Page 172 of Cinder
“I can’t find my other sock,” she announces.
“You’re holding it, bug,” I point out gently.
She looks down at her hand, pauses, then grins. “Oh.”
I bite back a smile and crouch in front of her, taking the sock and helping her tug it on properly. “Remind me again where you’re going?”
“Remi’s,” she says, already wriggling out of my hold so she can chase Gus, who’s stolen a plushie from her bag and is trotting proudly toward the kitchen. “She said we might watch a movie, and there’s snacks. And—” She skids to a stop, spinning back to me. “Can I take my penguin book?”
“It’s already in your bag,” I tell her, zipping it up before anything else can escape her toy shelf. “Shoes. Both feet this time.”
She plants herself in front of me obediently, even though her energy is vibrating under her skin. I slide her sneakers on, double-knotting the laces because I know she’ll forget otherwise.
“You excited?” I ask, brushing a hand through her hair.
She nods hard enough that a piece falls loose again. “Remi said I can help make popcorn.”
“That sounds like a big responsibility.”
“I’m very ’sponsible,” she says solemnly.
I huff out a quiet laugh and press a quick kiss to the top of her head. “I don’t doubt it.”
A few minutes later, we’re out the front door, waiting on the porch. Remi’s car pulls up right on time with Max and Zela in the back, and she leans out the window with a grin.
“There she is,” she calls. “Our VIP guest.”
Elle beams, and she rushes forward. Remi steps out to meet her halfway, crouching to pull her into a hug that’s warm and easy.
“Hey, kiddo,” she says. “You ready for a fun day?”
Elle nods, already launching into a rapid explanation of her book, her socks, Gus’s attempted theft—everything at once. I hang back a step, watching the way Remi listens, fully engaged with her as though every word matters.
“She’ll be good,” Remi says, glancing at me as she opens the back door for Elle. “We’ll keep her busy.”
“I know you will,” I reply, smiling.
She tips her chin at me. “And you get a break. Don’t waste it.”
“I won’t,” I promise, even though I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do with it yet.
Elle climbs into the backseat, already halfway through another story to Max, and I lean in long enough to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
“Have fun, bug.”
“Bye, Penny,” she says, distracted, but she leans into my hand for a second before pulling away.
The door shuts, the car pulls away from the curb, and just like that, the street is quiet again. I stand there a moment longer, watching until they turn the corner, then head back inside.
Gus pads around the house, his nails clicking softly on the floor. I move through it automatically at first, gathering the stray things she left behind, straightening the cushions and setting an abandoned book back on the coffee table. The small, ordinary tasks fill the space easily enough.
In the kitchen, I rinse out the mugs from earlier and set the coffee machine going again, more out of habit than anything. For the first time in a while, there’s nothing immediate to do, no one asking questions, and no small hands tugging at my sleeve.
I lean back against the counter, wrapping both hands around my coffee mug once it’s full, letting the warmth seep into my palms. The afternoon light filters in through the window, catching on the edge of the sink, and I take a moment to relish it.
My daydream is broken when my phone buzzes against the counter. The sound cuts sharp through the stillness, loud enough that it makes me flinch. I frown, setting the mug down as I reach for it, thinking it’s probably Evan sending me a filthy reminder about what he plans to do to me later.
But when I swipe it, the screen lights up with a number I don’t recognize.
