“Mom!”Zelda snapped her fingers impatiently.“Do we get our own room or not?”
I sighed and closed my eyes, even as I smiled.“Yes, Zelda.You and Kira can each have your own room.”That was the only permission they needed.Each girl claimed her room and started making herself at home.
“The women brought care packages to all of you.There’s clothes and toiletries.Make me a list of everything you need, and I’ll make it happen.
“I’ll leave you guys to it.”Knight smiled at me, excusing himself.
Tiny shifted his weight, uncharacteristically hesitant.“The apartment across the hall is vacant,” he said, his deep voice pitched low.“I was thinking I might take it.Just to be close.In case you need anything.”
I blinked, surprised by the suggestion.“You don’t live here already?”
He shook his head.“My apartment’s in the east building.But I thought… you know, with everything that’s happened…”
I understood what he wasn’t saying.He wanted to be near enough to protect us without crowding us.The thoughtfulness of it struck me, but I hesitated.Having him so close felt like a commitment to whatever was growing between us.
“I don’t know,” I began, my voice uncertain.“The girls --”
“I think it’s a good idea,” Zelda said from the hallway, startling both of us.She stood in the doorway to her newly claimed bedroom, arms crossed over her chest, but her voice held none of its usual suspicion.
“You do?”I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice.
She nodded, her eyes flicking briefly to Tiny before meeting mine again.“If Dad shows up here, I want Tiny close enough to stop him.”
“Me too,” Kira added, appearing beside her sister.She hugged Mr.Hoppers to her chest.“Mr.Hoppers feels safer with Tiny nearby, too.”
I glanced at Tiny, who looked as stunned as I felt by this vote of confidence from my usually wary daughters.His expression softened, the hard lines of his face gentling into something that made my chest tighten in an entirely different way.
“OK,” I said finally.“Because if it makes Mr.Hoppers feel better, then it has to be done.Right?”
Relief flashed across his features, and he smiled down at me.“I’ll get my stuff moved over today, so I’ll be there tonight.”
Knight returned with our few belongings from Haven.It wasn’t much, but it was ours.
“Give me a couple of hours and I’ll have some more things for you and the girls,” Tiny said.“I’ll get you all a key and your own code to my door.In case you need me.”
“You coming back tonight or what?”Zelda gave Tiny an impatient look, like she was put out with him or something.
Tiny blinked at her, clearly confused.“Well, once I got my stuff moved I thought I’d come back and spend some time with you guys before bed.Too soon?”He looked from Zelda to me, clearly confused.
Zelda gave him a level look.“It’s movie night.You need to bring junk food.Don’t come back if you can’t do your part.”She scowled before heading back to her room.
“Well.”Tiny scratched the back of his neck and grinned.“Guess I have my orders.”
* * *
The knock at the door came just after seven.At the monitor panel on the wall beside the door, I saw Tiny standing in the hallway, his arms loaded with what looked like movie night supplies.He peered around an enormous basket piled so high he was having trouble seeing around it.He turned to the side and directed a strained smile at the security monitor.
I opened the door and as he turned to face front, three chip bags tumbled to the floor.He jerked in reaction, likely thinking he’d catch one or more of the bags.Why I have no idea, because movement of any kind guaranteed the whole thing would topple like the house of cards he’d built with Zelda and Kira.
As expected, it did.The only thing he managed to not drop were the cans of soda in the bottom of the basket.Microwave popcorn, chips (of course), various bags of candy, salsa (in a plastic jar, thank God), and a list of apps and passwords for any kind of streaming service the girls could possibly think up.The ordinary domesticity of the situation struck me as absurdly endearing.This enormous man, clutching a laundry basket full of junk food for movie night like precious cargo.Except most of it was now on the floor.
Tiny stood there looking as shocked as a man could.I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing.Which lasted until I heard Zelda heft a loud, exasperated sigh.“I mean, at least you didn’t bring lame junk food.Like celery sticks and apples with peanut butter or something.”
Tiny gave a sigh of relief as he knelt to pick up the dropped snacks.Of course, I helped him.Zelda just looked down at him with her hands on her hips taking in the junk food smorgasbord.“You get a pass for dropping all the stuff since you got a good variety, but don’t let it happen again.”
Kira punched her sister in the tit as she hurried to help.
“Hey!Why’d you do that?”
