"What are you doing here, child?" she rushed around the counter to give me a hug, "You're supposed to be at school!"
"That….that's an interesting story," I told her.
Her eyebrows rose with a question but I quickly changed subjects, "Where's Aunt Guanine? I haven't seen her since Stevie was born."
"She's delivering a few items to the shrine. Now come in here and talk to me," she started to pull me to the counter, "Tell me what is going on. Why are you in Riften? Don't tell me they sent you this far for an assignment."
"Not exactly," I replied, taking a seat on a stool in the corner.
"Then what is it, child?"
I glanced down at my hands and tried to find the courage to tell her the truth. I just couldn't face her disappointment. Pa was the one who wanted me to go to Bard's College but I knew from her letters that she had quickly come around and was now so proud of me.
"I…I…" I glanced up at her, "I was let go of the Bard's College."
Ma's hands froze in mid-air, "What?"
I explained what had happened, or at least the parts I wanted her to know about. I didn't dare tell her about my little jaunt into the cavern and how I almost died. Instead, I told her that I've been unable to sing since Pa's death and how the headmaster told me I could return once I dealt with my grief."
Ma didn't say anything, but I could see she was angry. The silence stretch on between us for quite a while – Ma folding clothes and me sitting in the corner watching her.
After she folded the last shirt and placed them on a shelf and turned to face me.
"So you can go back next year, right?"
I nodded, "The headmaster said their door was always open for me."
"So, what are you going to do with yourself now?"
"I was hoping I could get a job here," I replied meekly.
Before she could say anything, the door opened and my aunt entered the store. While Ma is slightly plump and seems to always have a smile on her face no matter the news, her older sister was as skinny as a stick and as happy as one too. I remember when Stevie was born, she couldn't (or wouldn't) smile, even when holding her new nephew.
She stopped when she saw me, "Patrycia?"
"Isn't this a nice surprise?" Ma said before I could reply, "Patrycia is taking a break from Bard's College."
I crossed the room and gave Aunt Guanine. Her body remained stiff. I wondered if she ever showed any sort of emotion in her life.
"It is good to see you, Auntie," I said with a smile.
"And you too," she replied stiffly.
"Patrycia was just telling me that she's looking for a job until she returns to school."
"Well, she can't work here."
My heart sunk at her words. Well, there went my backup plans.
"I'm sure we could find something-" Ma started to say but her sister shot her a look that silenced her.
"This store barely supports the two of us. I can't bring on more help. Not now."
"Well, maybe she could find work around town," Ma suggested. "I'm sure there's someone around here who could use a hard worker like Patrycia."
"I'm sure there is." My aunt crossed to the counter and quickly tucked a handful of septums into a lockbox under the counter. "So, where are you staying?"
I exchanged a look with Ma, "I was hoping I could stay here, that is until I get on my feet."
"There's no room here," she replied matter-of-factly, "There are only two bedrooms upstairs. I sleep in one. Your mother and brother sleep in the other."
Ma turned and rolled her eyes so her sister couldn't see, "It's okay, Patrycia. You can sleep in our room with us. I'm sure there's enough room on the floor for a bedroll. And we can pull the extra chest from the attic for you to store your things."
"Thanks, Ma. I really appreciate your help."
And so here I lay on the hard floor, with only a thin blanket between me and the splintering wood planks. I plan to go out tomorrow and look for work. As Ma said, there had to be some sort of work around here for a hard working ex-Bard.
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