Kane again?
My heart starts humming for a different reason.
This late seems unlikely, and if it is, does it mean he’s rethought his whole mistake speech?
Is he about to storm in here bristling, ready to smother me in kisses and throw me on the bed?
When I open the door with my breath stalled, there’s a blank space where Kane’s head should be, towering above me.
Instead, I look down and see a munchkin.
Her hair’s messy and she’s wearing cotton pajamas with sheep on them.
“Sophie?”
“I can’t sleep,” she mumbles, swaying forward like I’ve already invited her in.
I glance up and down the hall.
Still and silent, just the way it should be.
Uncertain, I push the door open wider.
“What’s up? Did you hear something?”
“No, it’s not that.” She shakes her head and shuffles in as I close the door.
“Oh.” A quick glance at my smartwatch tells me it’s almost midnight. “What is it, then? Do you need your dad?”
She stops and looks at my desk with my tablet propped on its stand.
Her little eyes flash with a familiar light I’ve seen in Kane’s eyes.
“No, um… I just wanted to talk to you. Because you make shoes.”
Well, not really and not yet.
But she seems so serious, I don’t dare disappoint her with inconvenient facts.
“Sure, Soph. What’s up?”
I invite her to sit with me on the bed.
“So, I was thinking… could you help me get rid of these?” She flops down on the bed and holds up her black heavy shoe for inspection. I didn’t notice them in her hand earlier. “I hate them. I never get to wear anything pretty, not like other girls. Not like you.”
My heart pinches.
Poor, sweet baby.
The ortho shoesareugly. They’re built for function, the aesthetics an afterthought, drab and clunky with thick straps laid over the top.
They also look too big for her feet. I guess that’s the point medically to give her extra support and protection.
But if I was stuck wearing these things, I’d be sad too.
I take my time, leaning in to examine them from every angle, turning her foot gently. “How long have you worn them?”
She pushes her glasses up her nose.
