bu-"
"I asked if you understood," she said, interrupting me with a raised hand to silence me. "So, is that understood?"
I bristled slightly before I sighed in defeat and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am," I said solemnly. I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet while I looked around before I looked at her. "I understand."
My mother nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line.
She gestured for me to go ahead and sit down in the chair I had occupied beforehand while she started to go somewhere to get the stuff for me.
"I am also going to get you stuff to fix your skirt and apron, Marini," she said.
"Fix both things as soon as you can. Is that understood? "
I hesitated before I slowly nodded, pressing my lips into a thin line.
"Yes, Ma'am," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet, feeling very nervous and worried for some reason.
"Is it that bad?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, while I cocked my head and studied her back with furrowed brows.
My mother gestured for me to go sit again, and I held back a small eye roll while I did what I was told to do and sat down in the seat I had occupied before she rushed to my side to make sure that I was safe. She didn't say a word about it being bad or not, and I couldn't help but think the worse.
The Werewolf was someone "close" to us, and she was worried about them getting killed or worse...
My mother watched as I sat down before she nodded and then went to collect everything for me. Her whole body was tense while she left the front area, and I couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh while I started to play with the end of my braid with pursed lips.
Oh for the love of the Great... I silently grumbled while I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat. I am not a child that needs protecting from this stuff when I have been through too much already...
"Where do you want me to fix them, then?" I asked instead, not specifying which item she wanted me to fix in secret and not asking the same question again because I knew that she wasn't going to answer it.
"Somewhere in the house and not where you normally fix the shirts or whatever you take from my basket," she said, collecting what I will need and talking about me being in the secret room in the cellar.
She cleared her throat and there was a small pause of hesitation before she shook her head and cleared her throat again. "Do you have anything else that you will need to do today, Marini?" she asked.
I shook my head, no and bit back an annoyed sigh. "Not until later," I replied. "All of my other duties are done for today, and no one has reached out to me with other specific requests that need my attention."
"Good, then you can work on them first before you have to do your other plans," she said, and I bit back an annoyed sigh while I slowly nodded with pursed lips, knowing full well that I wouldn't be able to change her mind.
"Is there anything else that you would like me to fix while I am sewing up this stuff, Mama?" I asked while I furrowed my brows and cocked my head, pressing my lips into a thinner line. "Or is everything else just waiting on the right materials to get here before you can work on them?"
My mother bit back a small sigh and shook her head.
"I might take you up on that offer, Marini," she said, sounding very tired and drained, and I couldn't help but press my lips into a thin line and grow very worried about her because I did not like her sounding drained at all.
"But get what you need to finish done first before you worry about that. Is that understood?"
"I will," I promised with a nod before I moved a hand across my skirt and grew serious. "Did you want me to return it to Toran when I am done sewing it up today, Mama?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"If you have time to do so before everything else that you have to do today, then yes," she replied with a quick nod, even though I couldn't see her.
She cleared her throat and there was the sound of stuff being shuffled around while she grabbed what I would need.
"If not, then will you be able to do it tomorrow? When is he needing this done by?"
"I will be able to do it tomorrow," I promised with a quick nod before I bit back a small sigh.
"And he didn't give me a specific time that he wanted them done by," I replied and shook my head before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat.
"I believe he just wants it done whenever and then have one of us deliver it to him when it is done and fixed. "
My mother breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line.
"Good," she said before she made her way to me with everything that I was going to need as well as a few other shirts and pants that she wanted me to fix when I had the time.
"Then he will be pleased if you bring it to him tomorrow. "
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line while I stood and smoothed out my skirt and apron.
"He will be happy if I bring it to him in a month from now," I said and walked over to her so that I could grab a few items from her because it looked like she had a lot of stuff in her hands.
"Toran isn't that picky when he receives his items, thankfully.
" I bit back a small smile and shook my head, amused at the baker.
"As long as they are good as new and will last for a while, then he will be happy. "
My mother slowly nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line while she handed me a few of the items she had in her hands, mumbling her thanks.
"Do any of these have to be done sooner than others, Mama?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and she nodded in confirmation.
"The shirt and pants will have to be done by the end of the week," she replied softly. "The others are from regulars, and they want them done whenever."
I nodded and bit the inside of my lip while I furrowed my brows and cocked my head while I studied her. "Are they wanting them delivered?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Or are they going to come by the shop to pick them up?"
My mother shook her head and gestured for me to go toward my basket, and I did what I was told to do.
"They will come by and pick them up as soon as they are done.
" She followed me to my basket and helped me pack everything into it so that it would be safe and no one could get to it.
"If it is later in the day, then will you be able to deliver it to them?
I can give you the names of who they belong to. "
"I can and please do," I replied with another quick nod. "After that, I will go home and start getting them fixed before I have to leave again."
My mother nodded and started to walk over to her small desk where she kept her ledger that had who had what and when they were to pick it up.
"And make sure that Gavin is home with the other children, please," she said, turning her face toward me.
"That boy is going to get on my last nerves if he isn't."
I bit back a small chuckle and slowly nodded. "I will," I promised before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet, licking my lips. "I will make sure that they are home and safe before I get everything else done."
And then I will fix my bond with Shilan, I added silently, pressing my lips into a thin line because I hated that I was not able to hear his voice and longed to hear it again. Because it had been long enough not to hear his stupid voice in my head...
And nothing was going to ever break it again.
And I was going to keep that promise until the day that I died...