Two Prayers in Winter

Zayne stared at the bowl of watery soup I gave him and took it, suppressing the disgust in his eyes. I felt a pang of reluctance. That was supposed to be my dinner tonight.

"Don't worry, Mia. Look, that man has someone taking care of him. Go to bed," My mom scooped up my sister, who had slipped out again. "You're in your pajamas already. Don't catch a cold."

My mom then glanced at me, her face full of disgust. "Hazel, you're responsible for him. Don't cause any trouble for this family."

I nodded.

After he had finished the soup, I took him over to the shed.

"I'm sleeping here?" Zayne asked.

"Yeah. You can sleep on my bed." I pointed at the iron frame in the corner.

Once I had gotten him settled, I climbed up and stuffed newspaper into the cracks of the window. Then, I laid down a few layers of cardboard on the floor and placed an old quilt over it before lying on it.

"You're sleeping on that?" This time, Zayne looked genuinely stunned, the coldness on his face starting to dissipate. "That's your bed? The one earlier was your sister, right? Are you really their daughter?"

In the dim light, I didn't answer.

Zayne rubbed his temple and shot a dissatisfied look at the so-called bed, then lay down despite the reluctance.

"You should stay in the shed. If you make my sister unhappy, you'll get thrown out."

I curled up even tighter, trying to make myself a little warmer. I regretted it a little, to be honest. I had saved him because I wanted a dad who would care about me, but the dad I had picked up didn't even remember me.

Compared to my pretty and well-taken care of sister, I was dirty and skinny.

It was to be expected that he didn't like me.

It was fine. I suppose I had done a good deed. If I couldn't find a good dad, then perhaps the angels would send me a mom next time.

As my thoughts drifted, I fell asleep.

I woke up on my own a little after five.

"You're up? Why are you awake so early?" Zayne stared at me, puzzled. The dark circles under his eyes were heavy, which meant he likely had not slept at all.

"Yeah. I have to chop wood, clean the snow, and feed the dog. There's a lot of work to do. I also have to make breakfast before my parents wake up. Don't worry, I'll save you something first. You couldn't sleep?" I asked as I cleaned up my makeshift bed, looking at him.

It felt like Zayne was still shocked at what I had told him. His face tightened, and his voice came out stiff. "Only you could manage to sleep in a place this cold."

"I'm used to it," I said as I picked up the quilt from the floor and set it on the bed Zayne was on. "If you're cold, use this too. I'll come get you when breakfast is ready."

I didn't wait for his response as I simply left.

The sky was lighting up, and I had to gather enough firewood for today. Otherwise, Grandma's wooden cane would hit my back like a whip again.

I had a difficult time pushing through the thick snow. The flashlight swept over the snow that was taller than my feet and then lit up something dark by a tree.

I stayed calm and shifted the light away without thinking.

The mountain behind our home always had some animals darting around. If I were unlucky, I would run into a wild boar. I was used to it, though, so I wasn't scared.

I was about to leave when a weak voice called out from behind me. "Is anyone there? Hey... Am I really going to freeze to death out here?"

Only then did I realize it sounded like a woman.

-

Had the angels really sent me a mom?

Then, I looked her in the eyes. She had beautiful, long, wavy hair, and her big eyes blinked at me. "Where did you come from? Am I hallucinating from the cold?"

"No. Do you want to come home with me?" I asked boldly.

She nodded quickly, and I led her along.

On the way back, I learned that her name was Emma Clark. She had come up the mountain to have fun too, but she had gotten separated from her friends. Heavy snow had then blocked the road.

Her car was stuck in the snow, and she couldn't get down the mountain to find anyone, and that was how she had run into me.

When we reached my home, I stopped. "I can take you in, but you have to be my mom and take me away."

Emma froze.

Her eyes swept over my worn-out cotton coat and the full basket of firewood on my back, and her expression became mixed. "Do you live here alone?"

Then, she noticed the car outside and doubted it.

A single tear welled in my eyes as I almost choked when I said, "No. My dad, my mom, my grandma, and my sister. They're all here."

Emma sighed. "If you already have a mom, I can't be your mom. Your real mom would be sad."

I grabbed the hem of my coat and shook my head. I kept my voice low as I led her to the shed. "Forget it. Come in. But be careful. Don't let them see you, or they'll kick you out."

I brought her into the shed. The moment the door opened, Zayne looked over and froze.

Emma rolled her eyes.

Zayne's mouth twitched too. "What a coincidence."

They seemed to know each other, but I didn't have time to care. I hurried to stack the firewood. "I'm going to make breakfast. Don't make any noise."