"Oh." Well, that narrowed it down. Not.
"I think we'll have to go to the desk and have them call your mommy on the loudspeaker. Come on."
I stood and debated whether or not I should hold her hand. I didn't want to get arrested for trying to help her, but she needed comfort.
"How about you hold on to the hem of my skirt," I suggested. I tugged out a handful and held it out for her to grip. "Don't let go, okay?" I said firmly. Who knew what kind of people frequented crowded malls, looking for lost kids just like this? Nothing was going to happen to her on my watch.
I glanced around and located the 'Information' sign high up on the wall. "We're going this way." I managed a sip of coffee and forgot I hadn't let it cool for long enough.
"Oh fu— Um, fudge." I stuck out my tongue and blew a few times.
"My mommy says it's naughty to say bad words," Penny said.
"Errr, fudge isn't a bad word," I said.
"You weren't going to say fudge," Penny said. She gave me one of those wise-beyond-her-years looks some kids did so well. "You were going to say?—"
"Look out for the man with the giant teddy bear," I said. “He can hardly see over the top."
Penny gaped at him, while I thanked my lucky stars for the distraction.
"I wanna teddy," she declared.
"You can take that up with your mommy," I said. No wonder my friends who had kids moved into houses. That teddy would take up a good half of my apartment.
"Look, here's the desk," I said cheerfully. "Hey there, I found a lost little girl."
"I'm big," Penny declared.
"Lostbiggirl," I corrected, while the man behind the desk smiled indulgently.
"Name?" he asked.
He picked up his microphone and made the announcement over the bustle and noise of the mall.
"We'll have to wait, ma'am. Can I ask you to stay too? I'm not allowed to have a kid here alone."
"Of course," I replied. He seemed a nice enough guy, but it was easy to point fingers and make mud stick. I recognised the irony that I did that with Hawk. Anyone who saw me with Penny could suggest almost anything, even though we were out in the open the entire time. I could lose my job over whispers like that.
I was a hypocrite, I realised, for making assumptions based on random photos, then getting pissed at people making assumptions about me. I resolved to ask Hawk about those photos at dinner later.
"Penny! Oh my goodness, I've been looking everywhere for you!" A heavily pregnant woman waddled through the crowds toward us. She looked exhausted and anxious.
"Mommy!" Penny shouted. "I went to look at cupcakes, then you were goned."
"Gone," her mother corrected. "What have I said about running off?" In spite of her tone, she was clearly relieved. She held out a hand to Penny.
Penny shook her head and jerked a thumb toward me. "She said don't let go." She held up her fistful of my shirt.
Her mother and I exchanged looks and burst out laughing.
"It's okay honey," I said. "You can let go since your mommy is here."
Penny let go and skipped to her mother's side.
"Thank you." Her mother gave her a hug.
"You're welcome," I said with a smile. "She's a sweet kid."
