Forging New Paths

Luca was, perhaps, too cautious in dealing with things inside stores that weren't in neat plastic packages. He pulled his hands back onto his knees and just watched as Garrett moved the books around, wondering if it was really okay. It had been so long since he'd been in a store that wasn't some sort of corporate-run department store he didn't know what was all right to touch and what wasn't.

"Oh," he murmured softly, looking over the black cat book with interest and holding his hands out when Garrett held it out to him. He was nervous, overly cautious still, but ran his fingers gently over the designs on the front to feel the change in textures. "Watson. . ."

"We'll keep an eye out," Evelyn reassured Anthony gently, and touched a hand to Luca's shoulder with a soft smile. "Do you want to take it home? We can get it, if you'd like."

He looked up at her, a bit lost in wonder and torn, still, at the thought that there were people who would just give him the things he wanted, now. He was so used to looking at things, knowing he would never be allowed to touch. "I can have it?" He asked very quietly, and the unsure hesitance in his voice made Evelyn's heart break for the hundredth time.

"It's just one thing, and it's not very big," she assured, rather than telling him of course, he could have anything he wanted, because that was an extreme in the other direction that she was doing her best not to teach him. "It's all right to get it, if you want it."

It was difficult, saying things like that out loud when he had been discouraged from wanting anything for so long. But it looked like Watson, and he liked stories about animals, and he liked the way the book felt in his hands and the faint smell of the pages. He looked at it for a long time, conflicted trying to get the words to come out. ". . . I . . . I want it."

Evelyn only nodded, encouraging him quietly, and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "All right. We'll have to be careful with it while we walk, though, so let's ask for a bag and we can open it up once we're sitting down inside somewhere, okay?" She didn't want him to be heartbroken if it got ruined before he ever got to read it.
 
Garrett's expression softened at the tone in Luca's voice. He was clearly taken with the book, and when he struggled to ask for it, the detective's eyes shimmered a bit. Hopefully the therapist would be able to help Luca ask for things he needed or wanted. But for now, at least he'd gathered enough courage to say he wanted this book. He smiled and patted Luca's shoulder. "Don't worry. All the books for sale are in good condition where they won't break if you read them. Mrs. Grady wouldn't sell a book if it was going to fall apart after being touched."

He pointed at the books behind glass on the top shelf. "Like those. Those books aren't for sale. They're display books, just to look at, because they're fragile. But I'm sure Mrs. Grady will make extra sure your new book is safe on the rest of the walk."

Anthony gasped in delight a few shelves over. "I found one!" he burst out. "Look! It's a book about clown makeup and all the different designs they've made over the years. So cool!"

Garrett chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Glad you found something you liked. Evelyn? Anything catch your eye in here?"
 
Luca relaxed a little at having both of their reassurance, holding the book very delicately against his chest as he got back to his feet. The other books were interesting, but he didn't think he would be able to ask for more than one and he really wanted the one he had. One was enough.

Evelyn turned at Anthony's announcement, a bit surprised, and looked at the book when he brought it over. "How interesting. Do the different kinds of face paint mean different things?" She shook her head for Garrett, giving him a gentle wave of a hand to dismiss the thought. "That's all right. I prefer to do more research before I buy."

It was all right for Luca to get one on a whim, but she tended to look into things thoroughly before making decisions, and for now she didn't need any more books. She had plenty to read digitally, for now, and her home was likely going to fill up with things Luca wanted, anyway.
 
Anthony nodded eagerly and flipped through the pages. "Yeah! There's this thing called clown eggs. Each clown has their own unique facepaint design, and they put it on an egg and get it added to the registry so no one else uses that same design. Sort of like trademarking, but with eggs. So this book has photos of the clowns next to their eggs!" he added.

"Fascinating," Garrett told Anthony, nodding. "We might have to try painting some eggs or rocks for fun later. That sounds quite fun."

The group headed up towards the front desk, where Mrs. Grady was still petting Watson. "Oh? Did you find something?" she asked pleasantly, her eyes sparkling as she noticed the books.

"We did. Could you possibly use a few extra wrappers to keep them safe? We've got a ways to walk yet," Garrett added gently.

"Oh, certainly! Bring them on up," Mrs. Grady said. Anthony gave her his book first. She wrapped it in a layer of bubble wrap, then newspaper, then a plastic bag, and finally a gift bag. "There, how's this for you?" she asked, holding it out to Anthony.

The young man beamed and held the bag close. "Perfect! Thanks, Mrs. Grady."

Mrs. Grady nodded. "You're welcome. May I wrap yours?" she added, turning to Luca.
 
"How many different designs could there possibly be?" Evelyn wondered aloud, then waved off the book. "Nevermind. Don't show me. I don't want to see the clown copyright right now, on the off chance I start thinking I see one in the dark."

Luca followed after Garrett, watching intently as Anthony's book was wrapped up nice and safe. When Mrs. Grady turned to him next, he looked at Evelyn to make sure it was okay, then very carefully handed it over. He only relaxed when it was padded well and given back to him, with an almost silent sigh of relief that made Evelyn want to both laugh and cry a little.

". . . Thank you." He said softly, hesitantly remembering his manners, and moved aside to let Evelyn pay.

"Yes, thank you," she said with a polite smile to the nice shopkeeper. "He would be heartbroken if he dropped it and bent the corners." She wouldn't even mind paying extra for the wrapping if that was what it took to reassure him.
 
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"Ahhh. A fellow book lover like myself, eh?" Mrs. Grady asked warmly, turning to look at Luca with a smile. "You're very welcome. I tell you what - I don't extend this offer to many people. But you and your friends are so careful with all of the books, and so I'd like to invite you all back to read books here whenever you like, for free. You don't need to buy them. You can just read them here. Especially if you bring Watson with," she added, scritching Watson under his chin.

Watson purred and closed his eyes, leaning into her touch.

"Very kind of you, Mrs. Grady. I'd love to take you up on that sometime. Probably the rest of the group will, too," Garrett added. He clicked his tongue and reached gently for Watson's leash, scooping the cat up into his arms. "All right, Watson. You ready to walk?"

Watson yawned and curled against his chest.

Garrett chuckled. ". . . Or I can carry you for a bit. Everyone else ready to walk?"
 
Luca blinked when it was apparent the woman was talking to him, doing his best to give her his attention even though his eyes strayed away from hers like always, unaccustomed to people wanting direct eye contact with him. He looked a bit surprised at the offer, looking around at the store for a moment before looking at her again, as if to try and tell if she was serious. There were so many books! And he could come and see them any time? Like a library? There weren't that many people around. Maybe it would be even quieter here than a library.

"Thank you," he managed again, a bit less hesitantly but softly still, his book held close to his chest. He wasn't sure how to tell her he liked the idea a lot, because he was still trying to decide if that was true for himself.

"Yes, thank you," Evelyn said graciously as she paid for his new treasure, resting a hand on his arm to soothe him and giving Mrs. Grady a little smile. "We'll be sure to come and visit some time." It would be good for Luca, experiencing people in small doses as he tried to get used to conversing like a normal person again. Perhaps he never would be 'normal', but that was all right. She just wanted him to be able to function on his own, should he ever need to.

Luca gave Mrs. Grady a wave as they started to move towards the door, watching the way Watson settled in. "Is he tired?" He asked curiously. "Does he need to go home?" Everyone had said if he was tired he could stay home. He hoped Watson was okay staying out. Luca was tired himself, but he didn't want to go yet. They'd only just started walking.
 
Garrett ran a hand gently through Watson's fur as the group headed outside. "He's a bit sleepy. But he's small. If he needs to sleep, we can take turns carrying him until we get home," he told Luca. "Watson's very adaptable and wouldn't mind sleeping in different people's arms."

He strolled patiently down the sidewalk, pausing at the store Mrs. Grady had mentioned. It was a small candy shop called Sugar n' Sweets. "Even if we weren't already heading in to pick out some candy for later, I need to stop in here and ask about some security footage," Garrett explained. "And since there's food in here, Watson can't come inside. Anthony? Would you mind holding Watson on a bench outside? I can go get your usual for you."

Anthony smiled and took Watson into his arms. "Sure, no worries! And yes please. Thanks." He settled down on a bench, rocking Watson in his arms. "Take your time."

Detective Shiver smiled back. "Thanks, kiddo. We'll be back." He held open the door with a soft jingle, taking in a deep breath. "Mmm. Love this place. They have some novelty cocoa powders here."

"Evening!" a tall man behind the counter greeted. He had a long face, with a curly mustache and a sparkly sequined hat. "Welcome to Sugar n' Sweets! Detective, good to see you," he added, nodding to Garrett.
 
Luca wondered idly what it would be like to be small enough to be carried all the time. It must be nice, he thought. Like hugging someone, but without having to walk. "I can help." He said with a little nod, wanting Watson to be comfortable. Would it get tiring, carrying him for long?

He looked a bit disappointed that Anthony had to wait outside, when they reached the candy shop, but followed Evelyn with only a little frown and afterwards had to focus on feeling a bit bombarded by all the bright colors everywhere. Had he been in a store that only sold candy before? He couldn't remember.

"Hello," Evelyn said politely as they walked in, giving the man a small smile in way of greeting but steering Luca gently away. "We'll wander while you do business, Garrett. Let us know when it's time to go. Let's pick out a treat for once we're home, hm? Something special we can't find at the grocery store."

Distracted by everything at once, he only nodded wordlessly and tried to focus and read labels so he could figure out what he wanted. There were so many choices.
 
The detective nodded to Evelyn. "Thanks, Evelyn. Take your time. I won't be long." He spent a few minutes speaking to the man at the counter. Then Garrett went behind the counter and into the back office to check the security cameras, something he'd done so frequently the store manager unlocked the security room door whenever he saw him coming.

While Garrett was busy, the candy store owner made his way over to Evelyn and Luca. "I can't say as I've seen either of you before," he said. He tipped his hat and smiled. "Name's Ebenezer Rye. Charmed." He caught the look on Luca's face, and his eyes sparkled. ". . . First time in a candy store? I've got just the thing."

He went behind the counter briefly, and pulled out a plate full of tiny pieces of candy. Altogether it was only as much sugar as a single candy bar. "This is a free sample platter. You can try these out, free of charge, to figure out what you like," he explained. "And if you're looking for suggestions, a customer favorite is the dark chocolate but fudge."
 
Evelyn knew that wherever Garrett stopped the people wouldn't be a threat, or else he would have told her, but having someone she didn't know approach her with Luca at her side had her wanting to bristle anyway. She couldn't help wondering, for the hundredth time, if that particular feeling was similar to the ones mothers had whenever anyone came near their children.

"This is our first time here," she said with a small shrug, not wanting to say that they were new friends of Garrett's, or that they didn't 'get out much'. "I'm Evelyn, and this is Luca."

When Ebenezer left to get them something, she gave Luca's arm a little pat and wandered after. When he seemed confused by the thing being offered to him for free, she reached out to take it for him rather than make him do it himself.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, despite thinking it was maybe a little too much for him all at once. A few small pieces couldn't hurt too much. "It's all right, Luca. It's for you. Do you want to try some?"

He twisted his fingers in the handles of the bag with his book in it, unsettled enough by everything new that he didn't respond verbally, but after a pause he did reach out to try one of the little hard sugar candies. They were small and brightly colored, and not too hard to bite. She would probably get a small bag for them both before they left, but she would let him try a few and make his own choice as well.
 
Ebenezer smiled. The pair seemed shy, but very polite and gentle. Even if they weren't here with Garrett, he certainly wouldn't mind them becoming regulars. "You know," he said, tapping a sign behind the counter, "All first time customers get a discount on their order. I've got a photographic memory," he added with a grin.

". . . You do not," Garrett said from the back room, chuckling. "There was one time a kid came in three times and you gave him the same discount each time."

Ebenezer shrugged and winked. "Like I said. Photographic memory." He ambled over to the counter and sat behind it, picking up a magazine on candy to read. "I'll be right here if you need anything. Let me know if you've got any questions." And with that, he settled into quiet relaxation, occasionally glancing at the door to see if anyone else was coming inside.
 
Evelyn was holding the small plate steady for Luca to pick at as he pleased, content to let him take his time deciding which things he liked and which he didn't, and was prepared to just thank the shopkeeper and move on when Garrett piped up from the back room and had her hiding a laugh behind her hand.

"Thank you," she managed after a pause to control herself, "We're just going to browse for a little while."

Luca only looked between them, amused and happy to see Evelyn laugh, though he only smiled a little himself. Evelyn ushered him to look at the displays, and as he tried little bites of candies from the tray she would help him find and point out the packages they were sold in, almost like a game of I-Spy. She was sure, like with many people, the packaging itself would help influence his decision. She hadn't anticipated their 'patrol' to turn into an impromptu shopping trip, but it was all right. They didn't do it all the time and Luca would do better with the smaller amount of people in stores, given the later hour. It was a good test for him, to see how he did with being tired while out and about.
 
"Certainly! Take your time," Ebenezer said happily.

Outside, Luca might or might not catch a glimpse of a young girl walking past the store with her parents. She spotted Watson in Anthony's lap and gasped. "A kitty! I wanna pet him!" she burst out.

"Let's ask first, Wendy," her mother said gently. "Do you remember your words?"

The young girl bounced up to Anthony and rocked back on her heels, taking a breath. "Can I pet your cat? Please?"

Anthony smiled and nodded. "Sure! He's a bit sleepy, but he'd like to be petted. Thank you for asking."

Wendy giggled and hurried over, gently petting Watson's fur. "Ohhh! He's soft!" she whispered.

Watson stretched his paws out, enjoying the gentle pets. Then he yawned and began purring.

"Aw, he likes you!" Anthony said happily. "His name's Watson."

"Watson," Wendy repeated. Her eyes lit up. "That's a W! Like my name! W for Wendy, and W for Watson!"

"That's right, Wendy," her father said with a smile. He nodded to Anthony. "Thank you for letting her pet your cat."

"Of course! She's so gentle with him. Thanks for giving him a good experience," Anthony replied.
 
Evelyn was sure to have Luca go slowly, not wanting him to eat the candy too quickly and get sick, and they had a good time looking around for all the bags. She picked out just a couple - the little sugar stars, a bag of gummies he liked, and some chocolates they could share - and tried to tell herself she wouldn't buy him things again if they stopped at any more stores.

It was just as they had found their third and final choice that Insight told her he was moving with intent, and she was quick to close her hand around his arm and keep him from going anywhere, following his line of sight out the glass storefront to find what had drawn his attention so firmly. When she saw Anthony and Watson with guests, she frowned.

"No." She said firmly, with a little shake of her head, and then more gently, "it's all right. Watson is fine. Stay here. Just watch." He looked at her, a worried crease in his brow, and she only squeezed carefully where she held him. "He's okay, I promise. Just watch."

He didn't relax, and she thought she had heard the faintest of little whines from him when he turned to look through the glass again. She kept hold of him, unsure if he would try to rush out the doors, and stayed still while mother and child interacted with Watson. Luca didn't relax until they were gone, and he gave a small, uncharacteristic tug against her hold even after Watson and Anthony were alone again.

"Come on," she urged as gently as she could, "let's keep looking until Garrett is done. Anthony is doing a good job keeping Watson safe." She didn't think he was convinced, but after a few more minutes he did, at least, stop glancing outside over and over. It worried her, imagining he had wanted to go out and scare them off, but it had at least been an important lesson in trusting others. Anthony wasn't going to let anyone hurt Watson.
 
And once the group had left, Watson, too, tried to pull away from Anthony to follow after the girl. He meowed and leaned against his leash.

Anthony chuckled softly and petted his head. "Aww, buddy. You really liked them, huh? Maybe we'll see them again sometime."

Eventually, Garrett came back out of the security office and nodded to Ebenezer, who went over and locked the door again. Then he made his way over to Luca and Evelyn with a smile. "How are things out here? Finding some delicious candy?" he asked happily. Then he noticed the subtle shift in Luca's expression. ". . . Is everything okay? What happened?" he added gently.

Ebenezer had seen what happened, of course, but it wasn't his place to meddle in personal affairs. So he stayed silent, reading over his magazine and focusing on the various articles as best he could.

Outside, Watson finally settled down again, leaning against Anthony and purring as he closed his eyes and began drifting off again.
 
Luca did follow after her when she moved further away from the windows, but he kept looking outside more than he searched for candies and had clearly lost interest. Evelyn only kept up the charade as if he were paying any attention as a sort of test, to see if he would ask to go out, or walk away from her. In the end, he did neither, only fidgeted worriedly while standing near her.

When Garrett came back to them, Luca only looked at him for a second, looking back outside again almost immediately with a concerned frown on his face. "Watson. . ."

Evelyn sighed softly and gave his arm a gentle pat. "It's all right, Luca. The people that stopped to pet him were nice, and he's just fine. Why don't you go out with Garrett while I pay for these, okay? Will that make you feel better?"

He was wringing his hands without really knowing he was doing it, making a soft, unhappy sort of sound under his breath and nodding finally when he looked at Garrett to see if that was okay. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, but he wanted to see Watson for himself.
 
"Ah," Garrett said gently, once Luca and Evelyn had explained what happened. "I'm sure Watson's fine, or Anthony would have come to tell us. But we can go check on them." He bought his own candy and Anthony's, and then led the way outside to the pair. "We saw Watson get some pets a few minutes ago. What did he think?" he asked. "Oh! And here's your treat, Anthony."

Anthony grinned and took the bag with his favorite sweet in it. "Thanks, Detective. No, yeah, Watson really liked the little girl who came up. He was purring, and he even tried to follow her to ask for more pets after she left."

Watson caught Luca's scent and opened his eyes with a soft "Mrrrp!" Then he hopped to the ground, walking over to rub against Luca's legs and ask for pets.

"Don't worry," Anthony told Luca gently. "They asked permission first, which was very nice. And the little girl was very gentle with him. I wouldn't let anyone near Watson if I thought they meant him harm. I promise."
 
Luca was anxious, squeezing his own hands together so hard Evelyn wondered if he was going to accidentally hurt himself, and he followed close on Garrett's heels when they left the shop together. Watson was curled up comfortably, but having the cat make little noises at him and come to his feet made Luca feel a little better. Everything was normal, and nothing bad had happened.

He crouched down to be closer to Watson and gave him as many scratches as he wanted, hands careful still but more sure than they had been when he'd first come into their lives. ". . . thank you," he murmured softly to Anthony without looking up, quiet and uncertain that it was the right thing to say. All he knew was that he felt grateful that Watson was safe, and hadn't been upset by anyone.

Evelyn paid for her own candy, getting a bag to put it in as well, and thanked Ebenezer before walking out after them, taking her time to see how Luca would do without her. Everything seemed fine when she followed, though he was still frowning a bit, and she only looked to Garrett when she was sure the younger man was okay.

"Where to next?" She asked, in way of quietly ushering them on, and gave a small smile. "Somewhere I won't be spending more money, perhaps?"
 
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Anthony smiled and nodded. "You're welcome. Hey, would you feel better if we left Watson at home next time? Then people wouldn't come up and pet him."

Garrett chuckled lightly. "Don't worry," he told Evelyn. "The next street over is apartments. No shopping there. And the last street is a museum - though I think they're normally closed at this hour. Although . . ." He paused a moment, thinking. "Mm, I'd better text first. But no, no more shopping," he promised.

He stretched and cracked his shoulders before strolling off a few feet down the street, mostly out of habit. But then he blinked and turned back around. "Oh. Right. Is everyone ready to go?" he asked with a smile.

He pulled his phone out, texting someone for a few moments, but he he glanced up at the group every few moments to make sure he still had their attention.
 
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