â u best give lucas a hug
Cynthia sat up in her arm chair, tea in hand and newspaper across her knee.Â
She had heard it again. A quiet, pitiful, unmistakable knocking.
She had thought she had been hearing things at first, then that she was going mad. But now she was certain.
Setting down her drink she hurried to the heavy front door and threw it open, sending in a flurry of snow onto her hardwood floor. To her surprise she found a rather frosted over Lucas, his nose poking out beneath his hat had turned a frightful shade of pink.
âLucas!â she exclaimed, ushering him inside.
âS-S-sorry! I was in the area s-so!â he attempted to explain, quite unsuccessfully. He hauled himself inside, and she helped him take off his coat.
âNot that I donât appreciate you dropping by, but you do realise itâs snowing out there?â Cynthia chuckled.Â
âW-when I left at lunch time it w-wasnâtâŠâ he looked a little sheepish.
âThat was hours ago!â the woman exclaimed, herding him into the living room.
He scrunched up his face as though he was quite embarrassed (and very cold) by his predicament. Though A young boy he no longer was, he looked a little lost in her large living room. Perhaps when he was not so cold she would give him a tour of all her book shelves.
âIâm sorry to put you outâŠâ he mumbled at last.
âNot at all,â Cynthia hushed him, bundling him up in one of her many throw blankets. She wrapped it around him and pulled him into a hug. His cheek was icy against her ear but she didnât mind all that much, Lucas was very dear to her. He was such a funny little thing and the way he shivered made her laugh fondly.Â
Releasing him, she took his cheeks in her hands and rubbed his face roughly to warm it up.Â
She had not realised that she had missed Lucas until she got a good look at his face, when she saw the Sinnoh trio sometimes it felt a little like her kids had come home. Not that she would ever tell them that, of course.
âWhy do I have such a big house if I never host guests? Sit by the fire to warm up and Iâll bring you a hot cocoa, yes? Donât want you to catch cold!â