She stuck out her lower lip. “But I like unicorns.”
“Well, you’re wrong about that,” the player explained patiently.
Fox chuckled softly. “Come on, Leon. Even though this conversation seems important, it's time to go inside. Moreau needs to discuss something with Melody.”
Before the center could protest, Fox pulled him toward the door, through which Lucy still hadn’t returned.
“Who’s Melody?” Alvarez asked, still confused, and then they were gone.
Mel sat under her animal symbol on the coat room bench and sighed heavily. “Leon knows veeery little about art!” she statedearnestly. “He didn’t even recognize my cloud! And he thought my saw was a unicorn!”
“Well, he has bad eyesight,” Lucas murmured, smiling, and sat next to her. “Hey, Mel... You like Anna, don’t you?”
“I love her!” she said enthusiastically.
His smile widened. “Would you like it if she...came over a lot?”
Melody’s eyes lit up. “Is she your girlfriend after all?”
Oh, man. “Not yet, no,” he murmured.
“But you would like her to be?”
“I...” He swallowed. “Yeah, I would.”
“Cool.”
He almost laughed. In her eyes, everything was so simple. “Mel, it’s only that if she were my friend, a lot of people would suddenly be interested in us. And interested in you. There would be reporters. Our lives would be...harder than usual for a while.”
“Okay,” she said, blinking, her brow furrowed. “Would you be away more often?”
“No.”
She exhaled with relief. “What would be harder then?”
“Some kids might be mean to you.”
“Oh. But…” She swallowed before whispering as if revealing a secret, “...some are already mean.”
He gritted his teeth. “I know. But maybe they’d…get even meaner. And people would try to take your picture…”
“I like pictures.”
“Yes, but…you might get scared sometimes.”
She looked up at him and he knew she didn’t understand what he was talking about. He was about to explain it differently when she said, “I don’t have to be scared.”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “No?”
“No.” She stuck out her lower lip. “Because… Mommy said I never have to be scared. Even when she’s gone. Because I have you.”
His eyes began to sting and his chest tightened. “She said that?”
“Yes. She said you’d look out for me.”
“I will,” he whispered seriously. “Always.”
“Then I’m not afraid,” she said lightly, jumping up and pulling on his hand. “Can you come in now? I want to show you off to everyone.”
