In the park.
Word count up til last night = 7018
Ahead of schedule and aiming on staying that way. Sage is developing in interesting ways and I'm intrigued to find out where it's all leading.
Click on "Read the rest…" for an exerpt.
Sage lounged against the metal frame of the swings, cradling a card cup of strong coffee in one hand as she watched the child play in the sand. The girl's mother and Diana were in the small café, huddled in the warm and deep in serious conversation. Diana's head was tipped slightly forward and her full attention was on whatever was being said, she was in full listening and supporting mode. They'd been meant to be meeting for coffee and a chat but the woman and girl had been in the park and Diana had been sidetracked with them. Sage had offered to watch the child while Diana and the woman talked. They were current residents at Safe Havens and the mother clearly needed to talk today. Sage didn't mind.
The girl was about seven or eight with mousey hair drifting in a cloud where it had come free from the French braid that tried to contain it. Large dark eyes were screwed up in concentration as long nimble fingers traced complex patterns on the mound of sand she'd made. Her shoes and socks were cast to one side, discarded without a thought to where they should be, only the desire to feel the sand between her toes which wriggled almost constantly as she worked. Her mouth moved constantly too, she was muttering to herself, a ceaseless commentary under her breath. Sage wasn't really listening and could barely hear her anyway but something caught her attention so she moved a little closer, trying to make it look casual and took a seat on the wooden bench beside the sand pit. The girl looked up, directly at Sage and with a frightened look. Sage gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile and then looked away, sipping at her coffee but continuing to listen to the child's mumblings from just a step away as she played alone despite there being a few other children in the playground.
A soft musical chime from her pocket made Sage shake her head with a smile. She pulled the phone from her pocket and slid it open to read the message there. Her grey-green eyes darkened, shadowed as her forehead creased in serious concentration. She texted back a reply and started to slide the phone closed, she paused, slid it back open again and pulled up a menu on the screen, tapped it and frowned at the display it brought up for her. Turning on the bench Sage stretched out her legs and rolled her foot to ease out the developing stagnant ache in one ankle, scratching her head as she stared at the small screen in her hand. The phone was angled awkwardly, pointing at the playground and she rolled her shoulders as if stiff, making a sweep of the area and watching the display carefully.
There was a gentle, hesitant tug on her sleeve and Sage looked up from her phone. "Hello Little One, is everything all right?" She smiled at the girl who now had a firm grip on her arm. The girl didn't speak but jiggled on the spot, her face tight and eyes wide. Sage took a guess. "Toilet?" A vigorous nod. "Come on then, let's just tell your Mum where you're going. Grab your shoes and socks, you can't leave them there."
"What's your name?" The girl asked.
"Sage, what's yours?" Sage stood and waited while the girl collected her shoes and socks.
"Holly." Grubby hands gathered strewn belongings. "Mummy says it's because I am a winter baby and that's when the holly is best."
"Holly is good all year round." Sage took Holly's shoes and tucked her socks into them as they walked towards the café. Holly shot through the open doors and cannoned into Diana, who was sitting with her back to the door, spilling coffee all down Diana's legs.
The girl stood there, frozen for a moment with her lower lip quivering and the colour draining from her pale face before she slipped past Sage and fled into the park.
