The diminutive, old woman pulled her moss-green, crocheted cardigan a bit tighter around her shoulders. “Quite chilly, isn’t it?”

  How does she keep coming inside without me noticing? “Sorry we’re closed,” Logan said curtly, “or are you looking for Ever?”

  “I’m not looking for Ever,” G said, barely glancing at the owner of the store. “I’m here for her.”

  “Me?” Taylor said, pointing at herself before recovering quickly. “Oh yeah, we were going out for a girls' night, weren’t we?”

  “Damn right, we were.” G crossed her arms, jutting her chin out.

  Taylor swept back into the serving area, grabbed her stuff in the back room then swept back out past her uncle. “Shall we?”

  G smirked indulgently at a perplexed Logan. “We shall.”

  —--

  “It was G, right?” Taylor asked.

  “It was,” G said. Taylor had to walk a little slower for her, but she didn’t mind. She zipped up her jacket as a gale collided and fractured around her.

  “Aren’t you cold?”

  G waited until the wind blew past before speaking. “I’m used to it.”

  "Did you really come for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Why don’t we go inside somewhere, out of the cold first?” G suggested. Taylor followed her gaze towards a warmly lit cafe set across the road.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  The two of them hustled over, Taylor staying half a pace ahead, making sure that G wasn’t far behind. The two of them ordered hot chocolates and sat at a small table against a wall further in.

  “Thank you for not dumping all that dirty water on the plant before.”

  Taylor's cheeks burned. “You were outside?”

  The older woman gave the slightest of nods and Taylor winced. Gotta change the topic.

  “Did you come to look for Ever earlier?”

  "I came for some sorbet in the summer and we’ve become friends since.”

  The hot chocolates came. G looked up at the waiter, mouthing ‘thank you’, before hugging her hands around the mug.

  “So why did you come to find me?” Taylor asked.

  “I didn’t,” Gaia said, having a sip. “I was in the area and happened to walk by. Saw that you looked distressed and came in to rescue you.”

  “I…” Taylor’s natural instinct was to reject the notion of being weak. This time, she rammed it back down. “Thank you.”

  “Your uncle is a bit of a brute, isn’t he?”

  “He can be such an asshole.” Taylor took a deep draught of her hot chocolate, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Something was welling up deep inside her. Before she knew it, the dam had been breached. “It’s just that…”

  She cracked open her heart, its violent magenta contents spilling out all over for this virtual stranger to see. Her uncle, her upbringing, not having any parents… they just kept pouring out. It was any wonder how they all fit in there in the first place. She even mentioned Ever being the apprentice to Death, how he could become invisible and reap souls. By the time she was done, they were the last customers in the cafe.

  "Feeling better?” G said.

  “I do,” Taylor said. It was true: it was lighter than she’d felt in ages. “You don’t think I’m crazy with the Ever being a reaper stuff?”

  She shook her head. “I know you’re not.” She drained the rest of her hot chocolate. “Anyway, I best be off.”

  “Allow me to pay,” Taylor said, opening her purse.

  “Why thank you,” G said. “That’s very kind.”

  The old woman leaned in; Taylor found herself mirroring her. “It’s good to let go of things.” Taylor didn’t hear G’s voice; she felt it, deep in her bones. “You don’t want them weighing you down when your time is up on this world.”