Becoming Calder (A Sign of Love Novel)(82)

"Listen, Xander, we'd be doing this together anyway. Unfortunately, we're on a time limit because Eden's birthday is looming, so we have to do it sooner than I'd like. I'm sorry for that."
Xander let out a breath. "No, I'm sorry. It's just stressful."
I nodded. "I know. Thank you."
"Don't thank me. We're in this together. Whatever I have—"
"—you have half." I finished.
Xander nodded, glancing around again as several families walked in the front door and over to the food line. "So with that in mind, we have six hundred seventy-six dollars and that's including the money Kristi's lending us."
I did the math. "Where'd the extra twenty-six come from?
Xander looked down. "I had it under the floorboard from years ago. I found it in a wallet in the ranger station. I don't know who it belonged—"
"Okay," I interrupted, knowing Xander felt badly for stealing from the people who turned out to be his friends. "So realistically, what's the bare minimum we need before we can safely leave? I don't want to stay here a second longer than we have to."
"Yeah, I know. Let's try to get two thousand. Hell, let's try to get every cent we can. But that's the minimum. With that, we have at least a month. We just need one of us to score a job. Even if it's Eden."
I shook my head. "No, not Eden. I want to navigate things before I send her out anywhere by herself."
Xander took a drink of his coffee. "You can't keep her locked up somewhere in the outside world like she's been locked up in here."
I let out a big breath. "That's not what I mean. I just . . . I need to protect her."
"We might all need protection, brother, in ways we can't even comprehend yet. How about we all take turns on that front?"
I nodded, considering the truth in his words. "Deal."
Xander nodded back. "Okay, so take money whenever, however you can."
I nodded. "Clothes?"
"I have some for you and me."
I stopped with my coffee cup halfway to my lips. "How?"
"I was supposed to burn the clothes from some people who've joined us over the years. I took them and put them under the floorboards." He looked down ashamed.
"For the love of the gods." I laughed. "You have a major problem."
Xander glared at me.
"You're like a squirrel," I said.
"Yeah, damn lucky for you."
I chuckled. It felt so good to laugh a little. It gave me some hope, and made me feel like my old self for a few minutes. Plus, I was on such a high from my night with Eden. Life seemed full of promise, despite my aching legs. I'd taken my punishment like a man and hopefully Hector was done with me. Maybe I was overconfident because of what we'd just gotten away with, but I felt it in my bones this was going to work. I'd sit on a jagged metal mat again if I had to, but by gods, this was going to work.
"What about clothes for Eden?"
"Kristi's going to bring in something of hers for Eden to borrow."
I chewed and swallowed. "We couldn't do any of this without Kristi. Talk about still owing someone in Elysium—"
"Kristi doesn't believe in Elysium."
I smirked. "Good for us." I went serious. "Seriously, though, will you tell her how much we appreciate this?"
"I do. All the time. You can tell her yourself soon enough."
I nodded. "So the only thing we really need is cash."
"Yes. I'll work out the details with Kristi once we're close to having what we'll need."
I nodded and we both ate in silence for a minute. "Hey, Xander. When I was in the cell and Mother Willa came in to tend to me, she said some weird stuff."
Xander rolled his eyes. "She's crazy and senile, Calder. I wouldn't waste too much time trying to interpret her ramblings." He glanced up as the door opened. "Your dad's on his way over here."
I looked back to see my dad walking quickly toward the table where I was sitting with Xander.
"Calder, Maya's had some sort of seizure. She's in the sick tent."
My heart dropped and I stood up quickly, leaving my dishes on the table and following him out the front of the hall. Xander was close behind me.
When we entered the small room, Maya was lying on one of the cots under a heavy blanket. I moved to her side and knelt down on the floor, taking her clammy hand in mine, and moving her bangs out of her eyes. "Maya, I'm here. How are you?" I asked gently.
Her eyes moved to me, but they moved slowly and alarm filled me to see how sick she was. I looked back at my dad and mom, standing at the end of the bed, Mom wringing a handkerchief in her hands.