Page 25 of Deadly Sights

I nod, refraining from commenting on the purpose of giving me a room when he’s bound to watch me sleeping at night, anyway. His calm assuredness is missing and for some reason, I don’t want to take away any more of it.

We enter a room that looks like it’s always prepared for visitors. No need to change the sheets or air the room. There’s no dust on the furniture, and… I take a fresh glance around. This isn’t a room for just any visitor. This isn’t a visitor’s room at all.

“When you saidyourroom, you meant that everything in here is meant specifically for me, didn’t you?”

Although not a replica of my bedroom, Julian has recreated the color scheme, transitional furniture, and accessories that reflect the same vibe from my home. There’s even a wig room with a larger collection than the one in my apartment.

He stares deeply into my eyes. In a low voice, he says, “One day, I hope you’ll believe me when I say I’m here for you.”

CHAPTER 12

ANOTHER VOW

Until Him

This never-ending abyss I cannot fill

Not with thoughts nor things

Nor food nor folks

Yet always in my ear,

I hear…

Give me more

Never enough

Untilhim

He’s more than enough

Filling me to overflowing

A warm fire fighting the frigid air

He is everything

— JANINE MCFARLANE

Creative Gifts

Hair Beads and Afro Puffs switched up their hair today. Hair Beads wore the front half of her hair in Bantu knots and the back half in a bun while Afro Puffs rocked mini-twists that came down to her chin. The change took a day for the boy to get used to, but the new styles grew on him.

As always, the three kids escaped from the rest of the kids with Afro Puffs in the lead. She steered them toward the back of the maintenance building. The boy and Hair Beads glanced at each other with a question in their eyes but remained silent.

The three kids circled the building, trekking further to a remote area of the orphanage’s campus. When the sounds of the other children faded and they lost sight of the adults, Afro Puffs led them to a makeshift fort. It was small and camouflaged to blend in with the surroundings, which explained why it went unmolested. The adults hadn’t noticed it.

The trio crawled inside and came to an abrupt stop once they registered the scene in front of them. A sign displaying the words Happy Birthday hung above a stool. On the lone piece of furniture sat a chocolate cake, a knife, and small paper plates and utensils lay beside it.

Tears glistened from the boy’s eyes. He turned eleven today, but he didn’t acknowledge it. No one else had either.

Hair Beads took one look at the cake and darted forward with, “Happy Birthday. If you stay standing still, you going to miss out on the good stuff.” She reached for the knife, but AfroPuffs snatched it before the other girl could cut a huge chunk from it.

“He goes first.”

Hair Beads released the knife. “He always goes first,” she said with a huff.

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