#anywhere

"You haven't. There's plenty..."

the boy looks sullen "it's fine"

Zara quietly wilts. "Aye."

He draws his knees up, seeming lost in thought, and not a happy one

Softly. "I'm sorry." A frown and she cleans up.

"if she's stressed, and you're stressed...then it must be me" the boy whispers.

"No!"

"It is not you!"

the boy looks towards the door, or window, or any place he can squeeze through "you're just being nice. You're just saying that so I wont' feel guilty. but you had these dreams and I've ruined them, and mom had to retire cuz of me..."

"No. No, Jacob... no."

"... I don't... I don't know how to convince you? I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm not... I..."

"stop saying sorry when it's not your fault" The boy glares "That's how I know youre hiding something. It's not your fault, and it's not mom's fault and both of you act like it is... so it's got to be.." And now he turns to bolt

Zara sinks to the floor, miserable.

"me.." is the whisper the boy leaves behind

Eventually - a few minutes, not so long really - Zara manages to get back to her feet. She leaves the food half-out, and starts out after the younger sluagh.

Now it's her turn to seek...and the boy is good, showing much promise. Time spent being hunted by the evil angels. Why one might be proud

Certainly - but Zara is stealthy, hard to hear approaching... and she knows the Farm almost as well as the Hollow.

Indeed, he is good. She? she is better. The boy would not think to go the scarecrow, no he would hide alone. Miss Evergreen is also out. Mmm the cornfield? No...

the barn? Oh but which one... the boy likes spiders! Maybe he has company after all. Yes, the chimerical spider 1122 is so fond of ...zara heads to her barn and can see slight signs the door was opened and closed again. Very slight. Promising.

She creeps up, and listens.

nothing..wait.. soft breathing...very soft.. but he forgot to time it with the wind.

Zara sits, her back against the wall, and waits.

then slowly, the boy scoots. and mutters "I don't know how to make it right. there must be a way for us to be a family. I messed this up, but I can fix it"

"You didn't mess anything up. It... thngs have been hard for a long time, before we even knew about you."

"Miriam and I... we... I'm afraid we're not quite the family you hoped for."

"But you're cool..she's cool. It's cool"

"She's wonderful." A sigh.

"Yeah" He agrees "And you too. So it's a great family"

"So I must be the weak link" he sighs

"No... "

"No, that's not..."

"You are wonderful, too. Aye?"

"You don't even know me yet" He says "I'm not even sane..pardon, sained"

"You will be soon."

"And - listen to your own logic, aye? We have known you for but a day, Miriam and I. Our problems, they cannot be your fault."

"They are old, and our issues have naught to do with thee."

He wrinkles his nose "Do too."

"Please..."

"Jacob, please.... I already hurt Miriam, I don't want to hurt you too..."

"Do too"

a stuborn look

"I don't know how to convince you."

Then... Jacob sighs "I don't know either. I.. maybe we should not look like this happened so mom wont' worry. If..if I act perfect, that'll be almost as good as BEING Perfect, and no one will be mad or upset and I won't ruin anything"

"You don't have to be perfect. You just... you have to be you, aye?"

"Miriam doesn't have to be perfect, either, I wish... I wish she'd see that..."

"I want her, just how she is... I just... I want her to stay..."

"At the farm?" The boy scratches his head

"Stay... around. I... her work... her work's important, it kept her away."

"But she is staying around.. I mean, " He says "i'm confused. Why wouldn't you two be able to visit every week at least? or something? Cuz like Earl 'beams out'"

"I... I don't know, kiddo."