Shady

“That’s nice of him! What sorts of gifts?”

(Praise google) “Ohhh arthritis.” Ky nodded. “That can be very painful I hear. No wonder he’s grumpy.”

Ky squinted, trying to untangle what that meant. It took her a very long moment. “… Alzheimer's?” (Wow I’m illiterate that took me so long xD ‘there is a z ...

“Why’s that?”

“Whoa!” Ky said, forcing more enthusiasm into her voice than she felt. A lot more. “I’m excited to meet more and more.” Gods. She was going to have to meet ...

“I didn’t know any better.” Ky smiled a little. “I didn’t have any siblings either. Or a Mama. Or any aunts or uncles other than Zander. It’s so new to ...

She smiled a bit at that, endeared. “I’m glad you’re my cousin, too. I never had one before you guys.”

Her stomach lurched but she returned the tight embrace. “I can’t make promises because I can’t see the future. But I promise we will do everything possible to make it ...

“We have to wait to find out… but it’ll be okay.” She opened her arms in an invited hug to comfort him, feeling like a fake bitch.

Ky hesitated. Then decided she wasn’t going to answer that one at all. Let their parents influence their opinions however they like.

“Yeah, he let me sit by his fire, but he couldn’t come to ours. He’s not allowed to accept hospitality.”

“He ate Builder’s goat because he was very, very hungry. And now he’s been hungry for six hundred years! All alone. Just in the woods by himself. He’s very lonely.”

“That’s up to your parents,” she reminded him. “Not my decision or yours.”

Ky nodded, smiling a bit. “He can. His grammar isn’t perfect but you can understand what he means.”

“Like the stories say. He’s huge.” She stood up and gestured. “This tall. And huge horns on top. He’s got a goat head and feet but mostly man otherwise.”