Travis huffed a laugh, staring at the precocious little girl as she resumed painting his nails.“How do you know a big concept like that?”
Travis had never been the sharpest tool in the shed, barely making it through school due to his sensory processing issues and general preference to be out of doors rather than in them, but even he knew that was some pretty big vocabulary for someone so young.
Kit hummed in thought as she painted.“I don’t know exactly where, but I read a lot.”The confession surprised Travis as he hadn’t seen more than a handful of books lying around their apartment.As if she could sense his skepticism, Kit clarified even further.“Sometimes my mom would bring home a newspaper that someone left in a diner booth or on a bus bench, and when we drive from one town to the next, we stop by some of those free little libraries in town to move books from one to another as we go.”She smiled up at Travis as she gestured for his other hand.“Did you know they have a map of them on the Internet?That’s how we find them all.”
Travis shook his head.“Nope.Didn’t know that.”
Apparently there was a lot about the world that he didn’t know, mostly because he hadn’tneededto know.Parker was younger than him by a good five years and Kit by at least quadruple that, and yet they’d figured out how to survive in a world that seemed determined never to cut them some slack and threw every obstacle imaginable in their way.A swell of pride in the two of them filled his chest as gratitude that it was his farm that they’d landed on flooded his veins.
Clearing the lump of emotion from his throat, Travis attempted to change the subject to something less serious.“How are you liking school?”
Kit paused for a moment before sweeping another coat of paint onto his pinky.“It’s actually really good.”
Travis waited for more, but Kit seemed determined to stay quiet.It was unlike her, at least as long as she was in a good mood, which she seemed to have been so far this evening.Travis prodded a little more.“Seem surprised by that.”
Kit sighed heavily and capped the polish.Waving her hands over his to create a drying breeze, she looked up at him with sad eyes.“I am.”She kept waving despite her tiny hands not creating much wind, and Travis smiled at her determination.It would serve her well in life, but more than that, it reminded him of her mother.“The last few schools weren’t the best,” she mumbled.
Travis nodded to the side of the tub next to him.“Pull up a chair.Tell me about it.”Holding up his hands, still wet with polish that was more on his skin than his nails, he wiggled his fingers.“We’ve got time.”
Kit did as he asked, her hands smoothing down the front of her pants that were covered in sparkly butterflies.“No one makes fun of me at this school,” she confessed, her voice low.“The kids used to poke fun at my clothes and how I didn’t have a proper backpack and some other stuff that made going every day really hard, but I knew I had to because my mom had to work and I didn’t really have anywhere else to go.”
Travis couldn’t help but reach out and rub Kit’s back with the hell of his palm, not wanting to get polish on her new clothes but needing to provide comfort in some way.“Sorry you had to deal with that.Sounds pretty awful.”Kit sighed and nodded.Wanting to help more, Travis thought that maybe it would help if she felt a little less alone in her struggle.“Kids used to make fun of me too.”
Kit gazed up at him in disbelief.“Really?But you’re so cool.”
Travis barked a laugh that echoed around the tiled bathroom.“You are the first, hellonlyperson to say that to me.Appreciate it.”He smiled and sat back.“Did your mom tell you that I have sensory processing disorder?”
When Kit shook her head, Travis felt a little zing of happiness travel through him at knowing Parker kept things to herself.He wouldn’t have minded if she’d told her daughter, but it was nice to know he could trust her.
“What’s that?”Kit asked, genuinely curious.Her curiosity was another thing that he admired about the little girl and made a note to tell her mom what a wonderful job she was doing raising her daughter.
“Means I don’t like loud noises, bright lights, strong smells, things like that.”He bobbed a shoulder.To some it might not seem like a big deal, but it sometimes made everyday living an exercise in avoiding triggers.“Sometimes wear headphones in class to block the sound or sunglasses to block the fluorescent lights.Stuck out a lot.Kids will pick on just anybody for any reason if they want to.I definitely made it easy for them.”
Kit crossed her arms, seeming angry on his behalf.“That sucks.”
Travis nodded.“It did, but I got through it.So will you.”He bumped her with his shoulder, smiling when her face went from irritated to happy again.“You’re strong, Kit.That’s a big deal.”
Kit smiled up at him, but it fell slightly as she looked around the room.“When I’m here, I’m strong.”She sniffled and turned away, hiding her emotions in a gesture that reminded him so much of himself that he was taken aback a little.“I won’t always be here though.”
Travis wanted to promise her that she would be, but it wasn’t his place to be making promises.That was up to her mother, but he would do everything in his power to make sure they could stay if they wanted to.“Can’t predict the future, but for as long as you are here, you’re welcome to be as strong or as weak as you need to be.I’ll look out for you, keep you safe.”
Kit sniffled again, her mouth twitching in the corners.“My mom too?”Travis nodded, and before he knew what was happening, Kit was wrapping her arms around his shoulders and giving him one of the best hugs he’d ever received.“Thanks, Travis.”
Travis felt his eyes watering slightly and his throat constrict.This little girl and her mom were having him feel emotions he’d forgotten he even had, but it no longer scared him.In fact, he looked forward to more of it.
“You’re welcome,” he rasped.Clearing this throat, he patted her back and leaned away, gesturing to the door.“How about we celebrate my new look with some ice cream?”Kit nodded and sprinted from the room, Travis chuckling as he followed her into the kitchen.
A couple of hours later, Parker walked through the back door and smiled at his parents who were snuggling on the loveseat as his mom worked on knitting and his dad read one of his horror novels.“Thanks so much for watching, Kit,” she gushed.When her eyes landed on the little girl in question who was asleep on the couch, she covered her mouth and smiled.“I really appreciate it.”
Travis’s mom stowed her knitting and stood up to give her a hug.“Of course, dear.”She patted Parker on the cheek.“Travis did most of the heavy lifting though, so he should get all the credit.And the gratitude.”His mom winked at him before heading to the stairs.Travis rolled his eyes at his mother’s obvious attempt at matchmaking.
His dad followed, chuckling.“Goodnight, you two,” he told them.“See you in the morning for breakfast.”At least his dad knew how to play it cool, unlike his mother who was about as subtle as a dump truck.
“Goodnight,” Parker said politely before turning to him.As her eyes ran over his face and hands, they widened and lit up with mirth.“That’s a new look for you.”
Travis patted one of his tiny pigtails before taking them both out.Truthfully, he’d forgotten they were there, but he didn’t mind Parker seeing him looking a bit foolish.“Kit wanted to give me a makeover.”He stood and tossed the ribbons onto the nightstand.“Hard to say no to that girl.”
Parker nodded.“That’s for sure.”She looked at Travis a moment longer before her eyes moved back to Kit.“I should probably wake her up so I can get her in bed.”
