"Drew?"

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew returned to the dining hall and found some leftover roast beef and a plate of kummelweck rolls. He reheated the food with a cantrip, but as soon as he finished preparing the meal, he lost his appetite. Staring at the food, he didn't notice the four women who ran the orphanage approaching. Miriam had retreated to her familiar pocket. She had tried to lift Andrew's spirits but realized it was futile and decided to give him space instead.

 

Bernadeta cleared her throat, "Can we talk?"

 

Andrew gestured towards the bench on the opposite side of the table where he sat, but remained silent. He picked up a french fry and twirled it briefly between his fingers before letting it drop onto his plate.

 

Annukka remained standing while the other three took their seats. Positioned at the end of the table, Annukka began, "Rita filled me in on the situation. I wasn't aware that the Pauper's field reused graves and cremated most of the bodies." She shook her head pensively. "It's peculiar that they go through the motions of a ceremonial burial, yet it does make sense. With the city's long history, it would have run out of space ages ago if they buried every single person who died."

 

Andrew shrugged, "How'd they take it?"

 

Rita drew in a deep breath before speaking, her tone heavy. "Maja was in tears, her brother tried to console her. He was angry, cursing your name until I pulled him aside and explained that his mother was the one behind the fire. That she was willing to return and finish what she started." She paused, rubbing the back of her neck. "At first, he denied it, but as he spoke, it became clear that she had been growing increasingly unstable, resorting to violence more often when the kids made mistakes." Another pause, her expression troubled. "I believe he'll come to accept the truth of the situation, eventually."

 

Andrew nodded slowly while staring at the french fry.

 

"You just gonna sit there and mope?" Bernadetta asked matter-of-factly.

 

"That was the plan."

 

Johanna pushed her glasses up her nose, "This isn't your fault."

 

Andrew glanced up with a snort, "Oh, it isn't? I shot my mouth off because I was thinking I had a noble quest to fulfill, but it turns out..." He picked up the fry, holding it between two fingers. "It was just me blabbering away making promises I couldn't keep." He let the fry fall back onto his plate. "What it boils down to is, I got those kids excited only to crush their hopes. That's on me."

 

Rita snorted, "You never lied. You told them it might not work. You tried. You just failed. There was no way this was going to end well from the beginning."

 

Andrew's fists clenched in frustration. "But it NEVER ends well," he exclaimed. Looking up, he continued, "For one fleeting moment, I dared to hope, to believe that I could truly make a difference. That this time, things would be better. I thought I could take on the villain, reunite the children with their parents, and send them off into a happily ever after." He rubbed his forehead wearily. "Except the villain was their mother, the father had given up on life's struggles, and all I accomplished was giving false hope to those kids, only to snatch it away."

 

Rita reached over to pat Andrew on the shoulder, "You tried when most wouldn't have bothered."

 

Andrew replied with a derisive snort, "So? The outcome is the same. I just..." He shoved his plate away and rubbed his face, "I just wanted a WIN. I really... really need a WIN. I just..." He tapped himself on the chest over his heart a few times, "I'm trying here. I'm really trying and I can't..." his shoulders sagged in defeat, "Win."

 

An awkward silence fell over the table.

 

 

 

"She locked us in."

 

 

 

All eyes turned towards Haakon as he stood in the open double doorway to the foyer. He cleared his throat before speaking again. "Mom... she came in that night, kissed us both, and said we were going to a better place in the morning, so we needed to sleep well." His expression was one of deep distress. "She gave us medicine, but I thought it tasted awful, so I only pretended to take it and spit it out when she wasn't looking."

 

He approached slowly, his steps deliberate. "Maja took the medicine, and when the fire broke out, she didn't wake up. I heard screams and waited for Mom or Dad to rush in, but as the flames started coming around the door, I grabbed my sister and went out of the window. I wondered why she didn't wake until morning."

 

Andrew blinked as he opened and closed his mouth several times, eventually he managed to find his voice, "I am at a complete loss for words."

 

Haakon approached, his movements heavy with emotion. "I thought... it was my fault," he confessed. "I believed I'd left the fire burning in the living room. I was convinced that somehow, it started there because I forgot to put it out before going to bed. That's what I thought caused the fire." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Deep down, I think I knew it was Mom, but I couldn't... accept it. Blaming myself was easier."

 

Rita smiled sadly in Haakon's direction, "None of this was your fault."

 

Haakon's fists clenched and unclenched incessantly, his actions betraying a maturity far beyond his ten years. It was as if you were witnessing a child rapidly aging before your eyes, the weight of understanding forcibly eroding his innocence. He turned to Rita with a remorseful expression. "I'm sorry I shouted at you. I just... I didn't want to accept what you said." Then, he shifted his gaze to Andrew. "And thank you."

 

Andrew was taken off guard, "For... what? Telling you that your mom was a murderer?"

 

He shook his head solemnly. "No, thank you for uncovering the truth." Taking a seat beside Andrew, Haakon continued, "I would have believed that for the rest of my life if it weren't for you. So... thank you for trying." His gaze shifted to the others gathered around. "I suppose it's right that we ended up here."

 

Rita nodded and smiled at the boy, "We're glad you made it here as well." She turned to Andrew, "Maybe you were supposed to show up here, after all."

 

Annukka hit Andrew in the shoulder rather hard, "So. You gonna stay?"

 

Andrew blinked and straightened up, "Huh?"

 

Rita glanced at the others, then at Andrew, "We talked about it. How you were discussing this place wasn't sponsored by a church. We assume you were thinking of being that church."

 

"Uhhh..." Andrew turned his head to give everyone a sideways glance, "I thought you guys didn't trust priests."

 

Annukka snorted, "We don't." She hit him in the shoulder again as she smirked, "Yer a sage. That's entirely different."

 

Bernadeta grumbled under her breath, "It'd be a relief to cut down on the food expenses." She pointed an accusatory finger at Andrew. "But it'd be even better if you could provide fresh, raw ingredients and let me handle the cooking." Gesturing towards the scattered leftovers, she continued, "I don't know what your usual diet was, but there are far too many pastries and greasy dishes here." Folding her arms across her chest, she added, "That's not a healthy diet for children."

 

Rita nodded, "And don't make so much next time. I never thought I'd say this, but this is way too much food. A lot of it is already going stale. You were right about it going bad quickly."

 

Andrew blinked then went silent, staring at the table in front of him.

 

Johanna stared at Andrew then abruptly blurted out, "You're afraid. Why?"

 

Looking up in surprise, Andrew was initially about to protest, but he halted himself. Instead, he paused to ponder her words. "I... suppose I am," he admitted. "I'm afraid of making mistakes... If I'm being completely honest with myself... I'm afraid of being let down by others. I..." He rubbed his face in frustration. "Damn it. If you're willing to tolerate me and provide a space for me to create a proper altar, I'd like to give it a try."

 

Annukka snorted, "That's what convinced me that Rita was right and we should have you stick around."

 

"Huh? What exactly?"

 

Annukka directed her finger at Andrew. "I've never witnessed a priest so torn up before. The fact that you genuinely worry about making mistakes isn't common." she remarked. "I don't trust overly cocky and self-assured men. You can never discern their true intentions." She reached out, grasping his shoulder firmly. "You allow things to get to you. That's how I know you genuinely care."

 

Rita smiled at Andrew, "After all, we're friends, right?"

 

Andrew looked stunned, then slowly a grin grew on his face, "Uh... yeah." He started to bob his head as the smile grew, "Yeah! We're friends."

 

He glanced around at everyone, taking in the scene and for the first time, in a long time, he felt like he might belong somewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We are definitely friends."