As Penelope agreed that they could meet at the house instead of the tavern, Crow let out his breath in relief. He hadn’t been sure how she would take his request, since this location was a bit farther away for both of them than the tavern was, and the house wasn’t in the best condition, so it wasn’t overly welcoming or comfortable. He was glad she was willing to accommodate him in spite of those things. It would be nice to have the privacy when she would inevitably either take him back or confirm that she was going to hold onto the life she already had for herself.

“Three days it is,” Crow nodded when she gave him a time. They hadn’t even left for their camps yet, but he already felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement for day to come. In just three days, he would know for sure whether he and Penelope would get together again or not. The anticipation sent his heart racing.

[i]Until then, I have a lot to do,[/i] he thought, lowering his gaze to his lap. He wasn’t just looking for a cure for himself anymore; he was doing it for Penelope too. After all, he didn’t want her to sacrifice everything for him if he wasn’t going to get better. It wouldn’t be fair of him to ask her to do that.

Crow turned to Penelope once more as she thanked him. “Of course,” he smiled. “This is a big decision, and you shouldn’t have to make it on the spot.” Glancing out the window once more, he noticed it had been a while since he last heard any thunder, and the rain had slowed to a steady drizzle.

“Seems like we should start heading back, huh?” he mused, standing up from the bed and moving to gather his cloak from the floor. While he was up, he grabbed Penelope’s cloak as well and handed it to her. Putting on his own, he tried to ignore the chill of the still soaked fabric that hung from his shoulders.

Once he was ready to go, Crow put out the lantern and set it back on the dusty table where he had found it. He stepped over to the front door and pulled it open, glancing back at Penelope one more time, “I’ll see you in three days.”