in the wee hours.
“What is it?”
“Is there a way I could maybe borrow a few coins? There are some things I need to do today.”
He jerked his head back, and my stomach dropped. Was this another thing people didn’t do here? Ugh. Talk about awkward.
“You know, forget it. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Why would you have to ask to borrow coins? You’ve been earning coin. I’ve been wondering why you haven’t asked for a payout yet.” He walked to the coin box. “Do you want it all or a partial?” He was waiting for me to answer with a bag in his hand.
“All, please?” I didn’t know what I was being paid, but I couldn’t imagine it was much. If this was going to be the best day of Rabbit’s life, I’d need every coin I could get.
He handed me a sack of coins that felt heavier than I’d expected. I didn’t know the coin system here. Maybe the cheap coins were heavier than the good coins? That could be a problem. A single cocoa was not going to make this the best day of anyone’s life, ever.
I weighed the bag a few times before asking, “Can I afford a cocoa with what’s in here? I wanted to take Rabbit out and treat her to a nice day.”
“I set the wage. You can do a whole lot more than a cocoa,” he said, smiling. Then he laughed.
“Thanks.”
“If you need more, tell them to charge it to the office. If you come back by six, I’ll have a little surprise set up for her, you know, to say goodbye.”
“We’ll be back.”
I grabbed a tea and brought it up to Rabbit’s room, where she was just opening her eyes.
I put the tea down on the stand beside her. “You need to do your hair and get dressed. I’m taking you out today.”
“You are?”
“I am. We’re going to get cocoa, then breakfast, then we’re going to go eat somewhere fancy.”
“We are?” she asked, her voice growing louder.
“Yes, now get up and let’s go.”
I’d hated the restaurant Hawk had taken me to, but Rabbit would be in love. And if I had a coin left over after all of that, I was taking her shopping for a new outfit so she felt pretty on her trip to Salem, even if it did only consist of a puddle jump.
This was going to be a good day if I had any control over it.
I’d had to do a little charging to the office, but Rabbit looked amazing in new clothes from head to toe when we walked into the office at six. Hawk, Musso, Zab, and even Belinda were all there waiting with a cake in the back room.
There were jokes about who was going to follow Musso around, keeping him organized after she was gone. Who’d overdose Zab on caffeine during the day so he’d be awake for his dates later on that night. Even Belinda was trying to be pleasant, if quiet.
There was a lot of laughter, and I faked a good share of it, not feeling any joy as I did. Rabbit was leaving, and not because she wanted to. She left or she died. She’d be going back to my life, without me. I’d be staying in her world, where I didn’t belong. We were celebrating to lighten the situation and say goodbye, but this wasn’t an occasion full of joy for anyone.
It was only an hour or so in when Rabbit sat on the couch, her laughter fading, her skin pale.
Belinda left first without saying much.
Musso nodded. “Good luck, kid! I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon.”
Rabbit nodded, but everyone in the room knew it was a lie. She’d never be back. She couldn’t.
“I’ll miss your teas,” Zab said. He didn’t drag it out because he looked like he was going to cry himself. Then he was gone, his eyes watering as he passed me.
Rabbit leaned an elbow on the arm of the couch, propping her head up, and I knew it was my turn to take the lead.
Hawk was watching from the other side of the room. His head dropped a notch, as if he knew exactly how much this was costing me, and his cold, hard heart might’ve actually melted a little.
“Are you ready, or do you want to hang out for a while longer?” I asked. At least she’d have the illusion of some control over her fate, even if it was a lie.
She sucked in her lower