2. Anevae

When I returned to the living room, Eiri was still sitting on the couch, but our parents were gone. Eiri barely glanced up from her phone to let me know they had gone outside to get some fresh air and that we could meet them outside when we were ready.

Her attention on her screen made me realize I hadn't checked my phone all day. I pulled it out and scrolled through my notifications. There wasn't anything that couldn't wait until later or the next day.

"You ready?" I asked, shoving my phone back into my pocket.

Eiri nodded and stood to follow me outside. Pushing the key fob, I unlocked my SUV so she could get in, then started it with the click of another button before turning to lock the door to my cabin. When I was done, I climbed into the front seat of my SUV and put the car in drive. My parents followed in the moving truck as we drove to the main road.

"How's the job search going?" I asked.

Before the move, Eiri was an assistant editor for a small publishing company in our hometown. She began working there right after she graduated from college three years earlier.

"I mean, it's going about as well as it can, I guess. Thankfully, Tim, the editor I worked under, was kind enough to contact some of his colleagues to help me find a new job. He secured six interviews for me in the next few weeks. Six! Can you believe it? That's so many! And, like, four of them are work-from-home jobs!"

I smiled at her enthusiasm. "That was very nice of him. He was always such a great guy. Where are the two local positions? Are they both in Havenridge, or would you have to travel to Fawnhaven?"

She began twirling a piece of her hair. "One is in Havenridge, but you know it's such a small town. The other is in Fawnhaven. I don't really want to drive that far, but I'm going to the interview to show my appreciation for Tim's help."

"You said there were four remote positions, too, right? Are you excited about those? I'm sure it would be nice to work from home."

"I'd love to work from home, but you know how I am. I'd probably go crazy if I couldn't talk to someone else constantly, Vay! I'd end up bugging you all the time! Speaking of, how the hell can you even contemplate being out there all by yourself? All that surrounds you in that cabin is nature and the one potential neighbor you have."

Pulling up to the stop light leading into town, I looked at her. "Just because you like people and interacting with them doesn't mean everyone does. I love the idea of being able to work from home. Plus, I'll just get to bug you more often since you're the only person I know who lives nearby." Sticking my tongue out, I returned my gaze to the road.

"Well, I'm glad I can be of some service to someone while I'm out of a job. I'm really not looking forward to organizing and unpacking," Eiri grumbled.

I laughed loudly as we pulled into the diner's parking lot. "Well, that sure sucks for you. I told you that you should've downsized. You have a lot of stuff to go through."

When I parked, we waited in silence for our parents to arrive. Eiri pulled out her cell phone, and I watched the traffic go by until I saw the moving truck pull into the lot. Poppa pulled the rental truck to the end, far from the other vehicles.

Minnie's was a small, family-run joint that seemed bustling on a weeknight. Upon walking into the quaint entryway, the fragrant aroma of coffee and the clanking of dishes invaded my senses. A few steps inside the door, a hostess was stationed at a wooden podium.

"Welcome! How many in your party?" the hostess asked, her cheery voice loud enough to cut through the diner"s noise. I raised my hand to display the number four. It seemed more favorable than yelling over the noise. She grabbed our menus before smiling and saying, "Right this way."

She led us through what felt like half the diner and then gestured to a booth that comfortably sat the four of us. Eiri and I slid into one side while Poppa and Momma occupied the other. The hostess pointed out the two different a la carte menus—one with their specials of the day and the other listing their wide variety of milkshakes.

When we were settled, I reached for the milkshake menu. I couldn't wait to try one of the many flavors they offered. Eiri apparently had the same idea as I did; our hands clashed as we both reached for the menu. We laughed and placed the menu between us so we could both read it.

After a few minutes, our waitress approached the table and greeted us, "Good evening, folks! My name is Betty! I'll be your waitress this evening. Can I get y'all started with something to drink? Coffee? Water? One of our many delicious milkshakes?"

She started with Momma and ended with Poppa, jotting everything down before nodding and asking, "Do y'all need a few more minutes with the menus?" When we all nodded, she told us she'd be back with our drinks in a few minutes and could take our orders then.

Poppa quickly decided what he wanted. Then, he yawned as he ran his large hand down his face, relaxing into the booth. There were bags under his eyes, and he looked exhausted.

"Lily, what are your plans over the next few days? Do you plan to settle in a little bit? Or do you need to get right to work with your experiments?" he asked, his voice tired.

"My experiments don't need to be started yet, thankfully. I need some time to explore the area. You can only learn so much from researching on the internet. I need to see the land for myself; I want to observe the wildlife that inhabits the forest, the level of humidity in the air, and the components of the soil in the gardens. It's an incredible place that I want to become familiar with before jeopardizing my experiments."

He nodded, then let out a short sigh. "Please be careful in those woods. You don't know what lurks out of sight. Promise me that you will be extra cautious of your surroundings while you're out there."

"I'll be fine. I'll make sure to carry my bear mace with me while I walk, and I won't go too far at first," I said, attempting to appease him without making a full promise. To my parents, a promise was an unbreakable oath that someone should never turn their back on. I planned to be vigilant in the woods, but I wasn't sure what was out there yet and didn't want to promise without being sure I wouldn't break it somehow.

Poppa leaned toward me, his eyes darkening with anger. "Anevae, I mean it. Promise me you will be careful."

I leaned back from the table and pressed into the seat. Embarrassment coursed through me, but I still met his gaze. "I'm sorry, Poppa. I promise to be careful."

He pushed himself back with force, stepped out of the booth, and stormed off toward the front of the diner. I lowered my gaze to my hands, tightly clenched in my lap, as a tear rolled down my cheek.

Momma reached across the table in an attempt to calm me. "My Lily, Poppa just wants what's best for you. He also just wants you to be aware of your surroundings. He's right that we don't know what lurks in the woods around your new home," Momma said in a soothing voice as Eiri placed a hand on mine to show her support.

I took an unsteady breath, and my voice cracked as I said, "I know. I don't know what's out there either, and I will be as careful as possible."

We sat there in silence until Betty approached with our drinks. As she sat them down, she said, "Uh-oh. Looks like we're missing a person. Do y'all wanna wait until he gets back?"

We all nodded again, but Momma responded, "Yes, please. Thank you very much. I'm so sorry for making you wait."

"Not a problem! I'll be back in a few," Betty said, flashing a bright smile.

When Poppa returned to the table a short while later, he looked me directly in the eyes and grasped one of my hands that I had replaced on the table. "I'm sorry, Anevae. I'm concerned about leaving you in those woods alone. There can be dangerous creatures just out of sight. I won't be around to protect you any longer. You'll be too far away for me to come to save you in an instant as I've done in the past," he explained just loud enough for me to hear. "You'll always be my little girl, and I'll always be concerned about you no matter what happens. I love you and just want what's best for you."

"I understand, but I'm not a little girl anymore. I have a lot more training and experience now, and I'm always cautious when exploring.

"Besides, you can't protect me from everything, no matter how much you want to. I'm a big girl and need to make my own mistakes. I will always call you if something goes wrong and I need your help, but I am capable of taking care of myself," I said, attempting to reassure him.

Betty's timing was impeccable. She returned right at that second to take our orders. Poppa released my hand as Betty collected our orders, retrieved our menus, and headed to the kitchen.

Thankfully, the rest of the dinner was uneventful. After eating, Eiri and I took turns discussing our plans for the next few days until the bill came. As much as I loved my family and knew I'd miss them, I couldn't wait to have a moment to myself again following Poppa's outburst.

I paid the bill, and then we strolled back to the dark, dimly lit parking lot, where we exchanged tearful goodbyes. After several hugs and well wishes, my family continued toward the moving truck while I turned in the opposite direction to head back to my SUV. I willed myself not to cry as I dug my keys out of my jacket pocket to unlock the car. Once I got in, I took a deep breath and broke down. Poppa seemed to have a harder time controlling his anger as Eiri and I got older, but he'd always been protective of us.