Re: May's Cottage: May L / Gwen R
It had been a long time since someone had found their way to her door, but May hadn't forgotten the old kindnesses, the near-ritual of hearing someone's problems and requests. The room that the side-door opened into was clean but not the sterile white of a lab or the facility she knew lay outside of town. Its colors were rich and warm, wood and fabrics softening the surfaces, jars and crocks on the built-in shelves and the scent of drying herbs in the air.
May's clothes were dull in places with the soil from her garden, but as she stepped inside, she hit the on switch to an electric kettle and then went to the small sink in the room to wash her hands, scrubbing beneath her nails until there was no trace of dirt left. The scent of lavender and something sharper filled the air before she shut off the tap and dried her hands on a clean towel. By the time she was done, the kettle had heated and clicked off, and she poured the water into a waiting pot. Without saying anything, she moved around the room, gathering two mugs to set on the small table before circling back for the teapot. In the midst of her tasks, Gwen's words made her chuckle under her breath and shake her head, a glance over at the girl showing lines of laughter at the corners of her eyes.
She didn't say anything until she sat in one of the table's chairs, though. She gestured at the other and then poured the tea, a sweet green scent wafting up with the steam. "I'm May. Sit, have some tea, and tell me what you're looking for."