Page 56 of The Company We Keep

“Emerson, it’s Wrenshall. I need you to tell my debtors that the payment system in place isn’t working for me. Instead of installments, from now on, I’ll be reaching out to them whenever I have a payment ready. If you don’t hear from me, you can assume I don’t have anything for them. But, uh… tell them Merry Christmas, from Dust.”

12

December 2014 • AIIB Mission Month 7

“Would you like to go home for Christmas?”

The question seemed to catch Dust off guard.

“What?” Carrow asked again when Dust continued to look at him as if the question were completely absurd.

After a minute, Dust shook his head and paddled away from the edge of the pool.

“It’s funny — I haven’t even lived here a full six months, yet my gut reaction to that question was immediately ‘I’m already home.’”

“Ah,” Carrow said, bending and playing a hand through the water. “That’s good to hear, I guess. I’d have hoped you’d settle in by now. So what’s wrong?”

“I never thought the whole center of my world would shift so quickly, is all.”

Dust swam back to Carrow where he was dawdling his legs in the pool. He’d rolled up the bottoms of his pajama pants to enjoy the water after he’d found Dust swimming laps in the morning sun. The pool was a perfect 80° F all year round. Carrow spread his knees as Dust approached the wall,trying to get out of his way. Dust didn’t stop, though, swimming up and then standing to loop him in a wet embrace around the middle.

“Jesus Christ, c’mon —”

“You’re just lucky I don’t pull you in,” Dust warned as Carrow moved farther back from the edge of the pool.

“What Imeantwas, would you like to go home to see your biological family at the holiday?”

Dust sighed. Apparently he had been giving the item thought, even before Carrow asked him.

“Are you staying here?”

Carrow nodded.

“You’ll be alone if I go,” Dust pointed out.

They’d all been privy to the travel plans the others were making, Herron going home with Vashvi to New England and Leta and Wayles planning a trip back to England to see his father. Carrow hadn’t mentioned a plan, and neither had Dust.

“I’ve been alone on holidays before, Dust. This is about whatyouwant. Do you want to go see them?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think so. They’re not expecting me.”

Dust wouldn’t meet his eyes. He wasn’t going to press the issue — the kid had never brought up his family if he could help it. Carrow was similarly tight-lipped about his own, and could easily respect that boundary.

“Fair enough,” Carrow said.

The dayafter he decided to stay with Carrow in Las Abras, Dust headed out for an errand.

Carrow smiled at the way he seemed nervous and furtive.

He must be Christmas shopping.

Carrow had never really cared much about holidays — which tended to be a reminder of the things he had lost.

But this year, all he could think about was everything that he had gained in Dust.

Behind closed doors, Dust was insatiable.

He had confessed early on that he’d never been much for relationships, and that even his physical associations had never lasted long. That, at least, was something they both had in common.

---