06-23-2017, 08:37 PM
Cute little imp. I watch her scamper off to go find her momma and sneak a little cuddle and a snack. “Thanks. That means...it means a lot, Roma.” I say softly, lacking my usual smug smirk because the compliment was too genuine. And meant too much coming from someone who’d been raised in such a close family. I turn to look at Roma, shrugging away her apology. “Nah. It was fair enough. I was a dumbass kid, and you and yours had to put up with a lot of my shit. I didn’t…I don’t know, I didn’t know any better, I guess.” I look in the direction Kali ran off, sighing. “And then there was Ty. I learned what family could be. You guys showed me. And when I saw the twins for the first time, when I looked at those little faces that were so much like mine, I thought maybe...just maybe, I could have something like that. If I…”
If I was better. If I was the kind of man who actually gave a shit about them, and did my best to guide them to be better than I’d been. Better than I was. Better than what I’d come from. I shrug, meeting those golden eyes of hers again. “I don’t know. I think I’m the lucky one. I’ve got some pretty great kids. A gorgeous home. And now and again, I get a surprise visit from an old friend.” Ah, and there’s a bit of my old grin back.
Doesn’t last long, though. The hesitant tone in her voice when she says my name, the way she can’t quite meet my eyes, the way she’s gotta move because standing still is too hard. “You haven’t seen any of them, have you?” she asks, and my grin fades. I open my mouth to answer, and she shakes her head. “Nevermind. I don’t want to know. This way I can pretend that they are still out there somewhere.”
“Hey.” I step closer, bump her shoulder with my nose. “They’re still out there. You kidding? Have you met them? It’d take a hell of a lot more than the world devouring itself and spitting us all back out stripped of our power to finish off your family. They’re tough motherfuckers, the lot of them. I haven’t seen any of them since Ty dumped my ass, but I have no doubt they’re around, and probably just as worried about you as you are about them.”
I’d pull her into a hug, but--ah, fuck it. A hug it is. “We’ll find ‘em, okay? And ‘til we do and you decide you’re better off wherever they managed to set up camp, you’re welcome here. Plenty of room, lots of light, all the Kali you can handle.” I pull back to look at her, grinning. “I know you’ll take good care of her on your adventures, and I look forward to all the sneaky not-true and sneakier true stories.”
If I was better. If I was the kind of man who actually gave a shit about them, and did my best to guide them to be better than I’d been. Better than I was. Better than what I’d come from. I shrug, meeting those golden eyes of hers again. “I don’t know. I think I’m the lucky one. I’ve got some pretty great kids. A gorgeous home. And now and again, I get a surprise visit from an old friend.” Ah, and there’s a bit of my old grin back.
Doesn’t last long, though. The hesitant tone in her voice when she says my name, the way she can’t quite meet my eyes, the way she’s gotta move because standing still is too hard. “You haven’t seen any of them, have you?” she asks, and my grin fades. I open my mouth to answer, and she shakes her head. “Nevermind. I don’t want to know. This way I can pretend that they are still out there somewhere.”
“Hey.” I step closer, bump her shoulder with my nose. “They’re still out there. You kidding? Have you met them? It’d take a hell of a lot more than the world devouring itself and spitting us all back out stripped of our power to finish off your family. They’re tough motherfuckers, the lot of them. I haven’t seen any of them since Ty dumped my ass, but I have no doubt they’re around, and probably just as worried about you as you are about them.”
I’d pull her into a hug, but--ah, fuck it. A hug it is. “We’ll find ‘em, okay? And ‘til we do and you decide you’re better off wherever they managed to set up camp, you’re welcome here. Plenty of room, lots of light, all the Kali you can handle.” I pull back to look at her, grinning. “I know you’ll take good care of her on your adventures, and I look forward to all the sneaky not-true and sneakier true stories.”