Karl bobbed his head like a guilty child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Yes, yes, yes. I know! Sorry Jules! I won’t!" he squeaked, clutching the pin like it might save his life.
Julian raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. He stepped closer — close enough that Karl had to tilt his chin back to keep eye contact. The smell of soap and faint tea lingered around Julian, calm but with that deep steadiness that always made Karl’s heart beat a little too fast.
"Brother Karl," Julian said low, voice quiet but heavy, "If you broke something, or touched something you shouldn’t have... you better tell wife yourself. Or I will."
Karl’s cheeks puffed out, his lips trembling. He sniffed dramatically, clutching the pin to his chest like a kitten. "I’m not a bad husband! I didn’t break anything! I promise promise promise!" he squeaked, his wide blue eyes glistening like he’d cry at any second.
Julian’s gaze softened just a fraction that was the problem with Karl. He could never stay mad when Karl’s face crumpled up like that. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. But no more sneaking. Understood?"
Karl nodded so hard his bangs flopped over his eyes. "Yes yes yes! Understood! Sorry sorry sorry! I’ll be good!"
Julian gave him a flat look but then reached out, brushing Karl’s hair off his forehead, thumb lingering against his warm skin. "Go check on Milo. And stay out of trouble."
"Yes!" Karl squeaked, spinning on his heel like a caught rabbit and dashing down the hall. He didn’t stop until he barreled into Milo’s room, almost tripping over Milo’s slippers.
Milo peeked up from under his blanket, blinking sleepily. "Brother Karl? Why are you so red? Did you run?"
Karl flopped onto the bed dramatically, still clutching the pin. He buried his face in Milo’s soft blanket, muffling his words. "I’m so innocent Milo... so, so innocent... wife will never know!"
Milo just blinked again, too sleepy to understand, and patted Karl’s head like a tired kitten.
Ruby felt like her bones would break if she so much as took another step. She closed the front door behind her with a dull click, the last streaks of dusk rain splashing against the old wooden frame. Her hands felt like they were trembling but she was too numb to check.
Today had been long — longer than any day in weeks. It wasn’t just the meetings, the paperwork, the unfinished designs stacked in a messy corner of her desk. No, it was the way the day ended: standing in a dim, damp village house she’d never been to before, looking at the tear-streaked faces of a family that had just lost someone they loved. One of her youngest workers gone because of a sudden illness. She’d felt their sorrow pressing into her chest like a stone. She’d handed them the support money with both hands, but no money could fix the hole death left behind.
When she stepped inside her home now, the warm, familiar smell of old wood barely reached her. Her head throbbed in a dull, steady pulse. The only thing she wanted.. more than a hot bath, more than dinner was to crawl into her bed, pull the blanket over her head, and sleep for a hundred years. Maybe I should really take a week off, she thought, pinching the bridge of her nose. Just one week... before I break.
She slipped off her shoes and set down her bag with a tired thud.
Adrian had just come home too. He stood by the wall, arms hanging stiffly at his sides, his dark robe still damp at the shoulders. His hair stuck to his forehead, and his eyes normally so cold and deep looked like the storm outside had found its way in. Shadows clung to his face.
Ruby paused by the entryway, her own exhaustion pushed aside for a moment by the tug in her chest. "Adrian?" she asked, voice gentle but firm. "What’s wrong with you?"
At the sound of her voice, Adrian’s head jerked up. For a second, he looked like he might snap at her, that same stubborn wall he always hid behind. But then, in a single blink, his eyes went red and wet.
"Ruby...." he choked out, his voice sounded rough, cracking like an old door hinge. Then he stepped forward and buried his face in the curve of her neck. His arms wrapped around her waist so tight that Ruby had to take half a step back to steady herself.
She felt his whole body trembling as he held her like a drowning man clinging to driftwood. "I... I’m fired from my job," he breathed out. The words slipped into her skin like cold water. "I’m fired..."
Ruby’s arms circled him instantly. She felt the way his breath hitched in his throat, the way his shoulders tensed under her hands. She pressed her palm against his back and patted gently, like she might soothe the darkness out of him one soft stroke at a time. "It’s okay..." she whispered against his ear. "I’m here. It’s okay, Adrian. Let it out."
A sound at the hallway startled them both. Julian was standing near the kitchen door, a dish towel still draped over his shoulder, eyes wide with shock. His mossy gaze darted from Ruby to Adrian, and he stiffened, confusion and worry flickering across his face. "Brother Adi?" Julian asked, stepping closer. "What... what happened?"
Adrian pulled back just enough to turn toward Julian, his eyes rimmed red. Ruby gently shifted her hand to his shoulder, grounding him. Adrian’s jaw worked soundlessly for a moment before the words spilled out like a bitter taste he couldn’t hold back. "They fired me... they fired me because of all the leave I took. They said I wasn’t reliable."
Julian’s eyes widened further. "Brother... you only took leave because because of Mi—"
At the mention of Milo’s name, a small gasp came from behind them. Milo had been peeking from the living room doorway, Karl was right behind him, peeking over Milo’s shoulder.
To be continued... 🪄