Lucia briskly walked on her way home. She would have stayed longer but she left Hansel alone, and she had already been gone longer than she would've liked. It had been almost two hours. She left him plenty to be entertained with. He knew the rules and the neighbors knew to keep watch to make sure he didn't wander. Even with the extra help he wasn't nearly as well-behaved as the Hex sisters. The boy could create chaos in seconds.
The Hex sisters had left an impression on her she wouldn't soon forget. At only the ages of nine and seven, they were nearly running errands. Katherine told her the two needed to stay together, but a hair twirl was enough to ward away any dangers. Lucia sighed. Sadly hunger and disease were dangers to the marked and unmarked alike, their hair could do nothing about that.
Despite being abandoned by men and gods alike the Hexes knew the importance of family. The way Grizelda cried and shot out of the covers to her sister's aid as soon as she heard her mother's voice was painful to watch. She hadn't even noticed the treats Lucia had donated despite her malnourishment. This wasn't including the stories she heard from Katherine on the way home and the shock after seeing their living conditions. She couldn't grasp the concept. How could the rejected black sheep who never received love be a striking example of it? They knew a determined and selfless type of love that was forged past the fires of hardships and trials. They knew what mattered, and since they had nothing, their family was everything.
Though beautiful at first, there was something about that concept that seemed eerie. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. When she met Adiscordia, the girl was in a traumatic situation. She would not give her body the rest she needed until she found her sister. Such sacrificial love had to come at a cost.
She closed her eyes tightly before giving a few heavy blinks. A deep breath brought her back to the present. She was grateful to have helped them, but now it was time to worry about her own family. She knew nothing about the curse other than horror stories. This wasn't her world, nor her place to intrude in.
The flimsy dark brown panels of her roof came into view sooner than she thought they would. She smiled. This morning she had hated how the rain constantly crept through the cracks. It often made its way inside with the night chills. After seeing a ripped moldy canvas tent as shelter she felt grateful for the cabin she lived in. Now the sun seemed to gleam against the door. A bird chirped within the forest at her right. She had never noticed the serenity of it before. There was no place like home.
"Hansel!" She expected the boy to peek out the window, but the shutters remained closed. "I'm home!" No one but the birds answered her call. That set her running. She hardly noticed the uneven soil until it was too late. Her foot hit a sharp bump on the ground and she lost her balance. She let out a yelp as she spread her hands in front of her and braced for impact.
She had expected to feel dirt but instead, she felt something lightly buried beneath. She shook away a pile of dirt to reveal a wooden handle. She furrowed her brows and squinted. She recognized that handle.
He had buried her broomstick. She only used it sparingly to punish the boy when he had gone too far but he feared it like no other. What on earth did he do to think that she would use it to hit his rear end again?
Lucia dropped the handle back on the ground and rose to unlock the door. Her fingers fumbled with the key from her pocket, jamming it into the door before throwing it open. She knew she shouldn't have left him alone! She should have been angry that he had done something that he thought was worthy of the broom penalty, but no, she was worried out of her mind. He tended to be a danger to others, and often himself.
The living room was clean and it was eerily quiet. She looked behind her at the path, double-checking for bootprints. She shook her head. If he had tried to escape somehow the neighbors would have noticed. "Are you home?" His room was the next place she searched, but it was empty. She bit her lip. Where was he? She hadn't meant to come home this late. Merilda would be here soon for her order and she was still in her emerald dress searching for her son. She bent to look under his bed, one of his more common hiding spaces, but it was bare.
She slowly rose as she retraced her thoughts. He wouldn't-
Lucia raced down the hall. She was sure to leave Merilda's truffles high above Hansel's reach. Even she had trouble reaching them from their spot, having to stretch on the tips of her toes to reach them. She raced to the kitchen. It shouldn't have been a crime scene. He couldn't reach them. She removed everything that could be used as a stool of some sort. Even a toddler could figure out it wasn't worth trying.
She froze at the doorway. She felt her arms go limp at the scene. She didn't know what to make of it. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. She wasn't surprised that the truffles were gone. No.
She was stunned by the storage bin that now had a hole in it. It was bent and on top of it lay the ripped beige curtains that were now barely hanging from a broken rod.
She was surprised by the counter door lying on the floor.
She was shocked that her baking supplies had spilled from the now uncovered cabinet. Even her hanging shelf had crashed down. The results were a floor coated in sugar, flour, and splatters of jam. The vase that had been on the shelf had crashed to the ground, its ceramic pieces now sticky with the jam-flour mixture.
Her eyes searched around the room frantically for any sign of injury. She held her breath. She shouldn't have left him alone. This was a horrible place for a child to be in. The storage bin was heavy, what if it fell on him? The glass and ceramic could cut him too easily. What if he slipped on the jam? Her eyes darted around the room. "Honey if you're here please say something. I don't have my broomstick."
She closed her eyes tightly and took a shaky breath. She prayed that the boy was safe. The problem was he tended to hide when he was in trouble, often close to the mess he made. This was no place for a game of hide and seek. She took another deep breath and looked around the room again, this time more carefully. No matter how slow she forced her breath to be, she couldn't rid herself of the quick heart rate brought by an onslaught of horrible possibilities.
She was relieved to find no droplets of blood on the floor, but there was one thing that caught her eye.
Lucia leaned forward to study a clump of flour. It looked like a trail that had been messily swept away. If that boy was making her panic only because he refused to come out, he really would have it. She followed the path to one of the closed base cabinets. "I am going to count to three. You have three seconds to come out. If after three, I find that you were hiding here I will get the broom that someone seemed to bury in the front. One..."
She couldn't stand idle for another moment. She opened the cabinet but it was empty. "Two." She prayed that the boy would emerge from somewhere unharmed. If he ran away to the forest to hide he could have gotten lost. He had never done it before and likely knew he'd only dig a greater hole for himself if he did, but there was a first time to everything. "Three."
"Here!" A cupboard door on the opposite side of the room shot open. His head peeked out to see her. She almost caught a glimpse of regret in his eyes but he looked away and avoided her sight. She felt heat spread through her body. He couldn't have come out the first time? "I don't want the broom." His plump lips pouted in protest.
She felt her jaw tighten and took a moment to be still. This was not the time to start raising her voice, especially not when she was partly to blame. Finally, she sighed. "Are you hurt?" The boy shook his head gently, though she knew by the strain on his face that it was a lie. She tried to scan for any injury but he quickly shifted to leave his confines. Her finger shot up in the air. "Don't" she warned. He huffed slightly before reeling himself back into the cupboard. She immediately understood his injury. He curled up into a ball with his feet to the roof of the cabinet, and his elbows folded over his neck. His spine lay bent against the floor holding his weight in position, along with his head that she hardly saw. She wasn't sure when he had stuffed himself in there, but it didn't look comfortable in the least. "It isn't safe. Let me clean up a bit first."
"My back hurts." He complained as she stood up.
She didn't doubt it, but she was more than grateful he suffered no injury from the mess around him itself. She wished she could soothe his pain, but he brought this on himself entirely. "It's not safe to come out yet and the pain is your own doing. You knew few well you're too grown to fit in there. If you got yourself into that tiny cabinet and hid this long, you can hide a little more."
She hurried back outside. She also had to come up with an excuse to give to Merilda. She was one of her most common customers. She gave a large portion of the income her family needed. She was grateful that Hansel was so young. The dirt had hastily been thrown a top of the broom, making it easy to pull out. Perfect. She shook away the dust and turned to head back home when she heard steps. It was too soon. No. Please not now- She dived into the house and reached for her keys but it was too late.
"Lucia!" Merilda beamed. "Blanche is so excited to try your truffles for her 7th birthday. The guests are looking forward to it. It is the perfect..."
She had to clean the kitchen before Hansel hurt himself. She had no idea how he crumpled himself in that cabinet but she felt nearly felt sorry for him. She forced a friendly smile but Merilda droned on and on. Was this really necessary?
"Please forgive me." She interrupted. "I have a slight emergency inside." She hurried back up the steps, but Merilda didn't budge.
"I don't mean to intrude, it's only that the guests are coming shortly. If you could only retrieve the order I'll head straight out."
Lucia closed her eyes tightly now facing the hall. Her fingertips were on the door, and though she didn't blame Merilda she had to stop herself from shutting the door. Please, just this once, she hoped her son had some self-control. It was too soon for a lie or excuse, especially when she had already been paid. "I'm so so sorry Merilda, the emergency I'm facing is in the kitchen. It isn't safe for me to retrieve them at the moment. Could you give me an hour to settle things? I will personally deliver the truffles to your door."
Merilda stood straight up, Her lips parted slightly. "Of course! I didn't realize it was such a bad situation. Do you need help?"
"Oh- Thank you my dearest!" Lucia closed her eyes and made sure to curl her lips. "but, I think you should be there to welcome your guests and make use of the extra time. I assure you I'll be okay and there within the hour."
"Of course. I'll see you within the hour."
She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until she locked the door and rushed to the kitchen. Why did she make that promise? She had panicked, but what else was she supposed to say? At the very least Merilda could stall her guests to give her more time.
"That was Merilda outside." Lucia whipped the broom with speed and skill, trying to start by pushing the mess to the edges to make a path. "Please tell me you didn't make this mess to get to the chocolate."
Hansel didn't answer.
"And don't you dare lie to me."
He slowly peeked out to look at her again. His right hand gripped the top of the counter as he leaned out without touching the ground. His shoulders rose and he licked his lips before he clicked his tongue to grab her attention. He smiled guiltily. The smears in between his teeth told her all she had to know.
As disappointed and angry as she was in him, she couldn't help but almost be impressed with his success. It was either her determination or Lorenzo's stubbornness, maybe it was a mix of both. He had been stubborn and disobedient, but at least he was dedicated. She only wished he could use that determination for things that mattered. The oak color of the floor began to show as large clumps of flour made their way to the sides.
"You said if I came out before three you wouldn't punish me." He reminded.
She scowled at him before guiding her focus back to the floor. First of all, you came out after I said three. Second, you know that is not what I said, I said I wouldn't use the broom. Third, I don't punish you, I discipline you. Now I've made a path, could you go to the well in the back and get some water? I know it's heavy you don't have to fill it all the way."
The boy gave a quick nod as he shifted free from the small space. He stretched, a crack coming from his back and shoulders before he disappeared. She grumbled under her breath. He'd likely make more of a mess that she'd have to clean later, but she decided to have him mop. He needed to get accustomed to cleaning after his mistakes.
When he returned he was shakily holding the full bucket that threatened to spill. She took it from him and placed it on the floor. "Good, now could you get the soap and mix it in?" She pointed to a cabinet on the right. "I've cleaned the area but even so watch your step."
"Yes ma'am."
Lucia took another look around the room. This was going to take longer than she thought. The bigger pieces of glass were swept away to the side, but between the jam and flour small crystal pieces remained stuck to the ground. She crossed her arms. She couldn't have him help her clean this. She'd need to hand wash the cracks of the ground first and she still needed to meet Merilda within the hour. "Stop."
Hansel stopped and turned to look at her. He pressed and pulled his shoe off the ground slowly for it to make a loud squelch noise. "We're going to leave it dirty?"
She glared at his criticism. "For now, we don't have time to rebake the order. We have to find some truffles thin the hour."
"We can't just make your truffles reappear."
Hansel was always hard to read. His face and tone were void of emotion. His words were honest to a fault, something he likely picked up from his father. Even after raising him, she found it hard to decipher his regular speaking and deliberate attitude. Only his distinct inflated pupils with tilted eyelids over his doll-like eyes clued her in on his guilt. The tiny details were what kept her rational but she hoped he knew the stress she felt.
She tapped her foot quickly. In two hours this would be over. After she found the truffles and cleaned the kitchen, she could throw herself on the bed and read a book with no disturbances. She pressed her lips. There was only one solution she could think of, and she didn't like it.
She never wanted to take Hansel into the marketplace until she could go through without needing a disguise but now there wasn't much of a choice. "There is a way we can but let's get out of the kitchen first. I don't like you being in here." The two stepped out before she looked in the distance.
It wasn't fair. She covered her forehead with her hand. Why did the gods put her in this place? She needed to choose between her destiny and her family, neither of them could touch or intertwine. Every time she tried to bring balance or peace between them both it ended off worse than before. She already regretted her attempt this morning. If she hadn't tried to make amends with her old life, she would still have truffles to give to Merilda. More importantly, if she had stayed with her son now she wouldn't need to use him as a delivery boy toward the same people she swore could never meet him.
She looked down when Hansel tapped her shoulder. "Did I get you in trouble?"
For his sake, she dropped her bitter stance. She didn't have time to tell him everything. "The person who taught me how to make those truffles sells those same ones at the marketplace, but I'm going to need you to buy them."
He shrugged. "Fair, I made a mess and now I have to clean it up."
She put a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, the baker and I have a bad history. This is discipline but I can't go with you to the doorstep. They can be harsh. They are the reason your father has his struggles with the rich. I don-"
"Oh! They're the damned royalty rejects that kiss the gods' culs, right? I'm going to meet them?"
She closed her eyes and looked away to hide a giggle. It wasn't the boy's fault. She really wished Lorenzo's vocabulary could be a little less vulgar, at least in front of him. Then again, Hansel's words were tame compared to her husband's. How could a child be so excited about meeting people they insulted? "Yes, and I never want to hear you say that again. You hear me?" she raised her pointer finger. "Not even about Gotto and Milia."
Hansel snapped his fingers. "Yes them!" He then smirked before crossing his arms. "You want to laugh mamma."
Lucia felt her lips twitch and felt her stomach press in. She tensed her face into a serious position, fighting the urge. "Go, get your jacket."
"But it's hot outside!"
The hidden smile left her lips. She looked into his eyes. "This is serious. If they find out you are my son we will all be in trouble. I am a target, your father is a target, and I will not let them hurt you, do you understand? I will step in gods forbid it happen but I don't want them to see your clothes, your shoes, nothing. The Rhioninians often wear cloaks in these parts, foreign traders wear cloaks, and some use them as extra pockets. It won't be suspicious. " Hansel's smirk slowly faded. She didn't want to have to do this. "They wouldn't hurt a child, but they can come off loud and strong. Gotto especially lacks empathy. If they tell you to leave you run back to me immediately."
"I'll get the truffles and come back, if they say anything I'm gonna tell papa. They're going to regret it." He stomped off and went to grab his cloak.
"Hansel, we don't want to rile your father further." As a mother and wife, she couldn't condone the attitude and vulgarity her husband had. As Lucia, she hid an appreciative smile. She loved him so much, both of them. Lorenzo and Hansel were the first to make her feel worth fighting for. "I appreciate you trying to protect me but I need you on your best behavior."
"I'm always on my best behavior."
"I mean it." She frowned. "We don't want to draw more negative attention."
"Fine..." Her son groaned with his head low. She pulled his chin up but placed a hand on his cheek.
"How did you reach the chocolates?"
Hansel tugged at his shirt with a tight grip. "I took a look and made a plan. I stepped on the box and climbed the curtains, then I used the rope of the shelf to pull myself up to the rod and then the cupboard. I used the door to lean to the left and get them but when I came back down my plan didn't work as well."
Sometimes she wondered if Hansel saw possibilities like maps. "You make plans I wouldn't think of. You need to use that talent in the right way. How about you make a plan to get truffles from Gotto while being well behaved."
"Plans make stuff fun." He grinned. "I can get them to give me the truffles. I'll be such a good kid they'd be ashamed to know I was your son."
Lucia's grinned and patted his shoulder. "That's my boy!" She stood up and put on her cloak before throwing a shawl over it and taking his hand to head out. Guilt tore at her heart. It still didn't seem right. After her morning encounter, she felt like she was sending her child to a den of lions. "Come." She called before she opened the door.