Sophie’s face lit up as she straightened, eagerly nodding.
Krystanshrugged and grabbed back the sandwich, biting into her own pathetic creation.I considered the reason she had always been impossibly skinny was because she didn’t know how to feed herself.She spoke with her mouth full. “Socan you tell me again why you guys are here looking for Travis?”
“And Calan, and Emma,” I clarified as I pulled out a pot from a lower cabinet with a clang.
Krystansuddenly became completely absorbed in her sandwich. I don’t think she was aware of all the times I'dheard her pacing late at night into the early mornings. She was hurting, but she’d rather shoot herself in the foot than say anything about it aloud.
“Seriously though, your parents are on vacation and you ran out on your sitter?” I asked again. That was insane.Noah was tenand Sophie wassixyearsold.How did they possibly manage to slip away from their babysitterandtravel all the way from Albuquerque to Denver?
Noah nodded and jumped right in, “Yeah, I called her not that long ago to let her know we are okay. Our parents won’t be back for a month.”The serious, take charge look of his face was almost comical if it weren’t sad. Noahclearly took his job watching out for Sophie very seriously.
I used the microwave as a timer for the noodles. I was younger than Noah when I stopped bothering to look at the back of a mac and cheese box. I could cook boxed mac and cheese blindfoldedwithone arm tied behind my back. I made sure to keep that to myself, becauseKrystanwouldno doubt force me totest that theoryfor her consideration.
“Yeah, so we came to help you fight the monsters.” Sophie chirped but her eyes hungrily followed my every movement as I grabbed milk and butter from the fridge.
Krystanand I exchanged a look. Neither of us had been exposed to kids all that often, and I couldn’t say which of us would be worse at this.
“Do you know your parents’phone number?” I asked.
Noah shook his head.
“Do either of you have a phone?”Krystanasked.
The pair shook their heads.
Seriously? Wasn’t it a kid’s job to pester their parentsto get a cell phonethe moment they emerged from the wombthesedays?
“How about your home address?” I tried, my frustration leaking into my voice. A strange look passed between them.
Noah spoke first. “We don’t know it. Weonlymoved toAlbuquerquea couple months ago. But we don’t want to go back. We came to help you fight the demons.”He carried a considerable amount of pride in his voice. Noah may have beenten,but he considered himself a full-grown man.
“Should we take them to the police station?” I murmured toKrystan, ignoring Noah’s last comment. I added the cheese powder, milk, and butter into the macaroni pot.
A dark look came overKrystan’sface. “Abso-fucking-lutelynot.”
“That’s a bad word, you shouldn’t say that,” Sophie chastised, eyes solemn even as her legs swung back and forth on the stool.
“Yeah, sorry,”Krystansaid,without anyreal remorse.
I placed a bowl in front ofSophieandshegreedily began shoveling macaroni into her mouth. WhenInoticedthewayNoah looked longingly at her food, I poured him the rest and he dug in as well.
Krystansaid in a lower voice to me, “There is no way we are dropping them off at a station.” She glanced at the rooster clock on the wall, the last remaining evidence of Mrs.Rits’sold cock-filled-kitchen. “Theycanstay here tonight. Then we’llfigure out how to getahold oftheir parents in the morning. I know someone who can help us.”
“Stay here? With us?”
Sophie giggled, “Your voice sounds high, like a girl’s.”
“Don’t be a weenie,”Krystanscowled. “They are just kids. We can keep a couple small humans alive for twelve hours.”
I glanced at the line of now dead succulents and cacti that sat in the windowsill over the sink.Why did I have a hard time believing that?
4
Travis said he’d take the downstairs couch, so we set the kids up in the guest room where he usually stayed.
Sophie got the futon and Noah splayed out on the blow-up mattress that tookup almost all the floor space in the small room. Thekids claimedthey weren’t tired, but their eyelids kept slamming shutafter eatingtheirmac and cheese.
Sophie’s breath evened before we even left the room.
