Page 26 of A Lesson In Beginning

“I could ask you more about your time in Zion, I suppose.” He playfully winked at me as he helped place the baking items I needed along the countertop.

“Orange.” I quickly answered his question before he took to the notion of asking me more personal questions. What I did not expect was his mildly appalled expression.

“Orange? Really? I don’t think I’ve met a single other person whose favorite color is orange.”

“It’s a beautiful color. The deep, reddish kind that fills the sky in the late evening hours, just before darkness takes hold. There’s a beauty to it that calms me. I don’t know. It gives me a sense of comfort and happiness.” I shrugged, feeling slightly embarrassed by my answer, but it was the truth, nonetheless.

“That makes sense. Favorite drink?” He asked, moving over towards the sink to work on the dishes that had piled up.

“Sun tea, when it’s good and strong.” I smiled, remembering all the times I had made the drink with my mother. I felt a longing to share the same experience with Samuel one day.

“I meant alcoholic, but, Christ, that’s a memory I wasn’t expecting. Sun tea. I haven’t had that in years!” He chuckled lightly to himself as the water began to run.

“I don’t drink alcohol, but sun tea is my favorite drink. Hopefully, that answer will suffice.”

“Oh, right. Religious cult. Err — shit, that was insensitive of me. I’m sorry.” There was something adorable about seeing him flustered, and I giggled lightly as I measured ingredients for the cookies I wanted to bake.

“You can say religious cult. It’s not the first time I’ve heard those words, especially after the trials. And from what I’ve learned, it’s not untrue.” I added flour to sugar, a pinch of salt, and the other ingredients one by one into the large mixing bowl.

“Are you making the same cookies you did the other night? They were incredible! I meant to ask you what they were.” The sound of his footsteps rapidly approaching sent tingles up my spine.

“I’m not, but I’m glad to hear you enjoyed them.”

“Enjoyed them? That’s an understatement. Plus, they were quite the hit! We didn’t have a single one left over at the end of the night. They were like chocolate chip cookies on crack!”

“It’s the cardamom. It adds a hint of spice that reminds me of Christmas and warm fires.”

“Well, if that isn’t the fucking truth! That’s exactly what they reminded me of!” I felt myself glow under his praise. I took much pride in my baking, and to hear his adoration of my skills and creation warmed me more than those cookies ever could.

“I’m going to make something a little different tonight, if that is alright.”

“Whatever you come up with will be delicious, I have no doubt.” He nudged his arm into mine before heading back to the sink, whistling a little tune. Me, on the other hand, I stood there, mixing ingredients and pretending that the thought of hearing him sing my praises again did not inspire and encourage me. I could get used to such kind attention.

CHAPTER 9

“I cannot thank you enough for these, Talia.” I was completely astonished at her generosity as we both sat on their living room floor, sorting and going through the massive bag of little boy’s clothing she had found for Samuel.

“Well, I know that when we first left Zion, we had so little. And little ones grow so fast! I swear, we can’t keep Violet in clothing to save our lives!”

“Oh, I know! I swear Samuel grows every time I turn my head! These are… this is… Talia, it’s just too much. Please let me know how much this cost you and Ezekiel, and I will pay you back for your kindness.” I held up an adorable navy blue shirt, the corresponding dark brown corduroy pants laying across my lap. “I have never seen such adorable children’s clothing.”

“Wait till you see the hat that came with it!” Talia’s eyes lit up with excitement as she turned, pulling a matching cap from the bag. “It’s a newsboy cap, and just look how cute it is!”

I took the hat from her, laying the outfit out all together and nearly dying with the overwhelming cuteness of it. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I was completely astounded.

“Talia, I just don’t have words. Thank you so much.”

“Well, that’s not all we found. I have a little something just for you.” Her eyes lit up with an excited fire as she stood from the floor, pulling a bag from behind the chair and handing it to me. Overwhelmed anew, I reached inside the bag, expecting to pull out an even cuter little boy’s outfit. Instead, my fingers wrapped around soft material that was far too large for a toddler.

The fabric slid against my fingers as I removed it from the bag, revealing a deep purple dress. It was easily one of the most beautiful pieces of clothing I had ever seen.

“Talia…” I could barely breathe, let alone speak.

“When I left Zion, I didn’t even know where to start with it all. Everything was overwhelming. The busy city, the people, the technology; hell, even the language seemed to be all twisted and backwards. I really struggled to find myself, to learn who I truly was. One thing that really helped was dressing differently. Taking back some of the power Zion stole from me helped me to start my road to recovery.”

My eyes prickled, burning with unshed tears at the immense gratitude I felt for the woman. I couldn’t even look at the dress in its entirety, simply holding it as my fingers ran over the smooth fabric.

“This dress isn’t too revealing. It’s quite modest for today’s society, but it’s completely different from how we dressed in Zion. I just wanted to give you a small token to say that you are welcome here. That you are one of us. And to let you know that I understand what you’re going through, at least to some degree.” I couldn’t bear to lift my eyes to her, to see pity, or whatever emotion might be written on her face, but as she reached her hand out to squeeze my own, I couldn’t help it. What I saw was the opposite of pity. It was nothing but acceptance and care. The emotions welled up within my chest, threatening to break through the stronghold of armor I used to protect myself from literally everyone.

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