funny. I mean, who else would get peed on? It would only happen to me.” I shrugged out of my jacket and shirt in the dressing room of a nearby shop. “Or I’d be the mother whose baby peed on someone famous.”
“Still very nice of you.” She passed me a shirt over the door.
“Not really. I could have been upset or laughed it off.” I opened the door and walked out. “There was nothing to do for it at that point.”
The rest of the day went smoothly. We ate in a local pub, which I loved. For the first time since arriving in the country I felt like I was experiencing the real culture. People spoke a mix of English and Lilarian, often in the same sentence. I liked how birds were a common thread. They were painted on signs and featured on wind chimes.
The pub owner came over to introduce himself but didn’t stay. Most people smiled in our direction and apparently the story of the peepee picture was already starting to circulate. One of the waitresses was related to the baby and brought us a basket of chips.
“Sally was so embarrassed, but she couldn’t get over how sweet you were.”
“I didn’t do anything special.” I shook my head.
Most of the people who came in would shoot me a look and then act like I wasn’t there. It was perfect. By the time we headed back to the house, I was tired but happy.
I worked with Stanley through the week to understand more about the running of a manor and found that it was as intimidating as I had thought it would be. Selene made a visit, but since my title hadn’t been officially reinstated, I couldn’t take on any of the local cases to present to parliament. I enjoyed her visit and found myself looking forward to working with her. She was a bright woman who loved her home.
Alex called every night and I found myself looking forward to his voice more each time. Despite the demands on his time, he never seemed frustrated or angry, even though I could hear how tired he was. He asked questions about the manor and how I was adjusting. When I told him about the baby incident he laughed so hard I thought he was going to snort.
“It’s not that funny!”
“Oh, that is priceless.” He chuckled. “And you thought the best thing to do would be to take another picture?”
“Yeah. I mean what else was there? Wave her off and leave her feeling horrible?” I shrugged my shoulders even though he couldn’t see me. “It was the first thing that popped into my mind. I was hoping it would make her laugh.”
“And has it shown up in the papers?”
“The local post contacted Chadwick and requested a copy. Apparently Sally, the mother, told them they needed my permission.” I laughed. “They were good sports about it.”
“That was right of her.” I could hear his voice growing thick.
“I think so.” I sighed. “Go to bed. You sound exhausted.”
“Sorry, today was incredibly long.”
“I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Good night.”
Later, after my shower, I plugged my phone in to charge and realized there was a text message from Alex.
Alex: Miss you.
I bit my lip for a second before responding.
ME: Miss you too.
By the time the weekend rolled around, I was itching to see him again. I had almost forgotten that Cathy was coming until she texted me Friday morning. Stanley and I were in the front yard discussing some of the fencing damaged by the last snowfall when she arrived. She was wearing jeans and boots, which was the first time I had seen her looking so relaxed.
She hopped out of the car with a package in her hands. Running straight to me, she threw her arms around my neck.
“Hey!” I hugged her back.
“You look good.” She pulled back to look at me. “I knew you’d feel better once you got out here.”
“I’m really starting to love it.” I took her inside and she handed me the package.
“Happy housewarming.”
“You didn’t need to get me anything.” I held it in my hands and examined the wrapping paper.
“Hush. You don’t go to a person’s new home without a gift!” She smiled at me. “Open it.”
I pulled the bow off and tore into the wrapping. Inside was a beautiful bird statue. I pulled it out and examined the detail. It was a merlin, small but fierce.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“It’s considered good luck. Most homes have a bird tucked somewhere. When I