Page 25 of Suncatcher

She had briefly belonged to her mother, but that was so long ago. Torrent taught Driz to survive, but she hadn’t taught her how to live. Driz had figured that out on her own. Perhaps she’d done that wrong too, because she wanted things she shouldn’t.

She didn’t know why she was different, or how the others of her kind could be content to be as they were. Or if not content, at least willing to accept their isolated existence, and their laws that kept them that way. Or perhaps some of them longed for the same things and just didn’t know how to communicate it.

Driz was tired of being alone. Everything had changed since she met Pearl. Driz didn’t want to lose whatever connection they had. It didn’t matter that Pearl was a human. In fact, it made her even more interesting. Driz would rather Pearl stab her each time she saw her than never see her again. Was that wrong? Driz didn’t care.

She had just woken from the fourth day when she heard the approach of feet. Happiness beat out of her chest, and she hurried toward the mouth of the ravine.

Pearl appeared with a basket dangling from one hand and another sack slung over the opposite shoulder.

“Hey,” Pearl said. The casual greeting warmed Driz’s insides.

“Hello.” Driz eyed the sack as Pearl produced fabric and handed it over.

Driz shook it out to discover a new shirt, only this one was shaped differently.

“Since I damaged the first, I figured I’d replace it,” Pearl explained. “I made a few adjustments too. For your wings. I’m not as good at clean hemming as Molly, but I didn’t think you’d mind.”

The back of the shirt was mostly open, with a panel that had two buttons to connect below her wings, so she could take it on and off easily. Driz didn’t have any words, overwhelmed by the care it showed.

She reached for her current shirt, too excited to wear her new one. She let the stained, torn fabric fall. Night air caressed her skin, along with the ends of Pearl’s scarf, which she still wore. Pearl stared at her bare torso, eyes wide.

Suddenly self-conscious, Driz quickly slipped her arms through the sleeves of the new shirt, pulling the front sections together to cover herself. Her fingers were clumsy on the buttons, but she got most of them done.

When she reached behind for the rear ones, she couldn’t quite manage them without seeing. “Will you help me?”

“Sure,” Pearl breathed, and cleared her throat.

Driz presented her back, curling her wings forward and out of the way in an exposed position. She had a moment of alarm as Pearl approached.

Fingers brushed Driz’s skin near her spine. Pearl pulled the short panels together and nimbly fastened the buttons, stepping back as soon as the top one was hooked. Driz missed her closeness at once but soothed herself with enjoying the new garment. It fit better than the old one and was even more special.

“What d’you think?” Pearl asked, and Driz beamed before she could stop the reaction. Pearl’s face tensed, but she didn’t physically recoil as she had done last time Driz smiled.

“You made this?” Driz asked, unable to stop running her hands over her arms, loving the sensation.

“Molly made it. I just modified it a bit.”

“You are very skilled.”

Pearl raised in eyebrow. “Not really. Don’t look too close at the seams.”

Driz would look at every thread when she had the chance. “Will you show me which ones you did?” The look Pearl gave her made Driz wonder if she shouldn’t have asked.

“The ones on the back.” Pearl held out a leather item, thin and dangling. “And I also brought these. So you can stop using that thing that doesn’t count as a belt.”

Driz puzzled over the connected straps, not certain how to wear them.

“D’you want me to help you again?” Pearl asked.

Driz nodded. “Please.”

“Turn around.”

Driz curled her wings forward and presented her back to Pearl again.

The button at the back of the waistband tugged for a moment, and then Pearl tossed one strap over to the front of each of Driz’s shoulders. “Hold these,” she directed.

Driz obediently grabbed the straps, holding them as Pearl moved to her front. Their fingers brushed when Pearl took them from her before efficiently fastening the loops on the ends around the buttons above her pockets.