Page 15 of Viking
I finished loading the dishwasher and wiped down the table, then found myself drawn toward the hallway.Karoline’s voice had taken on a rhythmic quality -- she was reading a story.I moved closer, not wanting to interrupt but unable to resist the pull of that gentle narration.
From the doorway, I could see them both on the small bed, Athena tucked under the comforter with her rabbit and the elephant flanking her pillow.Karoline sat beside her, a worn picture book open on her lap, one hand absently stroking those copper curls as she read.The scene struck me with unexpected force -- so ordinary and yet so precious.A moment of peace in the eye of a storm.
Karoline finished the story and closed the book, leaning down to press a kiss to Athena’s forehead.“Goodnight, sweet girl.I’m right across the hall if you need me.”
I stepped back as Karoline rose, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, but she spotted me as she turned.
“Sorry,” I said quietly.“Didn’t mean to intrude.”
“It’s fine,” she replied, her voice equally soft as she pulled Athena’s door partially closed.“She’s almost asleep already.It’s been a long day.”
“For all of us,” I agreed.“Coffee?I’ve got decaf.”
She nodded, following me back to the kitchen.As I prepared the coffee, she leaned against the counter, watching me with a thoughtfulness that made me self-conscious.
“Let’s sit outside,” I suggested once the coffee was ready.“It’s cooler now.”
The porch wrapped around two sides of the house, offering a view of both the main compound and the wooded area beyond.I led her to a pair of Adirondack chairs on the quieter side, where the evening breeze carried the scent of pine and distant motorcycle exhaust.
“This is nice,” she said, cradling her mug between both hands.“Peaceful.”
I nodded, settling into the chair beside her.“That’s why I chose this spot.Close enough for security, far enough for privacy.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes, the tension of the day slowly ebbing as the coffee worked its magic.In the distance, the rumble of approaching motorcycles announced brothers returning from a run.
“Tell me about your life,” Karoline said suddenly.
I took a long sip of coffee, considering how much to share.“After graduation, I bounced around for a while.Construction jobs, some security work.And I was in the Navy.”
“Military?I have a hard time picturing that.”
“Came back stateside when I was twenty-three.Drifted until I met Tank at a bar outside Fort Benning.He was a Dixie Reaper, saw something in me worth salvaging.”I shrugged.“Prospected for a while before they patched me in.”
“And now you’re… what?What do you do here?”
“Road Captain.Plan runs, handle routes, maintain the bikes.I’m good with engines.”I glanced at her profile, illuminated by the porch light.“What about you?Teaching preschool, Kris said.”
She nodded, a small smile touching her lips.“For almost three years now.I love it, most days.Though I’m not sure what I’ll do now, with Athena…” Her voice trailed off, reality intruding again.
“One day at a time,” I said, the platitude feeling inadequate.“We’ll figure it out.”
The rumble of motorcycles grew louder as a group of riders passed the main gate, headlights cutting through the darkness.Karoline watched them, her expression unreadable.
“Kris worried about you,” she said softly.“After you stopped coming around.He never said why, but I could tell something had happened between you.”
I stared into my coffee, memories surfacing that I’d tried to bury.“Like I said before, just took different paths.”
“He missed you,” she continued.“We all did.”
The simple statement hit harder than any accusation.I had missed them too -- the easy camaraderie with Kris, the warmth of the Kringle home, the family dinners where I’d felt like I belonged.Even Karoline’s transparent crush, which I’d pretended not to notice to spare her teenage feelings.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” I said, the words encompassing more than just my absence from their lives.“When Kris died.When you found out about Athena.I should have been there.”
She turned to me, her eyes reflecting the porch light.“You’re here now.That’s what matters.”
In the compound beyond, the returning brothers parked their bikes in neat rows, their laughter and calls carrying through the night air.Club life continuing as it always had, while here on my porch, everything had changed.Karoline Kringle was no longer just my best friend’s little sister.She was a woman who had walked into danger with her head high to protect her niece.A woman who had trusted me enough to follow me into a world she didn’t understand.
“I won’t let you down,” I said, the words a vow.“Either of you.”
