“Can we get tacos for Noah too?” Sophie rushed to say.
“Of course,we’re going to get him tacos too,” I said, worried by the way she earnestly asked if I would feed her brother.Had Noah been making sure she had food,but not taking care ofhimself?No matter how much we asked, they wouldn’t tell us much about theirtrek here from New Mexico.
There was something up with these two. They were keeping a secret, and I alreadydidn’t likewhatever it was. Cracking a couple kids of their secrets was as futile as trying to getKrystanto an AA meeting. Though come to think of it, I hadn’t seen her drink in a while. She said she had a flu or something that made her throw it up right away.She didn’t seem sick and she hadn’t touched a drink since...Emma died. Right.
Coming back to the moment, I realizedKrystanwas bracing herself on the wall, still watching us.
“Did you...want to come with us?” I offered.
“Um, sure,” she said, nodding.
“Let me finish the book and then you can go get Noah,” I said to Sophie.The little girlnodded then ducked under my arm and leaned against my side as she looked at the book.
I sure as hell wasn’t used to being cuddled by small children, and while I awkwardly poised my arm around her, I couldn’t say I hated it.
6
Icouldn’t help but steal the occasional glance at Travis and Sophie. He helped stuff a napkin in the collar of her shirt before doing the same for himself. She seemed delighted by the fact they were matching.
Wewereeating tacos in the dining room since there were too many of us to fit in the kitchen. Gran sat at the far end of the table next to Noah because she was still pissed at me.
When Iexplained to gran why two kids weresquatting in ourhouse,I’dhadto clarify,no we weren’t running a child slavery ring.Though I didn’t think she was serious about that accusation, she seemed highly skeptical of the situation, I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t exactly babysitting material. Then I came down the stairs and found Travis reading a book to Sophie and thought I’d completely lost myever-lovingmind. I’d been on my way to storm out to a clinic to help me with my ‘problem.’ And the guy who was one half of the equation in making the little fetus inside me was doing thefatherliestthing he could,right there in the living room.
I was convinced for a full two minutes he knew and was playing a joke on me. But no.
Even now, he forced another taco on Noah’s plate after Noah said he was full.
“Don’t worry,bud,” Travis said. “We’re not going to run out of food. I can see the hungry wolf in your eyes. Go for it, man. We can always get more.”
Noah’s fingers reached out hesitantly for the taco on his plate as if he didn’t believe Travis. As iftomake a point, Travis took an oversized bite of his taco, shredded cheese spilling out of his mouththenhe smiled at Noah. Sophie dissolved into giggles.
Again, I wondered if I’d lost my goddamn mind.
I reasoned with myself that Travis was not much more than a child himself, so I shouldn’t be that shocked. But I was.
My cellphone vibrated hardagainstthe table next to me, causing me to jump. I snatched it up and answeredhurriedly. “Whack aGhoulextermination services. We whack other’s rates while whacking your supernatural problems.”
A woman responded in panicked pleas. “Help, oh god, come quick,forty eightForest lane, we don’t know what it is but it’s—” There was a crashing and shuffling sounds then a scream. I was out of my chair before the line went dead.
“Wegottaroll,” I said to Travis, before looking at mygran. “Could you watch them?”
Mygran nodded. She may be pissed atme,but she was the one who’d always been there for me. At leastI could count on that.
Noah and Sophie jumped out of their seats. “We’re coming too,” Sophie said.
“We’re your secret weapon. We get to come too,” Noah said at the same time.
We had to go and I didn’t have time to try and reason with irrational kid-logic. My frustration came out at as a snort.
Sophie pointed at me. “You sound like a hippo.”
Travis stepped between us, “You guys can’t come with us because—wait, what’s that over there?” he pointed toward the kitchen. Their heads whipped around to follow his finger which pointed to…nothing.
Before I knew what was happening, Travis grabbed me by the arm and was hauling me toward the door. I was barely able to grab my jacket and Batman on the way out.
“Real mature, Travis,” I said once we were outside, still practically running for the van.
He shot me a cheeky grin, keys jangling in his hand as he went for the driver’s side. “Don’t try to hide it, you’re impressed.”
