The First Night
Camila helped Vee to pass out soup to all the children on the couch. Amity and Willow took theirs gratefully, but when Camila placed two bowls on the small table next to the couch, Gus didn’t seem to notice it and Hunter stared at it with a weird, untrusting look on his face, like it might be poisoned. She glanced back at them as she went back to kitchen.
Camila walked into the kitchen where Vee was eating her soup and Luz was sitting, talking to her.
”So, have you still been going to school in my place?” Luz asked.
“Nah, it’s summer break right now. I’ve just been helping out around the house and the vet clinic,” Vee replied.
“How have the cats at the clinic doing?”
Camila placed a hand on Luz’s shoulder.
“May I talk to Luz privately for a second?” She said. Vee nodded and Luz stood up. They walked to the hallway.
Camila put both her hands on Luz’s shoulders, turning to look at her.
“Mijá, what happened back at the Demon Realm?” She asked gently. “Why did you and four other kids show up at my door in the middle of the night? I’m so, so glad you’re back, and of course your friends can stay here, but I need to know what’s going on. Some of your friends… don’t look so good. I’m worried about them. And I’m worried about you, too.”
Luz avoided her mom’s eyes, glancing at the floor. “I’m sorry we just showed up all the sudden,” she said. “But the Day of Unity, and Belos, and King made me go through the portal, and it happened all of the sudden, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it, and—“ her voice was raising higher in desperation and tears sparked at the corners of her eyes.
“Shh…” Camila calmed her down. “It’s okay. You can explain it all tomorrow when you and your friends have recovered a little. You should sleep now.”
She led Luz back to the living room to her friends. Luz sat down in one of the big chairs by the couch. She sighed and yawned. Camila collected the empty bowls from Amity and Willow, but left the other two with the boys in case they wanted to eat it later. She put them in the sink and Vee came up to her. Vee rinsed her bowl out and placed it in the sink too.
“Camila, is Luz okay?” Vee asked.
Camila sighed. “I don’t know, Vee.”
Vee was quiet at the response.
“Vee, you can go to bed if you like,” Camila told her. “We’ll figure this all out in the morning.”
Vee nodded and went upstairs.
Camila put the bowls in the dishwasher, then turned off the lights. She headed towards her bedroom, but paused. She stood in hallway, looking into the living room.
She saw that Luz was sleeping in the big chair, and she noticed that Amity had joined her and was sitting beside her. Both of their eyes were closed and they were snoring softly.
On the couch, Willow was laying with her head rested on the arm of the couch and her legs tucked against her chest. Hunter was sitting in the middle, his arm still protectively around Gus, his eyes closed and his breathing slowed as he slept. Gus was curled up next to Hunter, leaning into him as he slept.
Camila gazed at them for a few more seconds before turning away and walking to her bedroom.