Page 77 of Tamiko and the Two Janitors
An Amaranthine lifespan. Hers. That was mind-boggling.
Cyril gently added, “You and I will never have to saygoodbye.”
It took a few heartbeats for his underlying meaning to sinkin.
She would have to face many, many other goodbyes.
TWENTY-NINE
Allotment
Jiminy was up all night discussing the challenges ofwarding Red Gate Farm’s acreage with Michael, who would express ship a set ofward stones to give him a start. More crystals would have to be ordered fromGlintrubble—at great expense.IfDoon-wen approved. Scrawling the grandtotal on a scrap of paper, Jiminy went to find his alpha … and a cup of coffee.
Founders was hushed. The pre-dawn lull.
He distractedly went through the familiar motions of brewing,liberally tempering extra strong coffee with steamed milk. He needed to beawake. Melissa would be there soon to escort an allotment to the Reaversons’place.
Melissa.
What was he going to do about her? She was all barriers andbare blades, and he was on the wrong side of both.
Leaning back against the counter, he cradled his coffee andclosed his eyes, inhaling the aroma. How was he supposed to get closer when sheheld his friendliness against him? Customer service meant paying attention, andwomen welcomed his little attentions. They sipped at them like the coffees theyordered, but they were gone as quickly as his foam art.
Jiminy liked the beauty of an artfully poured cup, and hefavored the quickening pulse that came from a strong brew, but what he reallyneeded was something more lasting. The cup itself.
He considered the big, white ceramic cup—its weight, itsdurability, its simplicity. With something like this, anything was possible. Hecould pour himself into it, warm it from the inside, lavish it with all hisartistry, making something beautiful and heartening. Something shared.
A heavy hand landed on Jiminy’s shoulder. “Is thiscontemplation?”
Doon-wen wasn’t the subtlest of presences, but he could be stealthywhen he wished to toy with the youngsters of their pack—of which Jiminy wasone.
“Why are you so absorbed, you would allow your coffee to gocold?”
Jiminy murmured, “This is a good cup.”
“Not many notice.” Doon-wen’s eyes narrowed. “You arebeginning to understand what is most important. You must be growing up.”
He felt both complimented and teased.
“You have not slept.” The wolf stepped close, caressedJiminy’s cheek, tested the air, and growled softly. “Coffee is not a substitutefor rest.”
“First-sensei helped me weigh the options for warding thenew enclave.” Jiminy shyly added, “He has decided that managing the warding ofthe acreage—from start to finish—will be an effective test of my abilities.”
“Your attainment?”
“Yes.”
Doon-wen sniffed lightly. “Traditionally, when a young malereaches his attainment, he looks to the establishment of his den.”
“If I can find the right ….”
A warning finger lifted. At first, Jiminy thought he’d beencaught in a near-lie. Doon-wen didn’t tolerate guile. But then the shop’s frontdoor opened, and Melissa came hurrying forward.
“Good morning,” she said briskly, joining them behind thecounter. “Is there anything I can do?”
To Jiminy’s utter astonishment, Doon-wen reached for her andrepeated his earlier actions—touching, testing, and scolding. “You have notslept.”
“I should hope not,” she grumbled. “I was on patrol.”
