Creature of Unknown Origin

69

in his seat. Excitement buzzed off of him, rolling over me in waves. His fingers tapped the steering

wheel as we turned into the driveway. I nibbled my lip. Whatever had him so childishly giddy had

me filled with dread. It’s not that Spencer was never happy or a grumpy person in general, but in

the year or so since I’d known him , I had never seen him like this.

“Okay, spill. Why do you look like a kid at Yule?” I spun myself in the passenger seat,

angling myself into a better position to fix him with an unwavering stare.

He glanced at me, a half-cocked smile hiding the Cheshire cat grin ready just below the

surface. “Yule?”

“Yes, Yule. You know that thing people in my dimension celebrate around the winter

solstice,” I huffed, “And I asked you first.”

Spencer bit his lip. He leaned forward, as if he could see the cabin through the trees. “You’ll

see.”

I exhaled a disgruntled sigh and settled back into my seat just in time to round the corner

to park in front of the cabin.

The cabin that was not Spencer’s cabin.

“What…?” I bre athed.

“Surprise!” Spencer threw the truck in park and pulled the key from the ignition. “Welcome

home, Av.”

I slid out of the truck, struck numb by my own confusion. “Home?”

Spencer grabbed our bags from the backseat and joined me just beside the passenger side

door. “Yeah. I thought that while you figured things out or whatever you need to do,” he pawed

the dirt driveway with the toe of his boot, “you could… use your own space.”

My eyes cut from the cabin to him and back again. I clicked my tongue, trying to force the

dryness from my throat. “How… how did you get this done while we were gone?”

“I know a guy. He owed me a favor from way back.” Spencer hauled the straps of the duffle

bags onto his shoulder and led the way up the porch steps. “He’s a decent guy, and I know he

won’t tell anyone about me or the cabin or you know… Even if he did, Howie already took care

of everything. New lease on life and all that .”

“Well…” I started wryly. Spencer spun around, frozen before he could even get the key in

the loc k, and studied me intently. “If my current offers are bunk with Delia and Annette, and

unofficially Howie, or bunk with you and get my own space… I think I’d like to stay here.”