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That made Michele smile.
It was probably the first time he met someone who prized his art as much as he did.
"I'll be right back," he repeated, slowly leaving her side and heading to the counter.
He pushed one hand into the pockets of his pants searching for cash all the while perusing the prices on the board.
"Damn," he muttered as he felt around for money.
He didn't think he had enough for two portions. He had a meager allowance, and he used most of it on his art supplies. And so what was left was mere pocket change.
Still, he managed to pull together about ten dollars for a large menu, saving some coins to head to the pharmacy afterwards.
He wasn't that hungry anyway. Why, he'd already had breakfast. But her…he had no idea when was the last she ate if the people around her didn't even care enough to change her out of her dirty clothes.
After placing his order, he only had to wait a few minutes before it was done. Grabbing onto the tray, he walked back to their seats and placed everything on the table.
The large menu consisted of a massive portion of fries, a big burger, a side of salad and a drink. By some luck, it had been under ten dollars and he'd been able to also get a small chocolate muffin for Venezia.
Her mouth was hanging open as she looked at the food in front of her.
"Go on, eat," he urged her.
She seemed reluctant to dive in, and a few moments later he realized why. She was trying to wipe her hands on the dress.
"Give me your hands," he said as he took out the wet wipes and cleaned her hands until she was pleased enough with herself to start eating.
Immediately, she took a bite of a fry, smiling as she chewed it.
"Thank you!" she exclaimed. She was a bit of a messy eater, but he didn't mind it. She looked so cute in that moment Michele couldn't help but be glad he had the extra cash to spare.
"Why you no eating?" She asked when he saw him only watching her. "Here," she thrust a fry at him.
"No, I'm not hungry," he shook his head lightly.
"You don't eat," she pointed at him, almost poking his chest, "Idon't eat," she pointed back to herself with a pout.
"Come on, Zia. You're the hungry one," he chuckled.
"Zia?" she stopped mid-chew as her eyes grew wide.
"A nickname," he offered. "Hasn't anyone called you that before?" He'd noticed she had a hard time pronouncing her name, most likely as a result of her missing front tooth. But he belatedly realized he should have bit his tongue. He was asking a child that, by the looks of it, barely had someone to care for her, if she'd ever been given a nickname.
She shook her head, pondering the word for a moment before nodding.
"I like Zia. It's easier to say than Venezia," she screwed up her face, making a funny expression before laughing at her own skewed pronunciation.
"There you have it, so now eat," he motioned her playfully.
She shook her head again.
"No. You eat, I eat," she continued, smiling in satisfaction as she leaned back to wait for his next move.
"You're quite the blackmailer, aren't you?" he couldn't stop himself from smiling at her antics. Still, he wanted her to eat. "How about we do this? You have two bites, I'll have one. Then again."
She narrowed her eyes at him, probably thinking if he was trying to cheat her. Eventually, she nodded.
And so she would eat a little, then feed him a fry. It went on like this until the end of the meal. By the time the food was gone, both Venezia and Michele were full.
