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“Use your—” Mike stopped scolding when Red shot him a look, a throwback to Roadkill’s we don’t do that speech the night before.
“Well, we can have some breakfast and do you want to color? I know we have a stash of coloring books and some crayons or pieces of them. The kids here love to color.”
“Okay,” Sydney replied around her thumb as her other hand slipped into Porsche’s.
“See, we’ll be okay,” Porsche said with a wink and Mike placed a hand on her upper arm, giving her a light squeeze.
Had one night’s sleep changed this man so greatly? His posture, no longer tight and bound up. The confidence he exuded was no longer threat based, but self awareness and when his hand slowly stroked down her arm her mind suddenly had a third focus taking over.
“I appreciate all you’ve done for her in the last few days,” he said. “When I’m done with the club business, I want to tell you what I can about what happened to my daughter.”
“It’s not my business,” she said even though every part of her was pouring two cups of tea and waiting for him to spill.
He glanced down, his eyes catching on the joined hands and a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “She needs someone to help her process and anyone who makes her comfortable is in a very tight circle.”
Warmth washed over Porsche as Mike said a quick goodbye and made his way to the second floor. Giving Syd two quick squeezes on her hand the two made their way to where Zoe had set everything up.
“Oh, so this is why you ditched me for the heavy lifting,” Zoe teased. “Getting your girl, let me guess, mani-pedi’s a little shopping and maybe ice cream for lunch.”
Sydney smiled around her thumb.
“Fine art is on the table for today once we have dined like queens,” Porsche said as she tucked her phone into her back pocket since Syd still had her hand in a tight hold.
“Oh, well, Queen Porsche and Princess Royal Sydney.” Zoe’s face twisted a bit and Syd nodded. “Yes, please let me be your humble servant and make up plates for you.”
With a bit of pointing to serving dishes and a mix of nods and shakes Zoe dished up two plates and brought them to the table where Porsche’s roll sat with the one bite taken.
“I’m going to find us some coloring books and colors okay?”
Sydney nodded and used a fork to start eating her eggs. When Porsche returned a glass of milk and orange juice was placed by each of their plates.
“Where did these come from?” she asked hoping Sydney had been brave enough to ask.
“The not old lady brought them,” she said glancing to Zoe.
“Her name is Zoe, it’s hard when we don’t have name patches isn’t it?” Porsche asked and Syd nodded.
“I found a few pages that haven’t been started yet,” she said passing a few crayons to the girl. “Here start on this page. It’sPaw PatrolI hope you like them?”
“I do still. They’re kind of for babies so don’t tell my dad.” She smiled slightly. “But puppies are kinda my favorite thing.”
“Then you’re gonna need to meet Bailey and Creature.”
“Creature? Who names a puppy Creature?” Sydney questioned.
“Red, but when she first came here she was a bit mangy and beat up,” Porsche said remembering the emaciated pup Red saved. “At one point we thought Roadkill would rename her, but it stuck. Her first owner wasn’t very nice to her.”
“Oh.” A shiver shot through Sydney making the crayon run past the line. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean— I can fix it maybe.”
“Fix what?” Porsche asked making sure the point of her own crayon slipped past the outline of Marshall’s red helmet. “I don’t see anything wrong with that picture.”
“I’m not a baby, I should be able to stay in the lines.”
“What fun would that be?” Porsche asked and Sydney’s eyes blinked at her as if her mind couldn’t process the new information. “There are lines that shouldn’t be crossed, but others need to be. Like glow sticks, you can’t make them shine if you don’t snap them.”
They sat in silence for a while as they colored side by side, stopping to nibble on bacon or take a bite of their rolls. Sydney colored, but stayed away from the place where she’d crossed the line. As if a force field was in place blocking her crayon from moving there.
“Porsche do you know why my daddy would hurt me?”
