Page 60 of House of Kallan
I got to my feet as they entered, Lydia following my lead.
Taylour smiled and offered introductions, including their species. I imagined she did this as a comfort so Lydia would know that they were indeed sea monsters, but it was lost on Lydia as I thought the only word she understood was one from a book of horrors.
“This is Rafferty, a kaijin; Merlin, a cthulhu; Fisk, an umibozu; and Holloran, a qalupalik. Delphine, this is Lydia and her baby boy, Tate. Also, our Director of Haven, Dr. Tatum Almeida.”
There were handshakes all around with Lydia looking at me with wide, frightened eyes, entirely unsure about everything at the mention of a cthulhu.
We took our seats and Taylour led the conversation. It took a bit for Lydia to relax again, but after a while, she was conversing with the men of Delphine. She even let Fisk hold Tate.
At one point, Taylour looked at me and we shared a smile. This was the first meeting like this I’d sat in on, the one with Tyrus and Iker aside, since the situation there was a completely different set of circumstances. But as I watched Taylour maneuver the conversation to the points of concern and facilitate the five getting to know each other, I realized how incredibly perfect Taylour was for this position.
She knew how to comfort people and although I knew she was guided by the program she had built for this purpose, I was convinced by the end of the meeting that she’d done a damn good job. Lydia was excited. There was no mistaking the hope in her eyes.
We walked Lydia back to her room and when we stepped into the hall, I offered Taylour a smile. “We don’t often hear it, so I think when it’s recognized, it’s important to say so. You’redoing a fucking great job, Taylour. I’m so damn happy and relieved to have you on board to work closely with.”
Her shoulders sagged a little and she gave me a smile in return. “Thank you, Tatum. You’re right; we don’t hear it enough. Sometimes when you don’t hear you’re doing a good job, doubt can creep in and you begin to question your decisions, so I definitely appreciate it.”
Leaving her, I headed back to the third floor orphan wing. There was a small gathering of nurses in front of the open doors at the room where I left Toby with the caged children. As I approached, I heard the unmistakable sound of children laughing.
A smile touched my lips even before I could peer inside. He had one of the little ones in his hands as he danced her around the room, singing a song that introduced her by name. The kids joined in at the chorus and then the room broke into laughter.
The nurses were all grinning.
“He’s not so bad, is he?” I said, making the three nurses jump and spin to look at me.
“You have a good one there, Miss Tatum,” a nurse said. “He’s definitely a keeper.”
“And yes, we judged him too harshly,” the nurse I’d been speaking to this morning when Toby arrived said. She smiled. “He was distracted then, but now that he found what he’d been looking for—this right here? That’s his calling.”
I looked up at Toby as he set the girl back in her den and offered his hands to the boy next to her. He nearly fell out of his den to get to Toby. I spent the next several minutes watching. By the end of that little boy’s song, Toby had noticed the audience and insisted that we all join in.
The rest of the afternoon found the third floor dancing around with the kids that had been deemed feral as they laughed and enjoyed happiness for the first time in their young lives.
Tatum
The third floororphan wing usually had the doors wide open. The cages deemed dens were lining the perimeter of the room, stacked three high. But now, in the center were toys—dolls, blocks, cars, even a kitchen set.
The children hadn’t known what to do with them for several days and while the nurses tried to explain it, there were days that went by when the kids just watched. Two days ago, I brought in a couple two-year-olds from the first floor orphan wing and set them in front of the toys. They’d been more fascinated with the cages at first, but it didn’t take them long to play.
Our kids were still hesitant after we brought the two back downstairs, but today I found a handful of them on the floor, sitting on the mat with the toys and tentatively learning how to play. I stopped in the doorway to watch, leaning against the frame.
Lazarus and Rahael were with me today. When I prepared to leave their house this morning, they asked if they could tag along. I wasn’t sure if it was Toby’s constant chatter about the kids or something else, but it sounded as if they all wanted to check out Haven.
It didn’t take long for one of the kids to seeme. Though I wasn’t sure which voice spoke, I heard a quiet, “Hi, Miss Tatum,” and all eyes turned to me.
Smiling, I stepped into the room. “Good morning, my sweet littles.”
I received many smiles as they watched me come closer. But their attention soon spotted the men who had remained at the door, their wariness evident in the way they stilled.
“These are my husbands,” I said. Glancing back, I saw Rahael grinning, while Lazarus gave me a look that warmed me to my core. “Rahael and Lazarus.”
“You said Toby was your husband,” one of the kids said.
“He is. I have three.” I paused to reconsider. “Okay, actually seven.”
Their silent stares tracked me until I stopped close to where the children were playing.
“Why so many?” one on the floor asked.
