Adelinde liked going out on her birthday, just to see if the trees had started to change color yet. Any trips to her mother’s family were done in late summer or early fall, solely so she could compare the leaves on their way to and back. Her father walked around town with her after her mother died; when her father passed, Aurik opted to make it one of their first dates.
She hadn’t gone out until recently due to that latter connection, but this year was as good as any to resume the tradition.
Adelinde woke up and got ready, taking an extra second to make sure she looked all right before leaving. She went to Matteo’s room next, lightly knocking and waiting a second before entering.
He must have noticed she was coming—she was among the few who checked on him, and likely the only one who knocked aside from Mark—because he sat up on his little bed. When he fully saw her, he scrambled up and ran over.
“Mama!” She bent down, expecting the enthusiastic hug and returning it for a moment. Matteo giggled a bit, and when she let go he took a little step back. “Go out?”
“We can walk around today,” Adelinde replied, nodding. She waited until he was done cheering to continue. “You have to get dressed first, though.”
Matteo babbled a bit of agreement, wandering back to the dresser and began taking off some of his clothes. Adelinde closed the door and went to help him, taking out a different outfit for him to change into. She let him to as much as he could on his own, then did the rest herself.
“You’re getting better,” she said kindly. Matteo smiled in response; as soon as she was finished getting him dressed again, he ran over to the door, pawing at the knob.
“Before we go”—he paused and glanced back at her—“what do you want to have to play with?”
He didn’t even hesitate, pointing towards one shelf that held most of his toys. “Want paint!”
Adelinde looked at the shelf mostly just to assure herself that someone didn’t actually keep the paint in the toddler’s room, then looked back at Matteo.
“There’s not enough room to paint as we walk,” Adelinde pointed out gently. Not if she went to the gazebo, at least; those instruments weren’t without scratches and misplaced colors, but she couldn’t watch him if he sat right next to her. She couldn’t promise it and rely on Rene being there, either, nor could she ask Mark to come along when he still had to work.
Matteo pouted for a second, then stared at the toy shelf before perking up again. He glanced at Adelinde. “Big toy?”
Adelinde walked to the shelf, looking at her son’s toys. She picked up a bag with some plush toys and pulled one out so Matteo could see. “These?”
The toddler enthusiastically nodded, and she smiled as permission. He held out his hand to take something, so she passed him the toy she took out when she walked back towards him. He seemed to take it as his personal mission not to drop it, even if he could carry it without any trouble.
She put her hand on the door but looked at Matteo.
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“Do you want to eat here, or in town?”
“Town!”
She nodded, then gestured for him to walk next to her—he only half obeyed, walking around her but not necessarily at her side. She took a short detour to let Mark know that they were leaving, then kept a better eye on Matteo when they got outside.
The town didn’t concern her quite as much as it did earlier in the year, but she still wanted Matteo to stay close. For the most part he listened to her—when he didn’t, she tried to stop herself from correcting him unless he got far enough away where she couldn’t easily reach him. She had to get used to letting him wander a bit farther away from her, for when he was older—both so he wasn’t overly cautious around others, and so she didn’t always fear for him when he went on his own.
Adelinde took them to a place near the music district, going into one restaurant close to the gazebo. It was small but comfy—one of her mother’s favorites, and one of the few buildings she could go into without being anxious. At this point, Matteo seemed to recognize it a bit as well.
Matteo babbled off a greeting when they entered; Adelinde assumed he was speaking to the owner until she noticed Rene sitting at one table. Rene noticed, then they just looked at each other until the owner spoke up.
“Lady Adelinde.” She almost jumped, but still turned towards him. “Looking for some breakfast?”
“Yes, please,” she replied. She looked over to find Matteo, panicked for a moment when he wasn’t there, then realized he had climbed into a seat across from Rene and was trying to show her his toy. Specifically to Rene, she asked, “Have you eaten anything yet?”
Rene seemed surprised, then shook her head. Adelinde looked back at the owner.
“I can pay for her, too,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.”
Rene started a protest, but was cut off by Matteo trying to get her attention. The owner had already gone back to make some food by the time Matteo decided he was done . Adelinde walked over to the table and hesitated; Rene helpfully gestured towards the other seat next to Matteo, and after a second she sat down.
As per usual, there was a moment of silence—even Matteo didn’t say anything, simply waiting for his mother or the familiar stranger to speak—then Rene perked up a bit.
“You left your umbrella at the garden the other day,” she said.
Adelinde didn’t entirely expect to hear it. She remembered the umbrella, then didn’t actually think to take it when she left. She came back later with Matteo to see if it was still there, but it was gone.
She considered it a test of character of sorts after that: if Rene brought it back, then she must care to some extent not to let it get lost. Adelinde honestly expected that she would need to get a new one.
Rene got up so she could walk to her and give the umbrella back, to which Adelinde nodded her thanks. Rene sat back down in the seat she was in before, for a second seeming like she might entertain conversation with Adelinde—instead, Matteo spoke up, apparently tired of the constant silence and quiet observations.
With anyone else, Adelinde might be less comfortable with Matteo rambling on like Rene was a close friend—yet, maybe Rene had moved past being a ‘familiar stranger.’ It’s been five months; in that time, Adelinde grew comfortable enough with her to talk about Aurik, let her be within reach, trusted her to watch Matteo. She could picture herself with half a score book filled with music that seemed to reflect Rene’s influence, character, and past; Adelinde might not have even made this much progress without a stranger who had enough patience to sit through her anxieties.
She was drawn back out of her thoughts when a server came by to give them their food. Each one murmured or spoke their thanks, Adelinde paid, then all three of them fell into a general conversation with Matteo leading them. They briefly stayed in the music district before a slight drizzle gave Adelinde an excuse to suggest going to the conservatory.
They stayed there until lunch, Adelinde writing down each note as a beautiful melody made itself known by her absent-minded tapping on piano keys the entire time.