Darling - K. Ancrum Page 0,30

the table, and he was doing some sort of magic trick for Second, opening his hands and showing a coin, then blowing on the coin and pulling it out of Second’s ear. Then he clapped, making the coin disappear entirely. First had his chin in his hands. He glanced over at Wendy and Tinkerbelle reproachfully for making him wait to eat. Slightly, Nibs, and Curly were seated next to each other. Nibs looked less angry now, and more bored. Curly stirred his spoon in his soup, but like the rest of the table, he was waiting to eat. Prentis was sitting farthest away from Peter, near the empty spaces where Wendy and Tinkerbelle were clearly supposed to sit. He jumped up from his seat and pulled Wendy’s and Tinkerbelle’s chairs out for them as they approached.

“Thank you,” Wendy said softly.

Prentis smiled, blushing gently, and settled down into his own chair.

“Tootles!” Peter shouted. Wendy jumped. Tinkerbelle pressed her hand to Wendy’s leg under the table to settle her, but pointedly didn’t look at her.

The toilet flushed down the hall, and Tootles ran into the room, flinging himself into his chair. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

Everyone at the table bowed their heads, while Wendy watched suspiciously.

“We love our bread, we love our butter, but most of all, we love each other,” they recited in unison instead of saying a traditional grace. When they finished, everyone began eating, talking loudly, and passing the plates around.

“You should try the bread,” Prentis said. “Slightly is a great cook, but Curly is an amazing baker.” He passed the plate to Wendy to take the first piece. When she tore off a piece, steam erupted from inside the loaf and filled the room with a yeasty aroma that literally made Wendy’s mouth water. Tinkerbelle nudged the margarine over in Wendy’s direction.

Wendy picked up her knife and slathered the steaming bread with a smear and took a bite. It wasn’t in Wendy’s repertoire to be particularly hyperbolic, but in the moment immediately after biting it, she swore she could see God. She could also see Tinkerbelle out of the corner of her eye, grinning. Curly was also watching her hopefully as she chewed.

When Wendy finally swallowed, she pointed at Curly. “I forgive you, specifically, for the kidnapping.” She gratefully crammed more bread into her mouth.

Everyone at the table laughed. Curly pumped his fist in the air and went back to eating. The soup was amazing as well, Wendy noted. A thick, creamy broth with chunks of potatoes, carrots, onions, and corn; it was unexpectedly a little spicy, which elevated it immensely. It went well with the dry meat everyone was eating. She hadn’t expected to like that dish at all, but it matched the rustic flavors of the bread and the soup in a way that was really satisfying.

Slightly beamed as he watched her wolf everything down.

When everyone seemed like they were close to being finished, Peter stood up. “So, Tinkerbelle, Nibs, Curly, and I will be going out tonight and won’t be back until late. First, Second, Tootles, and Prentis: Slightly is in charge, as always.”

Slightly nodded. First put his head down on the table dramatically, so Second flicked him in the back of the neck and he sat back up.

“As you know,” Peter continued, “the pirates are swarming the streets tonight. It’s dangerous, and I’ll have no one leave the house while we’re gone. Is that clear?”

The boys nodded, but Curly raised his hand. “If … the pirates are out and it’s dangerous, am I allowed to stay home? Nibs and I have been talking, and—”

Peter cut him off. “The answer is no. And we’re meeting up with Omi and her team, so I figured you’d be excited.”

Curly immediately went pink and slouched deeper into his chair. Nibs smirked and elbowed him hard in the side.

“Quit it.” Curly lurched away from Nibs’s elbow and focused very hard on his soup.

“Some kind of team?” Wendy asked quietly.

Prentis leaned over. “Some more of Peter’s friends. They play football for Luther South High School.” He glanced over at Peter—who was still talking—and said much quieter, “Curly has a crush on one of them, but we haven’t been able to figure out who. There’s a girl on the team this year, so it could be her, but that situation is … complicated.”

Wendy looked over at Tinkerbelle for more explanation, but to her surprise, Tinkerbelle was also a bit pink and was keeping her eyes firmly on the table.

Wendy turned back to