We chatted about everything and anything while we ate. Jamie and Soren had so many stories to share that it almost felt like they were competing to see who could make me laugh first. Stories about the pack, about people I hadn't met yet, about stupid arguments they'd had over things that didn't even matter.
Jamie talked with his hands, dramatic and expressive, his face changing with every word. Soren was calmer, but when he laughed it was loud and unrestrained, like he didn't care who was watching.
I mostly listened.
I nodded when it felt appropriate, smiled when something was funny, and spoke only when I felt like my words were actually needed. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk, I just wasn't used to being part of conversations like this. Conversations where no one was waiting for me to say the wrong thing.
They didn't seem to mind that I was quiet. Jamie would occasionally glance at me and grin, like he was just happy I was there. Soren would slide food onto my plate without asking, making sure I ate enough.
That alone made my chest feel strangely warm.
After we finished eating, Jamie wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up suddenly.
"Alright," he said, clapping his hands together. "Time for the last stop."
"The last stop?" I asked, confused as I stood too.
Soren smiled in a way that made me immediately suspicious. "Yep. The grand finale."
They each grabbed one of my hands before I could question it further and pulled me along. We walked past clothing stores, makeup shops, and places filled with things I didn't recognize, until we stopped in front of a store glowing with bright lights and glass walls.
Inside were rows and rows of phones.
Not button phones.
Real phones.
Touchscreen phones.
"This," Soren said proudly, spreading his arms a little, "is the major reason we came here today."
I stared at the store, my steps slowing. "I thought we came to shop?"
Jamie tilted his head, smiling innocently. "Yes, we did. This is shopping too, right?"
Soren nodded. "Definitely counts."
"I don't think—" I started, my chest tightening.
"Take it as a gift," Soren said gently, cutting me off before I could finish.
I opened my mouth to argue, but they were already walking inside. I hesitated for a second, then followed them, my heart pounding harder with every step.
There were so many phones on display. Different sizes, different colors, different screens glowing with moving images. I had never seen this many phones in one place before. And none of them had buttons.
Back in the forest pack, only Andrew was allowed to use a smartphone. Even his second-in-command carried an old feature phone. Smartphones were considered dangerous and unnecessary, too much freedom in one object.
I felt like I was standing in front of something forbidden.
My eyes drifted across the displays until one phone caught my attention. It wasn't flashy or overly bright. The screen looked soft, almost gentle. The brand name beneath it read Ui.
I stepped closer without realizing it.
"You like it?" Jamie asked quietly.
"I… uh…" I didn't know what to say. Wanting things had never been safe for me.
"We use that brand too," Jamie said easily. "Their phones are really good. Simple, smooth. You should try it."
"What—no," I said quickly, shaking my head. "I don't need—"
"Yes," Jamie interrupted, already turning toward the staff member nearby. "Can we get the Ui 19, please?"
My eyes widened. "Jamie—"
"In what color, sir?" the staff asked politely.
Jamie turned back to me. "What color do you want?"
My mind went blank. I picked the first thing that came to my mind "Black."
"Perfect," Jamie said.
"Yes, sir," the staff replied, walking away.
I stood there, frozen, as if any sudden movement would shatter the moment.
We walked back toward the counter where Soren was examining accessories.
"Holland's getting the Ui 19," Jamie announced.
Soren looked up, smiling wide. "What? So we're all using the same phone now?"
Jamie grinned. "Isn't that great?"
Something about that made my chest ache in a way I didn't understand.
"Oh," Soren added suddenly, "we should get a phone case for him."
"Yes!" Jamie said, grabbing my wrist again and dragging me toward another section of the store.
This area was filled entirely with phone cases. Bright ones. Simple ones. Ones with patterns, textures, and designs I'd never imagined a phone could wear. They had weird designs too like cake? What the hell. I looked at it amused.
They both immediately started pointing at different cases.
"This one," Jamie said, holding up a soft pastel case.
"No, no, this one suits him better," Soren argued, lifting a darker, sleeker design.
I stood between them, overwhelmed but oddly amused. They were arguing again.
"And how do you know what suits him better?" Jamie rolled his eyes.
"And you think that is better?" Soren replied.
"It's pretty Grinch" Jamie replied.
Grinch? I burst out laughing.
"Grinch? I don't hate Christmas" Soren replied laughing.
"Shut it" Jamie said laughing too.
After some time I slowly scanned the options until my eyes landed on one case tucked slightly to the side. It was dark green, with thin gold designs etched across it.
"That one," I said softly.
Both of them turned to it.
Jamie smiled. "Good choice."
Soren nodded. "Really good."
Soren picked a clean white case for himself, while Jamie grabbed something yellow with a small, cute design that fit him perfectly.
As the staff rang everything up, I stood there holding the box with my phone inside, my fingers trembling slightly.
This wasn't just a phone.
It was freedom.
A way to connect. To learn. To exist outside the walls that had always surrounded me.
I didn't know how to say thank you properly. Words felt too small.
So I just held the box a little tighter and followed them out of the store, my heart beating faster than it ever had before. Hope.