Tear

As Camie continued her new life of being able to move freely with Albert and Lucy, many changes were made from both the room she resided in and routines of Albert and Lucy.

Albert, with much worry from Lucy, decided to rewrite the schedule a week in to only allow a break between the lunch and dinner hours, and Lucy, as promised, visited the shop frequently to play with Camie and make sure Albert wasn’t pushing himself too hard. Camie cherished the time spent with Lucy, as she talked, asked, learned, and played however she wanted.

The room also began to accommodate the presence of Camie. A week in, Albert had put up a small blackboard on the counter of Camie’s side of the room, partly separating the view from the dining area to the kitchen as well as providing Albert with a space for advertising specials for the day. By cutting off the view to Camie’s little corner, Camie could now freely move to some extent even when the shop was open. Lucy, upon the change, decided to bring over flowers and foliage from the diverse selection her family’s florist shop had at their disposal to decorate the trims of the board.

None of the customers had questioned the sudden addition in furniture. Honestly, they thought it fit well with the room, and if they had seen it on display, they would’ve bought it as well. Leo, who was surprisingly sharp on some topics, didn’t have time to question the appearance of the blackboard, to Albert and Lucy’s relief. He was too busy doodling on it.

With the new routines settling in and the additions to pamper Camie, she had begun to comfortably fit in and her stress lessened. Camie felt really lucky that she had Albert and Lucy as the people she would consider her new family. She couldn’t compare it to her time back in the shop with Ficus because she was always alone during the day, but she didn’t know how she would have endured the hole left by Ficus if it weren’t for Albert and Lucy talking and playing with her.

Over the days, Camie learned many subjects from Lucy. Lucy hid no information that she could teach from Camie. What they discussed varied from proper forms of speech to the wide array of flora in Lucy’s knowledge.

Albert had become quite a bit more relaxed after he made room for a break during the day. Being able to calmly interact with Camie and Lucy also helped destress him as well. Since he hadn’t been able to meet up with Lucy before the changes, the new routine visits from her helped him reconnect with her. It wasn’t apparent at first, but eventually the shadows under his eyes lessened and his face became brighter. He was able to smile and laugh more as well.

The day marking Camie’s first month was nothing special. Camie was sitting on Lucy’s lap as Lucy hummed a lullaby. She was certainly happy. Happy to not need to hide. Happy to have people to trust. Overjoyed to feel another’s presence during the day. However, one question lingered on Camie’s mind: Is this what she wanted? She didn’t really care, as she was too involved in savoring her current position while listening to Lucy’s singing.

Lucy rounded up her song. “Did you like that song, Camie?”

Camie looked up with her neck craned backwards to see Lucy’s gentle face staring down at her. Camie smiled.

“I like all of Lucy’s songs.”

“That’s good to hear. It would be nice if I could hear you sing too.”

“I don’t feel like singing,” Camie replied brightly with a smile. “I think Lucy’s songs are better, too.”

Lucy took the response in a light view. “Awwww, you sure know how to gain my favor,” said Lucy while playfully pinching Camie’s nose.

Albert was off to the side, trying to create a new appetizer that utilized the season’s range of ingredients. Lucy was a little perturbed by his current task, as she was wondering whether he was going to while away his break with more work. Of course, she would never approve of him whittling away his life like that, so she decided to prod at him through Camie.

Lucy hugged the small body in front of her. “Camie,” she called in a gentle manner that was also loud enough for Albert to overhear. “Who do you like more? Me? Or the hardworking Albert?”

Albert’s ears perked up. He would like the reply to be him. Over the time she stayed with him, he had grown quite fond of her. Why shouldn’t he want to be favored by her? He hesitated over his task to overhear Camie’s answer.

“You and Albert are both good people that I call family!” Camie said after a very brief pause to think, but without a second beat, Camie continued with her answer. “But I like you more, Lucy! ”

Lucy, satisfied with the answer, turned to look at Albert and smirked when their eyes met. Albert returned the smug smile with cold, dead eyes before returning his attention to his appetizer.

Lucy’s mood was downed by his bland response. She set Camie on the counter and approached Albert. Camie followed, her steps pittering and pattering across the tabletop.

“Stand back Camie. You might get stains on your clothes,” said Albert as he was cutting an apple into thin slices. Camie followed his advice and watched at a distance.

“What about me?” Lucy nudged her way in between Albert and the platter. “I’m not afraid of being dirty.”

She poked Albert’s cheek.

“You too, Lucy,” Albert continued. “Because you’re bothering me.”

Lucy scoffed. “How rude.” She yielded her position, however.

Camie was still interested. “What are you making?” She ended up taking a step closer while trying to lean from her position to have a closer look.

“A snack,” replied Albert, blandly, as he brushed egg yolk on top of lumps of dough on a platter.

“What kind of snack? The crunchy ones?” Although Camie couldn’t eat, she did enjoy listening to the unique sound others made, that is, if they didn’t sound vulgar or sloppy.

“Close, but not quite,” he said as he shoved the pan filled with now golden pieces into the oven. “This one has a combination of crunches.”

“Do you mean they’re pasties?”

Albert paused for a second while Lucy stifled a laugh. “Only people from across the northern sea call them pasties. Let’s call them puff pastries.”

“Okay! Pastries!” repeated Camie, energetically.

Lucy was absolutely smitten with Camie and her cute reactions. “Ah! What should I do with you Camie?” asked Lucy as she lifted Camie up by the arms. “Take you to my home, away from the hardworking Albert?”

A slam could be heard. It was Albert, suddenly closing the oven door with more force than needed. Lucy flinched and withdrew Camie into a defensive hug to prevent dropping her.

“Do you want to go with Lucy for today?” he asked Camie in a mild manner, completely in contrast to how he acted moments earlier.

“Can I?” Camie’s eyes lit up at Albert when she asked. “I’ve always wanted to see Lucy’s house.” Turning to Lucy, she repeated her question. “Can I, Lucy? You did tell me I could visit.”

Lucy was surprised by Albert’s sudden change in tone as well as his question. “Uh, sure. Sure you can, Camie,” she accepted amidst her confusion. Wondering if she made the right choice as soon as her approval left her lips, she turned to Albert, who had walked away, muttering.

“So there you have it, Lucy,” he was saying. “Go ahead. You can have Camie sleepover for a night or two.”

Lucy mulled over his actions. Did she take her provocations a step too far and make him mad? She reached towards Albert with her free hand, but—

“Yay! Sleepover with Lucy!” Camie interrupted Lucy’s pondering with a wild celebration, causing Lucy to hold onto Camie. She was left to tend with Camie instead of fretting over her current dispute against Albert. The next few minutes were spent by Lucy pampering Camie while Albert moved off to a table in a corner.

The dissociation between the two continued until Albert finally rose from his chair and took the tray of pastries out of the oven. He silently stuffed a bag with half of them. “Here.” He shoved the bag in Lucy’s face. “I have to get started with preparing for the evening business hours. So if you’ll excuse me, as well as yourself.” Albert turned away right after Lucy took the bag.

“Albert?” Lucy called out, but Albert didn’t respond. She looked at Camie, but the doll was too busy fantasizing what kind of adventure it would be like at Lucy’s house. A jungle because it’s a florist’s shop?

“You should get going. I’m going to be busy really soon,” said Albert. “Please don’t bother me from this point on.”

“But wait—”

“We can talk tomorrow,” he interjected. “Isn’t it great to have Camie for the night? You shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

“But—”

“GET OUT! I NEED TO WORK!”

Lucy excused herself, before the situation took an even steeper turn for the worse. She hustled her way across the street while carrying a now motionless Camie and paper bag in hand.

“Oh! Welcome back, Lucy,” her father, who was busy sketching a plant, greeted as Lucy entered the premises. “Back from Albert’s place was it? How’s he doing today?” Lucy didn’t answer. She left the paper bag in front of him and dashed to her room.

“Your mother and brother—” her father raised his head to see her disappear again.

“I don’t need to eat dinner! Leave me alone!” she called back to him.

Sighing, he returned to his sketch. “Okay, Take care of yourself.”

In Lucy’s room, there was only a bed and a small dresser beside it. Locking the door behind her, Lucy placed Camie on the dresser and fell onto the bed. Camie viewed the window in front of her that overlooked the street. Lucy had a well kept window planter filled with lavender, coriander, basil, and thyme. The people had begun to flood the streets more, coloring it a darker shade. Meanwhile, Lucy was still lying on the bed wallowing in her self pity.

“Lucy?” Camie had quickly lost interest in the view outside and now turned towards her. “Are you okay?”

“Mmfff,” she muffled through the pillow. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. I just need some time.”

“Do you not need to work like Albert?”

“No, I don’t. Albert works too much.” Lucy rolled over to face Camie. “Do you think he works too much?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s normal if he is alone.”

Lucy sighed. “I guess so. But, what makes you think that?”

“Ficus would come home only when it was dusk. She would also have to leave during the dawn.”

“Ficus? Your previous owner?”

“Yes!” Camie was happy to be able to talk about Ficus again.

Lucy’s mood, however, did not match Camie’s mood. Her eyes drifted downwards. “Do you think that Albert is mad at me?”

“Yes. Probably.” Camie was not hesitant on revealing her acute observations.

“At least try to comfort me, Camie,” said Lucy as she formed a weak smile. She brushed Camie’s cheek.

“Comfort?” The over pampered Camie was clueless about comforting others. “Like what you do to me?”

“Yeah, that’s about right.”

Camie wasn’t sure of how she should do it, so she calmed herself down before taking a step forward. Taking Lucy’s hand, she hugged it and began to hum the tune she always sang back in the shop. A sad lullaby. It was nothing like what Lucy had heard before. The song bloomed in Lucy’s ears. Even though Camie was only hugging her hand, her song embodied her mind. In no time at all, she had felt better. Camie let go of Lucy’s hand as she finished her tune.

“Come here, Camie.” Lucy spread her arms out. Skipping across the small gap between the dresser and the bed, she fell into Lucy’s embrace.

The two lay in bed for a while, but Lucy showed no signs of sleeping. She brought Camie closer to her body.

“Camie? Do you think it’ll be okay for me to visit him tomorrow?”

“He told you to visit tomorrow, so you can visit tomorrow.”

Lucy started stroking Camie’s head. “I guess you’re right. But I don’t know what to do if he’s still mad at me.”

She had probably done it by now. She picked a fight against Albert. After hearing Camie’s surprisingly sound reason on why Albert worked so hard, she knew she was the only one at fault. At the same time, she despised herself for not helping Albert when he overworked himself.

“Is this what fighting with your family is like?” she whispered to herself.

Camie reached up so that she could touch Lucy’s face. Her tiny hands tickled Lucy’s chin. She didn’t know what to do. Lucy looked so sad, and in turn, it was making her sad as well.

“Don’t be sad, Lucy,” she said, cuddling closer. “If you’re sad, then I’ll be sad as well.”

“I’m sorry, Camie.” Lucy hugged Camie tighter. “I’ll try my best.”

Dusk had begun to set in. There was a clamor across the street, as the evening hours for Sweet Ales was starting to become busy. Lucy’s father knocked on the door.

“Lucy? Are you alright? If you feel like it, your mother prepared a little dinner for you. Just come down and get it if you want it,” he said through the wooden door.

“I told you that I didn’t want any dinner!” she yelled out at him. “Leave me alone.”

“Alright.” He paused. “If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask.” And with that, the sounds of his footsteps left the door.

The slight annoyance with her father broke through to Lucy. She started sobbing. The memory of Albert shouting at her, ‘GET OUT! I NEED TO WORK,’ replayed in her mind over and over again. Her anxiety over whether or not he was mad at her grew with each repeat.

Camie, of course, was influenced by Lucy’s sobs. She grabbed and tugged at Lucy’s shirt.

“Don’t cry, Lucy,” she fruitlessly implored. “Don’t cry, Lucy, please don’t cry. Or else… or… or… e-else.” Lucy’s emotions finally reached Camie, and Camie began sobbing with Lucy. The two lay in an embrace, sobbing. One was crying from self pity. The other was crying for the sake of the other. Nighttime was beginning to set in. As the rosy light from dusk began to dim, Camie felt Lucy’s tears drench the area. In the midst of it, unbeknownst to Camie, were her own tears. The first tears that she had ever shed. Tears for Lucy. And like that, the two fell into a deep sleep together.