said when he came back to the kitchen, “I’ve got no idea.”
Oz waved that away—the reason Mama had seen Lila’s delectable butt was because she’d found the broom and was determined to sweep—and said in a low voice, “I’m worried about Lila.”
“Don’t fret, I’m sure she’s covering her butt.”
“Hilarious. But that’s not what I meant.”
“I knew what you meant. And yes, you’re right to worry. Lila may yet cause complications. I believe she cares about Sally—she never smells aggressive or angry around her—but who can predict how she’ll deal with the rest of us, knowing what she knows? As she herself reminds us, we don’t know her terribly well.”
“I feel like I’m getting there, though.” Kind of. A little. Maybe?
“But even if her intentions are benign,” Annette continued, “she could unwittingly jeopardize any one of us.”
“Uh. Sure. All that stuff. Everything you just said, I’m worried about. Mostly. But she had a house fire, too. A bad one. And now she’s taken us in.”
“Us?”
“Shut up. You saw how she wouldn’t go into Mama’s house after the fire was out, right? This house has two fireplaces and they’re both spotless. She hasn’t stocked anything to make fires with, either. And it might be because she’s still unpacking, but I doubt it.”
Annette raised her eyebrows. “And?”
“I’m just worried. I don’t want to churn up bad memories.”
“Too late, I suspect.”
“And I noticed you left out how we could unwittingly endanger her. Whoever set the fire didn’t care if anyone, including Mama, got hurt,” he said. “Now she’s taken us in—”
“Again: us?”
“Again, shut your pie-maw. I’m saying she might have a target on her back now, just like Sally.”
“Fair point,” Annette admitted. “But you’re assuming whoever has done these things wants to hurt Sally. What if the opposite proves true?”
“Jesus.” Oz had a little trouble digesting that one. “Anyone who commits arson to ‘help’ an orphaned cub is not someone I want to hang around with.”
“Nor should Sally,” Mama added, coming back into the kitchen. “Or anyone.”
Annette opened her mouth to add something, then hesitated. That was so out of character, Oz immediately gave her his full attention. “What?”
“It’s a bit off topic. Mama…are you sure letting Caro and Dev make their own den is wise? I’m not talking about how they’re trying to avoid the consequences of teaching a child to circumvent the entirety of IPA’s phone network. But given Caro’s history…”
Given Caro’s history, she had an affinity for small, dark spaces. Given Caro’s history, after being kidnapped and kept in a cage for two years, she tended to think the roughest, most basic necessities—a roof, regular meals, clothing—were vast luxuries often out of her reach.
In short, given Caro’s history, she likely thought the shed was as good as a luxury suite at the Waldorf.
“I see why you’re concerned, m’girl. But I know you’ve also seen Caro’s progress in the last six months… Remember how long it took me to get her to stop sleeping in the basement? And if she prefers her own small dark den—or at least the illusion of one—maybe that’s not something we should try to take away from her just now. She sees her therapist every week, she’s an absolute darling when she’s not being an absolute pain, and as everyone in this room knows, it takes time to get back the equilibrium other people stole.”
Annette didn’t say anything, just inclined her head. She had a master’s in social development, but it wasn’t the first time she’d deferred to Mama’s judgement when it came to traumatized cubs.
“Besides, Caro knows someone set her new home on fire. If denning in a shed thirty feet back from this house makes her feel more in control, for now, we should leave her to it. Now hush, Sally’s coming back.”
“They’re sleeping,” the cub announced. “Really hard. They’re just izzossted.”
“Exhausted,” Annette corrected. “And my ass they are. Sorry, Mama.”
“No, ‘ass’ seems appropriate. Well, let them stay out a bit longer.” Mama found some Tupperware, then began ladling chili into it.
“You don’t have to do that,” Annette said. “You can just ladle it directly into my mouth.”
“No one wants to see that, dear,” Mama Mac said mildly. “Lila! I’ve got what you asked for!”
“Oh my God with the yelling,” Lila commented, fully dressed and walking past them with an armful of blankets. Impressive speed for a Stable. Her hair was still damp; Oz wanted to touch it, then rub his face in it.
Hmm, better not.
“Sally, grab the door for me, wouldja?”
“Okay, Lila!” The cub