Duval nodded, smiling. “Yes, yes. You’re right. Sorry. Thanks, Abuelita.”
Ciela turned he head toward her mother. “Is that right, Mama? Can he call her abuelita?”
Noelle thought over the question, nodding at first and then tilting her head to the side. “I think it’s up to Abuelita, honey. If she’s okay with McCrae calling her that, then it should be fine.”
Ciela nodded and Duval felt like he could see her thinking over her mother’s words.
She wiggled off of the bench and crossed over to the bench were Patricia was sitting.
Ciela put her hand on Patricia’s leg and looked up at her with wide, bright eyes. “Are you okay with that, Abuelita?”
Patricia reached out her hands and cradled Ciela’s face. “I think that would be fine with me, sweetheart. McCrae is a nice man who’s working with your mama. So he can call me Abuelita if he wants to.”
Ciela nodded as if she had listened to her grandmother with great interest and was now pondering over her words.
She lifted her head a moment later and picked up a water bottle from the bench beside Patricia and turned to look at him.
Duval tried not to tense or stiffen.
He didn’t want to scare the child in anyway and was trying to appear as calm as he could.
She looked at him, her eyes widening and narrowing in turn.
Duval wasn’t sure what her thoughts or emotions were, but he tried not to brace himself visibly.
Kids could pick up on body language. He’d seen it.
Kids were extremely sensitive to the emotions of their family and close loved ones. The closer they were to the people, the stronger the connection.
He learned that when he was a teen and saw Katie go through much of the same reactions when their dad was killed.
Maybe that’s why this was hitting him so hard?
That and…
Ciela broke his chain of thought.
She walked up to him and he crouched down in front of her, smiling.
“Thirsty?” She held out the water bottle. “It’s hot outside.”
He wasn’t thirsty, but that didn’t matter. “Thanks.” He reached out a hand and she stepped closer. She was almost at his knee when she reached the bottle out in both of her hands and he put his hand on the bottom of the bottle.
His one hand dwarfed both of her hands several times over so he didn’t want to scare her.
“That’s very nice of you.”
Ciela tilted her head to the side and smiled, a little shy. “Welcome.”
He let out a breath.
So far, so good.
She didn’t seem to remember that he was the man who’d scared her so badly the other day.
“I… I brought this for you.”
He held out the stuffed animal to her.
