Page 62 of Elora and the Crow

“You broke his heart!” Caleb shouted. “I spent my childhood hearing about how much he missed you, how much he worried about you, while you were off learning how to be a killer. Then you waltzed back into our lives like it was no big deal, and Dad was so happy to have you back that he pretended it didn’t matter what you did for a living. But he hated it, Jonah! He hated it, just like I do.”

“He never said anything to me, and I -”

“Of course, he didn’t. It didn’t matter that you were a killer. You were still his favourite.” Caleb choked out more bitter laughter before yanking open the front door.

“Dad didn’t have favourites,” Jonah said. “Caleb, please, stay and talk to me. We can work this out, okay?”

“I’m done,” Caleb said. “I don’t want to see you or talk to you. I’ll text you when I’m picking up the rest of my stuff. Don’t be here. If you are, I won’t stay, and you can toss my shit.”

“Caleb, wait!”

Caleb left the house, slamming the door behind him. Jonah slumped against the wall, staring at his shaking hands as anger, sorrow, and guilt coursed through him.

* * *

Elora opened the greenhouse door.Her eyes widened at the unexpected warmth, and she unzipped her jacket and took off her mittens, stuffing them into her jacket pockets.

The greenhouse had thick glass walls with metal framing and a sloped glass roof. The setting sun shone beams of light into the greenhouse, highlighting the wooden counters that lined both sides of the building. Pots made of various materials - clay, plastic, glass, and tin - were everywhere. They sat on the counters, the shelving below the counters, and they were lined up in neat rows along the cement floor and hanging from eyehooks attached to the metal framing. Bags of dirt were piled neatly in one corner, and there was a metal shelving unit that held numerous gardening tools, fertilizer, and a few plastic tubs with labels adhered to them. “Seeds” was written across the labels in neat, bold writing.

Three different garden hoses were coiled neatly on hooks on the walls, and even now, standing empty in the winter, the greenhouse had an inviting scent of plants and soil.

Her gaze narrowed in on Jonah, who stood at the far end of the greenhouse where a long wooden table butted up against one glass wall. He wasn’t wearing a jacket, just his boots, a t-shirt, and pajama pants, but she doubted he was cold, not with how warm it was in the greenhouse. But his big body was noticeably stiff with tension, and he stared silently at the snowy yard.

Elora joined him, sliding her arm around his waist as she stared at the table. The tabletop was dirty and scarred, and two towering stacks of plastic seed starting trays sat on it beside a bag of soil, a small gardening shovel, and a few packages of flower seeds.

She squeezed his hip, and Jonah turned his gaze to hers. Her chest went tight at the look of pain on his face, and she wrapped her other arm around him. “I’m sorry, Jonah.”

“Did you hear it all?”

She hesitated before nodding. “Yes. I wasn’t deliberately listening, but -”

He laughed bitterly. “We weren’t exactly being quiet.”

“Your brother is wrong, honey,” she said quietly. “You’re not a monster.”

He sucked in a breath. “I am.”

She reached up and gripped his chin, forcing him to look at her. “No, you are not. Don’t let your brother’s anger and your guilt convince you of something that isn’t true, Jonah.”

“You don’t even know me,” he said.

“Bullshit, I don’t,” she said. “You were still you, even in your crow form, right?”

He nodded, and she released his chin and stepped in front of him, sliding her other arm around him and clasping her hands together at the small of his back. “I’ve lived with you for two years. I know who you are, Jonah.”

“I was me, but it wasn’t the same, and you know that,” he said.

She just shrugged. “You aren’t the person you used to be, even if you don’t fully accept it yet.”

“I had no idea how much he hated me,” he said quietly.

“He doesn’t hate you. He’s just angry and holding onto a lot of resentment.”

“If I had known he felt that way, I would have tried harder, done things differently, and made sure he knew how much I loved him. I swear, Elora.”

“I know you would have,” she said. “But Caleb chose not to share his feelings with you, and that isn’t your fault. You can’t be blamed for not knowing how angry Caleb was with you if he hid it from you.”

He sighed and put his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest, and he kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry I left the house without saying anything to you.”

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