Page 69 of Heart of a Hero

He placed his knuckle underneath her chin and lifted her head so that their bodies were very close as she opened her eyes. “I’ll stay.”

“But Benji?—”

“Benji has his granddad, and this is no different from me working late. My guys are okay. And I’ll be an extra pair of hands for you this evening.” If he’d wondered if those were the words she wanted to hear, her lips curving as she breathed relief, was his answer.

“Thank you,” she whispered before lifting on her toes and kissing him lightly.

He wanted to take the kiss back into her bedroom but knew the activities that would follow would have to wait. Glancing up as the bathroom door at the end of the hall opened and Marty walked out in a clean T-shirt and shorts, he gave Karen a quick hug and then turned and said, “I thought I’d see if you have everything you need for tonight and for school tomorrow while Miss Karen gets your sister sorted.”

Marty nodded, his shy smile peeking out. Mark clapped him on the shoulder and steered him into his room.

“I’ll be in soon,” Karen said. Marty looked over his shoulder, and his smile stayed as he nodded again.

Once inside the small bedroom that had been amazingly transformed in a few hours from a storage room to a cute boy’s bedroom, Mark watched as Marty walked over to the chest of drawers. He opened a couple of drawers and pulled out clean underwear and socks, his fingers lingering over the material before he placed them on the chair in the corner. He then found a pair of freshly washed jeans and added them to the pile. A long-sleeved T-shirt followed. Then Marty placed his worn sneakers on the floor beside the chair.

“Got everything you need for tomorrow?” Mark asked.

Marty looked up and smiled. “Yeah.” He shrugged. “I like to lay everything out so it’s easier in the morning. I usually help Zannie get dressed and ready. I don’t want us to miss the school bus, so…” His thin shoulders lifted in a shrug as his words died out.

Mark felt a pang on the left side of his chest at the thought of the little boy, who was close to Benji’s age, having to grow up so quickly, taking on the responsibilities of the adults who were missing in his life.

Mark sat on the side of the bed after Marty picked out a book from the ones he’d borrowed from the library. “Life has been rough for you and your sister, and you’ve done an amazing job looking after her. But now, it’s time for you to be a little boy for a while and let some adults take care of you.”

Marty stared at him with eyes that seemed older and more jaded than any nine-year-old eyes should be. Slowly, he nodded. “Okay.” He looked around the room, and a little smile peeked out. “I can’t believe I have a room here.” His hand lay on top of the comforter. “This is nice. I know Miss Karen felt bad that the room wasn’t very big, but this is bigger than anything I’ve ever had.”

Mark thought of the tiny room in the mobile home that Marty and Zannie shared. They had to sleep on the old twin mattress on the floor. Even with that, the thin cover had been pulled up, and Mark knew now that Marty probably did his best to make the bed every day. And now, knowing how he took care of Zannie, his heart squeezed again.

Karen appeared in the doorway, and Mark stood. Looking down, he said, “Marty, you’ve been a great big brother… the best Zannie could have asked for.”

Marty held his gaze and then nodded. As Karen entered the room, Mark slid by her and whispered, “He got his things ready for tomorrow.” After she glanced at the chair and nodded, hesaid, “Take your time. I’ll be downstairs. I won’t leave until all is good here.”

The look she gave him was exhausted yet filled with gratitude. He didn’t want her gratitude for being a decent man. What he wanted was for her to be rested and not tired. But they’d deal with all that once she came downstairs.

He squeezed her arm and walked out of the room. Saying good night to Zannie and Olivia, he waved to Laura and then jogged to the kitchen.

30

Karen watched Mark disappear down the hallway. She heard Olivia and Zannie still giggling, their youthful energy undiminished even at this late hour. Their laughter was light, carefree, a sweet reminder of how resilient children can be. A softer voice followed—the tender good night from Laura, quieter but filled with the same contentment. Karen smiled to herself, her heart swelling with affection for these girls, so willing to embrace the chaos of the day with open hearts.

Her day had not turned out to be anything like she expected. Some surprises in life were chaotic and messy, but others, like this one, filled her with a deep sense of purpose. Offering them shelter had felt right, like the missing piece of a puzzle she hadn’t realized was incomplete. She sent up a silent prayer of gratitude, thanking whatever forces had shaped her daughters into such kind, giving souls. They had accepted the sudden shift in their lives with effortless grace, their hearts wide open to the changes.

As she thought of her daughters, her mind drifted to Jeffrey. His memory always lingered at the edges of moments like these, bittersweet and tender. He would have been so proud of them, proud of how selflessly they’d welcomed Marty and Zannie.Karen imagined his smile, the way his eyes would have softened with pride, and felt a quiet ache in her chest.

But her thoughts didn’t linger in the past for long. They drifted, instead, to Benji—Mark’s son—and the easy friendship he had struck up with Marty. It had been so natural, like they had known each other for years rather than days. Watching them, Karen couldn’t help but be struck by how seamlessly Benji had shared his father’s attention with these two children, who had never had the kind of steady, positive male figure that Mark embodied. It spoke volumes about the kind of man Mark was—generous, kind, and quietly strong.

Karen sighed softly, feeling the weight of the day settle into her bones, but it wasn’t an unpleasant heaviness. It was the feeling of things shifting into place, of new beginnings taking root. And as she finally turned toward her own room, her heart was filled with a sense of peace, a hope for what the next days might bring—both for the children and for herself.

“Miss Karen?”

She jolted as Marty’s soft voice interrupted her musings. Quickly walking over to him, she sat on the bed where Mark had just sat. “Yes?”

“I wondered what the rules were.”

“The rules?”

“Yeah. Mama always said there were rules whenever she had a new boyfriend.”

Uncertain precisely what he meant, she tilted her head. “Can you tell me what some of the rules were?”

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