Page 94 of Only a Breath Away

Emma said, “See Zachary, you’re going to get along great.”

Zach said, “Hope you like music.” He cranked up the volume. “It’s the Idles, you gotta have it on loud.”

Tracy squinted her eyes and pursed her lips. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“Greatest band in the world. So fun, you gotta listen to the lyrics.”

She said, “I don’t know aboutthat…I like hip hop, have you heard…” Emma and I hightailed it out of the kitchen before the coming music debate really heated up.

Fraoch and Hayley went fishing at dawn. Emma, Sophie, Beaty and I took the kids for a brisk morning swim. Zach was calm and there had even been laughing coming from the kitchen. Breakfast was called.

We put a plate out for Tracy and she asked, “I can eat with you?”

I said, “Yes, we all eat, we all help, I mean, I know that’s a weird thing to say because none of us want to help Zach in the kitchen because he’s just so…territorial.”

Magnus sat down at the table with a big plate of food.

Lochinvar sat beside him. He watched Magnus’s every move: how he filled his plate, what he chose, and the order he ate it in.

Fraoch served himself then turned around and said, “Och nae!”

Hayley asked, “What do you need, love of my life?”

He pointed with his utensils. “He has taken my seat.”

“Who has?”

“Og Lochie has taken m’seat, I sit tae the left of Og Maggy, near the whipped cream. Tis better for me so I daena hae tae reach and I can see out the window at the loch.”

Lochinvar looked around confused.

Hayley said, “You can sit on this side, just this once, right?”

He dropped his plate in front of the nearest seat. “But I canna see the loch, I winna ken if the fish are tuggin’ on my pole.”

Magnus clapped him on the shoulder. “Twill be good, Fraoch, we will sort it out later.”

Lochinvar scooped some whipped cream onto a pancake, poured cereal onto it, and ate it with a spoon. “These are delicious!” He asked, “Why are we fishing, if the food tastes like this? How can ye like tae eat fish when ye can eat sweet circles and cookies with whipped cream whenever ye want?”

Fraoch looked outraged. “Of course ye want fish, fish is the greatest food tae eat! They are just in the water, wanting tae be brought tae shore tae feed ye. Ye hae tae like fish better than any other foods!” He made a great effort to turn around and point at the lake. “There is so much food, right there, the best food.”

Hayley asked, timidly, “Is this truly true, my love?”

“Och, ye are goin’ tae question me in front of…?” He jerked his head toward Lochinvar.

“No, I mean, I know fish is good but aren’t you a wee little bit overstating it?”

“Nae, not at all, Og Maggy, back me up, ye like fish, daena ye?”

“Well, Fraoch, ye ken, I ate a lot of fish in m’time away. I think I do verra much like hamburgers and ice cream. This breakfast is verra good, too, pancakes and syrup with sausage and whipped cream.”

“Och, ye are takin’ a side against me.”

Magnus said, “Tis nae purposeful, I just canna believe ye would take the side of ‘fish is better than all other food’. Hae ye tasted blueberries with whipped cream and a bit of sugar?”

Fraoch scowled. “Ye are a sweet boy with yer love of sweet foods.”

Magnus said, “I like what I like.”

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