Page 74 of Family: Posy 4

"Yes, Chi-Chi. Yes, Way-Way. I am proud to buy ice cream for luna and big sissy."

"Oh, you don't have to—" Grace and I said at the same time, then looked at each other and giggled again.

"Iwill," Thoreau insisted, then leaned down to whisper to us. "You're 'posed to say thank you. 'S good manners."

"Thank you, Reau," I said politely.

"Yes, thank you very much," Grace added.

He grinned and held out his hands to us. We took them and climbed out of our seats, then he led us back to the food trucks to look for one selling ice cream.

"There!" Since his hands were occupied holding ours, he nodded his head. "That says ice cream, right, luna? Big sissy?"

"Yes," we chorused, then looked behind his back to smile at each other.

He's so sweet, Grace linked me.

He is. The sweetest.

He's not— Um, I mean, he's ... special, isn't he?

He is,I confirmed.He's a precious baby and he always will be.

She understood what I was saying. No matter how old Thoreau became, he was never going to age. He would be child-like forever, and I doubted he'd ever be able to live independently.

Wayne and Arch take care of that,Lark said with a knowing wink. They will never leave that boy alone.

I hope not.

Just as with Peri and Tyler, I wouldn't jinx anything by saying it out loud, but I'd be shocked if the three of them weren't mates. There was too much love and chemistry there for it to be otherwise.

"What kind of ice cream do you want, luna? Big sissy?"

I blinked and realized we were standing at the counter, behind which a bored-looking teen human waited with an impatient scowl.

"You going to order something, toothpick?" he sneered, taking me aback, then looked at Grace. "Not you, though, fatty. A lard ass like you needs to buy a treadmill, not ice cream."

My jaw dropped, and I couldn't respond to save my life. Why was he being so rude to us? My hands started to shake, and Grace sucked in a sharp breath before hunching in on herself.

"What did you say?" Thoreau narrowed his eyes at the human.

"I said, Little Miss Starve Myself better order three scoops, but Tubby here needs to walk off fifty pounds instead of stuff her face with more food."

I hated any kind of cruelty, especially bullying. Grace was on the edge of tears and I was getting angry. Before I could stand up for us, though, Thoreau beat me to it.

"You better stop being mean to luna and big sissy!" Thoreau shouted. "You just give them ice cream. Right now!"

"First, Anorexia and Chubs walk up to my window, and now a retard." The human propped himself up on his elbows on the counter and raised an eyebrow. "Listen, freaks. The circus isn't in town until next week."

"Better say sorry, meany, or I'll get my mama!"

While I was ready to walk away, Thoreau was getting more and more upset. He paced around, his arms clenched into fists, and his whole face turned red with frustration and irritation.

"Come on, Reau," I said quietly and laid a shaking hand on his shoulder. "Let's go somewhere else."

"No, luna!" He shrugged off my hand, his face screwed up in a scowl that would have made me coo at his cuteness in other circumstances. "He is a bad boy!"

Then he turned and shouted into the crowd.

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