Hidden in Figures

As Celeste was carrying another large box of baking supplies out from the kitchen to the car, she accidentally knocked over one of the stone sculptures that Shale had made her. It was part of a pair of lions that were said to guard homes against bad luck, spirits and other evil entities.

Hearing the sharp shatter of broken shard as the lion hit the floor, Celeste immediately put her box of supplies on the ground and off to the side. "Mon dieu," she swore, cursing lightly in French and under her breath, angry with herself for not extra taking care with her box.

Just when Celeste started cleaning up the shards, she saw a magic book on interdimensional travel. Picking the book up, Celeste turned it over in her hands wondering who it belonged to and why it was hidden in a statue.

@Goblin

Just as Celeste was grabbing a broom and dustpan to sweep up some of the smaller shards, Shale suddenly appeared in the kitchen. Feeling slightly bad and quite embarrassed that she had broken one of the statues he had made for her, Celeste quickly apologized for what she had done.

"Hi hun, I didn't hear you come in," she said as she looked at Shale a bit sheepishly, "I am afraid I knocked over and broke one of your lion statues," she said explained, feeling bad that she had broken one of his creations.

"Me, I-I, no ... " Celeste sort of stammered, completely and totally confused now as she watched perplexed as Shale took the book she had found in the figurine, asking her if she had been reading it and offering her to place it back on the bookshelf in the living room.

"Ah, Shale, sweetheart," Celeste started as she stood up with the shards and debris of the statue in her dustpan. "That book wasn't mine, I don't really know who it belongs to. Maybe we shouldn't put it away like that just in case?" she suggested as she placed the statue pieces in a box for safe keeping.

It took almost a full thirty seconds for it to register what Shale was telling her. She couldn't understand why he'd be hiding a book. She always encouraged her family to read, Shale shouldn't feel the need to hide such a thing from her.

"But why did you hide it?" she asked as she let Shale repair the lion statue. "You know that I don't mind you guys reading books?" she stated, somewhat worried that he had felt the need to hide something from her like he had.

Shale's explanation only caused Celeste to become more worried and rather suspicious too. She had never questioned the titles of books they read. Especially when it came to magic. Magic was so broad and the topics too extensive and, at times, obscure, that she never really questioned somebody's interest in a certain subject, because most times it was simple curiosity - just because someone read a book on blood magic, didn't mean they wanted to be a necromancer or that they had a desire to try it.

Letting Shale hug her, Celeste gently grabbed his arms. "Shale, what's going on?" she asked with visible concern. "You should know that I'd never think such a thing because you were interested in a certain topic, unless..." and here she paused, looked at Shale and frowned, slowly starting piecing a few things together.

"Unless, you felt guilty about something..." she said slowly, looking at him for confirmation.