Crumb
Saturday morning arrived with sunshine, blue skies, and one very nervous teenager.
Marina stood outside Shelter One wearing her newest blue hoodie.
She looked toward the parking lot.
"...All of them?"
Reeves looked over.
"What?"
"They're all coming?"
He followed her gaze.
Three SUVs.
Bella was already climbing out of the first one.
Katie was carrying a clipboard.
Lin had coffee.
Emma was nearly vibrating with excitement.
Elana waved both arms.
Brakka leaned comfortably against another vehicle.
Loretta had a camera hanging around her neck.
Nadia stepped out last, sunglasses already on.
Reeves smiled.
"I think..."
"...the shopping trip became an event."
Bella hurried over first.
"There she is!"
Before Marina could react...
Hug.
A proper Bella hug.
Warm.
Bright.
Joyful.
"There."
Bella smiled.
"Now the shopping trip can officially begin."
Marina laughed.
"Do you hug everyone?"
Bella looked genuinely confused.
"...Yes?"
Greg nodded from beside the driver's seat.
"She absolutely does."
Katie unfolded her clipboard.
"Okay."
"I have a list."
Bella peeked over her shoulder.
"Ooo!"
"A list!"
Katie gently moved the clipboard away.
"You are not helping."
"I help emotionally."
"You spend emotionally."
Bella nodded proudly.
"I do."
Their first stop was one of the larger clothing stores in Lexington.
Marina stopped just inside the entrance.
There were...
Choices.
Rows.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
She had never seen so many clothes in one place.
Bella quietly stood beside her.
"Too much?"
Marina nodded.
"A little."
Bella smiled.
"Then we'll go slowly."
"No rush."
They started simply.
Jeans.
T-shirts.
Comfortable clothes.
Underwear.
Socks.
The basics.
Katie quietly kept track of sizes while Loretta made notes for future shopping.
Emma mostly carried bags.
She seemed to enjoy carrying bags.
Then Marina wandered toward another section.
Bright colors.
Deep reds.
Brilliant blues.
Sunset oranges.
Leaf greens.
Patterns that looked almost painted.
She picked up one flowing shirt.
Bella smiled.
"Interesting."
Marina looked thoughtful.
"I like these."
"They're..."
She searched for the word.
"Happy."
Brakka nodded.
"Orc designs."
Marina looked surprised.
"Really?"
Brakka smiled proudly.
"We like color."
"Life is hard enough."
"Our clothes don't have to be."
Marina laughed.
"I think..."
"...I really like orc fashion."
Brakka crossed her arms.
"I knew you had good taste."
A little later...
Another rack caught Marina's eye.
Elegant.
Dark.
Flowing dresses.
Simple.
Graceful.
Long sleeves.
Beautiful lines.
She gently touched one.
Winter happened to walk into the store carrying coffee for everyone.
Marina looked from the dress...
...to Winter.
"...Now I understand."
Winter blinked.
"Understand what?"
"Why these are beautiful."
She smiled shyly.
"You make them look..."
"...peaceful."
Winter actually blushed.
"Thank you."
Bella whispered to Katie,
"She broke Winter."
Katie smiled.
"I've never seen that before."
Marina selected two of the dresses.
Not because they were fashionable.
Because...
They reminded her of Winter.
Calm.
Elegant.
Gentle.
Elana wandered over carrying another armful of clothes.
"My wife!"
She hugged Winter.
Then Marina.
Then Bella.
Then accidentally hugged a startled mannequin before realizing her mistake.
Everyone laughed.
Brakka covered her face.
"I am not explaining that to the manager."
Emma wandered into the shoe department.
"Marina."
"Come."
"You need feet armor."
Marina blinked.
"...Feet armor?"
Emma proudly held up a pair of steel-toe work boots.
"For the Quarry."
"They're heavy."
"They'll protect your toes."
Reeves immediately approved.
"Those."
By lunchtime...
The pile had grown.
Steel-toe work boots.
Hiking boots.
Comfortable tennis shoes.
Soft house slippers.
Several everyday outfits.
Two elegant dresses.
Three brightly colored orc-style shirts.
A lightweight rain jacket.
A couple more hoodies.
Bella picked up a heavy winter coat.
Marina gently shook her head.
"No."
Bella tilted her head.
"No?"
"I'll probably change before winter."
She shrugged.
"I don't want you spending money on something I may not fit into."
The entire group became quiet.
Katie smiled.
"That's actually very sensible."
Bella reluctantly put it back.
"Okay."
"We'll buy it later if we need it."
The cosmetics department came next.
Bella's eyes sparkled.
"Ooo..."
Marina immediately took one step backward.
"No."
Bella laughed.
"Not even a little?"
"No."
"Why?"
Marina thought for a moment.
"I want people to see..."
"...me."
"Not makeup."
Bella smiled softly.
"That's a perfectly good answer."
She put everything back.
Then picked up four different hairbrushes.
"These..."
"...however..."
Marina laughed.
"Those I need."
Katie added shampoo.
Conditioner.
Toothbrushes.
Toothpaste.
Nail clippers.
Hair ties.
Skin lotion.
A small sewing kit.
Things most people never thought about.
Things Marina had never really owned.
Loretta wandered into the bedding section.
"Oh!"
She looked toward Marina.
"Have you ever had real pajamas?"
Silence.
"...No."
Ten minutes later...
Marina owned two pairs.
Soft cotton.
One covered in little seashells.
The other decorated with tiny stars.
She touched the fabric.
"They're..."
"...comfortable."
Katie smiled.
"They're supposed to be."
Near the home section...
Marina stopped walking.
A blanket hung over one display.
Deep blue ocean.
Orange sunset.
Gentle waves rolling toward shore.
She quietly reached out and touched it.
Nobody said anything.
Katie simply placed it in the cart.
The electronics store came last.
David met them there after finishing paperwork.
He handed Marina a small box.
"Welcome to the twenty-first century."
She looked inside.
"...A phone?"
He nodded.
"We'll help you learn."
"And this."
Another box.
A Kindle.
"So you don't have to carry ten books at once."
Marina looked completely overwhelmed.
"I..."
"I don't know what to say."
David smiled.
"You don't have to."
By late afternoon...
Three shopping carts had somehow become...
Many bags.
Bella looked immensely satisfied.
"I think we showed remarkable restraint."
Greg looked at the receipt.
"...Did we?"
Katie laughed.
"I actually think we did."
As everyone loaded the vehicles...
Marina watched them.
Brakka noticed.
"What?"
Marina smiled.
"Can I..."
She hesitated.
"...Have another hug?"
Brakka's expression softened instantly.
"Always."
She wrapped Marina in another of those enormous, solid orc hugs.
Warm.
Safe.
Strong enough to make the world feel smaller.
Marina closed her eyes.
"This..."
She smiled.
"...might be my favorite thing."
Brakka chuckled.
"I've been told that before."
On the drive home...
Marina looked out the window.
Her bags surrounded her.
Bright orc shirts.
Elegant dresses that reminded her of Winter.
Practical boots Reeves insisted she'd need.
Soft pajamas she'd never imagined owning.
A blanket that looked like home by the sea.
A phone.
Books waiting inside a Kindle.
And somewhere beneath all those bags...
Something much harder to buy.
A growing feeling that she belonged.
She still hadn't met the Great Weavers.
She'd noticed the rat-folk often chose practical, muted clothing, carrying themselves with the caution of people still learning they were safe.
She'd smiled at the otter families in their brilliantly colored tropical shirts, laughing together before disappearing into the river where clothing no longer mattered.
Every people seemed to have their own way of expressing who they were.
As she leaned her head against the window, she looked down at the bright orc shirt folded across her lap and smiled.
Maybe...
She was beginning to discover her own.
