Nat." Shay slid to a halt. "Sorry, I might be talking too fast."
Words were one of the few things that had never been a problem for Beth at all. She swallowed hard as their true meaning landed. There were six people downstairs and two right beside her trying their hardest to be exactly what she needed.
And for eight people who hardly knew her, they'd come up with some amazingly thoughtful ideas.
A gentle hand squeezed hers. Nat. Support - and a signal.
Beth looked at the girl sitting on the steps, waiting for an answer that hadn't come yet. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I need to think a minute before I give you a reply."
"That's okay." Shay set her chin on her cupped hands. "What were you thinking about?"
"About how you look smaller than the last time I saw you." Beth smiled. "And about how kind you seem."
Shay's smile spread all the way to her knees. "We're going to color a dragon."
Beth's hand slid to the small crystal in her pocket. "I think I'd really like that." She ignored the voice in her head listing off all the ways it could go wrong - eight people deserved that much, and more.
Walking into the room downstairs made putting the voice to rest easier. The quiet murmur of conversation continued as they entered. A couple of faces looked up in friendly welcome and then went back to their work. Soft yellow light cast the room in warm tones and quiet music played from somewhere overhead, sounding very much like something Liri would play in the shop.
Shay stretched out a hand and then jammed it back against her side. "Our table is over there in the corner."
Beth hadn't been born with a head that understood body language - but thirty years of practice helped with a lot of things. She reached out gently for the fist hidden in the folds of Shay's glittery skirt and wrapped the small warm fingers in hers. "I don't mind being touched by friends."
It felt like all the room smiled in return.
-o0o-
Ah, it was so very lovely when a plan came together. Moira looked up from her job coloring a dragon's tail red and took in the melodies of the room.
The conversation was soft, and little souls in particular were making an enormous effort to be gentle with their noise. But periodic giggles floated up into the air and contentment was on wide display, even with the volume turned down low.
"I think you're done that part, Aunt Moira." Mia's eyes twinkled, clearly amused by forgetful elders. "We just have to do the spiny things now. And the eyes." She squinted at the head of their dragon. "Are you sure the eyes should be purple?"
"Absolutely." Moira pointed a finger at the instruction sheet, written out in glittery pink crayon. "It says right here to make sure we use our very favorite colors."
"You have a lot of favorite colors." Mia giggled, looking at the rainbow wings and bright green dragon toenails.
It was no fun being seventy-four years old if you couldn't be at least a little silly every day. "You're sure you don't want to add a little brown or maybe some lovely mossy green?"
The look she got in return said someone wasn't all that far from embracing her teenage years. Moira chuckled - she enjoyed the liveliness of the young ones hitting puberty, even if it made their parents a little crazy.
A second blonde head appeared over Mia's shoulder. Shay - quiet, thoughtful, and extremely proud of herself.
And so she should be. Moira pulled her in for a quick hug. "That was very well done, sweetheart. You have a special talent for taking very good care of people's hearts."
"Especially quiet people." Mia handed her sister a bright blue crayon. "You're like Auntie Nat." That was the highest of praise - all of her nieces adored their yogini aunt.
Shay's eyes shone starlight bright. "I was thinking maybe one of you might want to go take a turn at our table."
It was an idea Moira wished she'd thought of herself. "Our Beth is ready for a little variety, is she?"
Shay took the question very seriously. "I think so."
Moira looked at her young coloring partner. "Would you like to go?