Julia stepped back inside her house, closing and locking the door behind her. The aged, wooden barrier hung at a slant in its warped frame. It didn't do much to keep out the chill of the early Autumn air, and the lock was a useless lump of iron. She still locked the door whenever possible, but the truth was that no one would be stopped by such a cheap lock. And even then, the door would break well before the lock did. Two or three good kicks, and there would be nothing separating them from the outside world. It was almost a miracle that they hadn't been robbed yet.

  Not that they had much worth taking.

  As soon as the door clicked shut, a pair of youthful voices could be heard from somewhere in the house. A pattering of feet echoed as two bright, smiling faces appeared out of nowhere, wrapping the woman in a tight embrace. Julia laughed heartily as the young children hugged her tight. She nearly lost her balance but managed to catch herself at the last moment, saving her from dropping the groceries she had just purchased.

  "Mom! Guess what," the younger of the two children exclaimed excitedly. "I think I saw a fairy today. Just like the ones in your stories. I didn't get to see for very long because he flew away really fast but I'm sure that's what it was."

  "A fairy? In the middle of the day?" Julia asked in a tone of voice that suggested she didn't quite believe her daughter.

  The girl's shoulders slumped, and her bottom lip came up in a pout as she realized her mother didn't take her seriously. "Maybe it was. It was really beautiful," Talia mumbled.

  Todd took the opportunity to proclaim his intellectual superiority over his younger sister. "I told you, Talia! It was just a huge bug. Fairies don't live near human cities. They live in the forests. Duh."

  "You don't know everything, Todd," his sister complained.

  The two were interrupted as Julia ruffled the hair of her children. "Now, now, you two. No fighting. Now, where did this potential fairy sighting happen? You two didn't leave the house, did you? After I specifically made it clear not to leave while I was away." Her face grew stern.

  The two young children shook their heads frantically.

  "No!" Talia cried. "I saw it through the window! It flew by right outside!"

  "I saw it too," Todd added, eager to add to the conversation.

  Julia sighed in relief, the tension leaving her body. "Good. Now, we have guests coming over tonight. Come help me in the kitchen."

  She pulled the kids along without waiting for a reply, setting her bag down on the kitchen counter. Julia pulled the food out, sorting through her spoils. She set aside the expensive mystery meat and organized the various vegetables into different piles. She picked out a few samples from each, wrapping the rest back up to store for later.

  "Bring me the stew pot," she ordered the nearest child. A moment later, the pot was on the stove and another command sent the 'volunteer' labor force to fetch some firewood from the stockpile. Soon, the hearth was lit, and the pot was filled with water and vegetables. No salts or spices, unfortunately.

  "Mom, when is Dad gonna come home?" Todd asked as he stirred the stew pot with a ladle.

  "Soon," Julia replied. She glanced out the window. It was already approaching late afternoon, and her guests would be arriving soon enough. "He should be home within the next few hours, dear." She hoped so, anyway. But he'd been working himself half to death these past weeks.

  She berated herself. It was her fault that he was being forced to work so late. If she had just held her tongue, maybe the kids would have just a bit more food on the table. But she couldn't change the past. She could only try to move ahead. Why was it so hard to keep down steady work?

  "Momma, is dinner almost ready?" Talia asked. "I'm hungry!"

  "It will be ready soon," Julia assured her daughter. "Why don't you help your brother stir the stew while we wait?"

  "Mom! The meat!" Todd exclaimed. The boy was pointing at the fire, where the chunks of meat she had been cooking had begun to burn. Julia rushed over and pulled the meat off the fire, swearing under her breath, and quickly flipped the charred lumps over. Luckily, the meat was only slightly charred.

  Then little Talia tried repeating the swear word a few minutes later. Julia was reminded of an old lesson in self-control; damn her stupid tongue. She sighed and gave the little girl a mild scolding.

  There was a knock at the door. The stew was not quite ready, but it was close enough. The smell of the cooking meat and broth permeated the small home, and the kids were more than tired of helping in the kitchen by this point. Julia had mercy on the two young ones and sent them off to play until it was time to eat.

  Julia set her spoon aside and wiped her hands on her apron. She moved to open the door. It opened with a squeak, revealing Lucia and her daughter, Meribelle, standing outside. Julia grinned widely at her friend.

  "Come in, come in!" she said, ushering them inside. "It's been some time, Lucy! We've missed having you around."

  Lucia smiled back, though the gesture didn't reach her eyes. The woman looked like she was trying to be happy, but her eyes were dull and her smile seemed forced. "Thank you, Julia. I'm sorry I haven't been around more. I've had a lot on my plate. I hope you'll forgive me."

  Julia's smile softened and she leaned in to give Lucia a tight, reassuring hug. "Don't worry about that, Lucy. I know how hard things have been for you. I just wish there was something more I could do."

  Lucia shook her head. "Nonsense. You've done more than I could ask for, Julia. I can't thank you enough."

  She nodded and released Lucia from the hug. She quickly turned her attention to Meribelle, her smile growing into a beaming ray of sunshine. "And look at you!" she exclaimed, picking up the young girl and spinning her around in the air. "You've grown so much!"

  Meribelle giggled and squirmed in her arms, delighted to be receiving so much attention. Julia set her down and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before releasing her. "My, my. How old are you now, dear?" Julia asked.

  "Almost six," Meribelle replied, holding up six fingers proudly.

  "My, so big already!" Julia exclaimed.

  "I can say all the numbers between one and one hundred!" she said. "Want to hear me count them all?"

  "Oh, you don't have to do that," Julia said, waving her hand. "You should go play with the other kids. We'll call you for supper soon, okay, dear?"

  Meribelle nodded and ran off to find Todd and Talia. The two women watched her go, sharing a knowing look.

  "How is she?" Julia asked.

  Lucia sighed. "She's doing better. Much better. She's almost back to her usual self. Thank goodness. It was... rough... But she's getting there. She's a strong girl, and the doctor said she'll recover with minimal sequela. She's already improved tremendously. I can't tell you how grateful I am for Alexa's help. She's been a huge boon to us. Especially after..." The woman choked, her eyes watering. "Sorry. This last month has been hard. I'm still struggling to accept it."

  Julia gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, not saying anything. Just being there for her friend. They stood like that for a moment, neither saying a word. Relcter's loss hit them like a brick, and it was a loss that they would feel for many years to come. Julia had known Relcter, and he had joined them for meals many times in the past, but she ultimately didn't know him all that well. A part of her regretted not getting to know him better while he was still here. He was a good man, she was sure of that.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Come, have a seat while I finish up," Julia replied, gesturing towards the living room. "I'll get the stew on the table soon. It's not much for flavor, but it should fill you up nicely."

  Lucia nodded, wiping her eyes as she followed her friend into the living room. Lucia sat down on the worn and stained couch, while Julia quickly finished up their meal. It didn't take long before Julia was calling everyone into the dining area, the table already set with empty bowls, a pot of steaming-hot stew, and some stale bread and cheese for each of them. She filled the bowls with a large wooden ladle before passing them around to the figures.

  The sun had already set by now, and still, Steven hadn't returned. Julia's brow furrowed with concern, but she tried to hide it behind a forced smile. This wasn't the first time he had worked so late. She could only hope he wasn't pushing himself too hard. The man was stubborn and headstrong. She admired him for it, pushing himself to his limits for his family, but she still wished he was home to share dinner with them.

  Hopefully, that would change, soon.

  Lucia was still a bit despondent, so Julia started up the conversation as the five of them ate. "Oh, kids," she clapped and forced some cheer into her tone. "I forgot to mention, but I'm going to have an interview for a new job tomorrow."

  "Interview? Wha...?" Todd tilted his head to the side, not familiar with the word. Talia was also looking up from her meal, confusion written across her face. The two kids were just old enough to know their mother had been struggling to find a job for the last several months, and Julia's lack of success had been a source of stress for her and their father. The parents never let it show, but her children weren't dumb.

  Julia smiled. "That means I might be able to work again soon and get some more food on the table." If I'm lucky, she thought. This wouldn't be the first interview I've been turned away from. But she had a good feeling about this one. Even if it did look... questionable. "And Daddy can come home sooner and spend time with you."

  She knew full well that getting everyone's hopes up so soon was probably a mistake. But she couldn't help herself. She felt giddy with anticipation. The haggard mother had sent out dozens and dozens of applications to various jobs over the past weeks with little to show for it.

  This most recent job was just another name on the ever-growing list. She wrote in more for the sake of blind hope than with any actual expectation of receiving a reply. So imagine her shock when not even half a day later, a messenger was at her door handing her a time and address for a full interview. The short message, despite being mostly pleasantries and the such, somehow seemed to scream urgency and desperation.

  She glanced over to Lucia and Meribelle, "You'll be staying with them while mommy is working, okay?"

  Lucia smiled and nodded her thanks. This arrangement was as much for her benefit as it was for Julia. The kids needed a babysitter, while Lucia and Meribelle needed a distraction. Their home had felt far too empty as of late. The two mothers had discussed this already, and Lucia was already aware of Julia's goals.

  The kids didn't seem to mind the idea. They were used to spending time at the other mother's house and had come to consider the woman a sort of aunt, even though they weren't actually related.

  "Where do you work?" Meribelle asked, curious.

  "I don't have the job yet, kiddo." She smiled. "I'm just asking for permission from a powerful man to work in the north side of the city."

  "Powerful? Like an adventurer?!" Meribelle asked excitedly, not noticing the wince on her mother's face.

  "Not an adventurer, no. But he has a lot of money, and works with people who are adventurers." She explained, not wanting to get into the specifics. She didn't want to give her kids the wrong impression about the type of work she might be doing. "But he needs a lot of servants, so I might get lucky."

  "I hope you get the job. I've seen the job posting floating around for a few weeks now and no one's claimed it yet, so I imagine the employer might be getting pretty desperate at this point," Lucia teased lightly. "But in all seriousness, you're a good worker, and I think you have a decent shot at it. I'm rooting for you."

  "Thank you, Lucy. I hope I do too. The pay seems really good. Oh, by the way, you mentioned you've spoken to Alexa recently, correct? How is she holding up? I haven't heard from her." Julia realized her mistake as the words were already leaving her mouth.

  The other woman's cheer slipped, remembering. "She's been distant. The funeral was a... trying experience for all of us. She blames herself for his death. I don't know what happened, and she won't speak a word of it. Even when she helped with Meribelle, it was... cold. I don't know where she got the money, but she's been drinking herself into a coma near-daily. I've tried to speak with her, but I couldn't get through." She sighed. "She tried to give us a lot of money. A truly unreasonable amount. I refused. I just couldn't accept that much. Alexa hasn't spoken a word since then."

  "Alexa..." Julia muttered sadly, staring down at her half-eaten bowl of stew.

  Lucia's hands clenched into fists. "Relcter is gone. And I don't blame Alexa. I can't. I just wish I knew what happened. I know Alexa is hurting. But I miss my husband, too. Meribelle misses her father. I can't accept Alexa blaming herself for this. I know how the three of them saw each other. They were practically siblings, each willing to lay down their lives for the others. And I just know Relcter died doing exactly that. He saved her life, and she's just trying to drown herself in ale anyway." Her voice continued to rise as she spoke, transitioning into a barely contained scream by the end.

  "Lucy, please-" Julia tried to reach out, but Lucia couldn't hear her. She was spiraling, lost to the world as she continued to visibly shake with her growing fury.

  "Relcter gave his life to save hers, and she's throwing it away like the ungrateful bitch she is! She's disrespecting his sacrifice! He wouldn't have wanted this! What right does she have to blame herself for this? How dare she!" Lucia was screaming now. "How dare she blame herself instead of them. The real fucking monsters. The damn bugs!"

  "Lucy!" Julia screamed.

  Lucia paused, finally coming back to herself. Her eyes watered and she gave Julia a helpless look, like someone whose life had lost all meaning and direction.

  Her tone was softer and her voice cracked. "That bastard... Why did he always have to play the hero..." Tears fell from her eyes as she sobbed. "If only he hadn't gone on that stupid mission!" She wiped her face messily. "If only he'd come back sooner. If only he'd just gotten a normal job like the rest of us. Then maybe..." She blew her nose on her sleeve, too lost in her sorrow to care.

  It was only when she looked up, did Lucia saw Julia holding a sobbing Meribelle in her lap, her face buried in Julia's dress. Julia was gently stroking her head, muttering reassurances. Todd and Talia had been sent out of the room, their bowls left unfinished.

  Lucia felt like she was stabbed in the heart, her face falling as she rushed over to comfort her own daughter. "Oh, no. Sweetie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

  Meribelle didn't look up. She didn't reply, her body shaking as she cried.

  "Meribelle... Please don't cry."

  The girl eventually looked up, her cheeks stained with tears. "Mommy, why are you being mean to Daddy?" she asked through choking sobs.

  "Sweetie, no, no, no. I'm sorry," Lucia said, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. "Mommy's sorry, baby. It's not his fault. Mommy is just very angry at some very mean bugs." She kept her fists balled tight. "Very mean bugs that hurt Daddy."

  The girl continued to cry into her mother's chest, her sobs shaking her small frame. Julia stood up, giving the two a long moment, alone.

  Instead, she stayed in the kids' room for some time, playing with them while the other two calmed down.

  When Julia returned, Meribelle was asleep in her mother's arms, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Lucia was staring blankly into the distance, lost in thought. Julia sat down beside them and pulled her friend into a hug. They stayed that way until it was late into the night. Eventually, Lucia roused herself and left. The woman seemed to be in a better mood after venting, but it was a shallow calmness. That rage was still there, simmering beneath the surface.

  It was only long after the other two had left, and her own kids were tucked into bed, that Julia finally found herself alone in the kitchen. She was cleaning up after dinner. What was left of the stew was already put away, and the dishes were already cleaned. She was just staring out the kitchen window, lost in her thoughts when she heard the front door open.

  Steven stumbled in, his clothes were dirty and covered in grime and sweat. Julia greeted him with a warm smile. "Hey. Welcome home, honey," she said, walking over and giving him a warm embrace. "How was your day?"

  He returned her embrace, kissing her on the forehead before releasing her. "Tiring," he answered simply. His eyes had bags under them, and the man looked exhausted. He barely lifted his arms and it was clear he was beyond sore. But the tired expression quickly gave way to a smile as he looked into her worried eyes. "I missed you," he added, giving her another, more passionate kiss.

  "I missed you too, love," Julia replied, giving his arm a squeeze. She was careful to not grab too hard. He was bruised all over. "I have a bath prepared. Should be still warm. Would you care to join me?" She gave him one of those looks.

  "Sounds wonderful," he sighed.

  He was too tired for anything more than a simple bath, but he still enjoyed his time with Julia. And the woman enjoyed showing her affection in return. The two scrubbed each other clean and enjoyed a long and relaxing soak in the bath together. It was a welcome relief for both of them. When they were done, they dried themselves off, dressed in fresh clothes, and retired to bed.

  The entire time, Julia promised herself over and over she wouldn't let him keep overworking himself like this. She would pull her weight, no matter what kind of work she needed to do. And she had a feeling that her interview tomorrow wasn't going to be for a simple caretaker position.