Phoebe leaned with her elbow on the counter of the shop and stared outside. It was just past nine in the morning and her dad was on his way to the bakery to get some bread that they had forgotten and Mary was in the shower. There weren’t many customers at this time anyway, as of now there were none. But still since the shop was open someone had to be here and she was pondering about where to go once she would have enough money. With a deep sigh she considered that there were too many cities to go around and that she absolutely didn’t like the idea of going too far in her first try but she also wanted to have one of the bigger cities. After all it wasn’t only about herself it was also about finding her mother. It might be nice to meet new people as well. She stared at the map that hang on the left side of the wall near the counter. She could go to Nanuq, it was quite nearby and thus a good option but she simply didn’t believe her mother would be there. On the other hand she could go there with all her wintery clothes, turn back, hand them back in and turn to a bigger city more south from here like Hargeon or east like Magnolia. There were too many options and what about Crocus, she could go shopping there till her heart content and.. oh right she didn’t go for shopping, she wouldn’t have a single penny left.

She stared up when someone entered the shop, that someone wasn’t her dad. It was the guy she threw out of the bar from Enil yesterday.. what was his name again? ”How can I help you?” she said with a smile plastered on her face as she stood up straight, the man didn’t seem to be interested in the shop as he only had eyes for Phoebe, which she found creepy. She hoped Mary would get down soon as she had heard the bathroom door upstairs open and close again. She wanted to bit her lip but prevented it and kept her lilac eyes on the man, ”I heard you do jobs for people.” Okay she didn’t expect that, ”I might, it depends on the job and the payment.” she said casually because she wasn’t sure if she wanted to work for this guy. He came closer and she had to look up at him, which she definitely disliked as well. ”I need someone to watch over my mother.” was how he started and since she had no idea who he was in town, all she could do is raise an eyebrow and wait till he explained, so he did. It wasn’t the most difficult job, hell it even sounded like one of the most boring jobs she would ever have but the payment made up for that. ”Well considering you came to ask me, I will agree to help you out with your mother.” She said to meet him in an hour at his apartment because Mary or her father needed to be here to take over the shop.

When her father returned, she ate a bit of toast and headed out. It was good that her father didn’t deny her the jobs that were offered to her. It was good that people came or send letters like Enil. It made it a little easier to go on and find jobs like this. However she had decided because it was easier to jobs in the evening, to focus on that now. As long as Mary wouldn’t find the jar with jewels. She hoped that she wouldn’t jump on her bed, she was sure Mary would find it that. With that uneasy feeling she left for the apartments a few blocks away. Mitya introduced his mother to her soon, she noticed he was still hung over and she didn’t care about it at all. She kept a good eye at him. ”Nice to meet you Rynah, I’m Phoebe.” And with that Mitya left them. Phoebe had no idea what to do in the mean time, she was just waiting for Rynah to do something. When Rynah started to do some knitting, Phoebe picked up a magazine and started to read that while glancing at Rynah from time to time. It was interesting to see, as soon as Phoebe reached a cross word puzzle, Rynah noticed and asked to do it together, which came to the point that Phoebe just looked and Rynah filled it in. When she was done with that, not every word fitted in correctly, she stood up, ”I know what you can use. Some of my cookies, you are far too skinny.” which made Phoebe immediately look at her belly, no she wasn’t? Was she? She stood up and followed the lady to the kitchen and simply sat down on the kitchen chair to keep an eye on her while she whipped up the dough in a blink of an eye. They needed to be in the oven for twenty minutes and Phoebe found a kitchen timer that she put on so they wouldn’t forget. She was sure that’s what happened last time, as to why there was now a Granny-sitter. She bit her lip not to laugh because of that and followed Rynah back into the living room with one last look if the kitchen was okay. She had gone back to knitting so Phoebe took the magazine again.

The twenty minutes came quite soon and she picked up some oven mittens and held the plate with cookies out of the oven and placed them on the kitchen counter. Rynah had forgotten but came back once she heard Phoebe struggle with it, ”You should taste one when they are warm.” Phoebe would wait a few more minutes before she could touch one and took a bite. She felt a surge go through her and stared at the blue crystals, she had no idea what it was but it sure gave her energy. Mitya didn’t return much later and gave her the jewels, he didn’t have to go away anymore so she could go back to the store of her father. She said goodbye to Rynah and thanked her for the cookie and left. It had been a very boring job indeed, but at least it paid.