Chapter 44
At the house, Hana carried Phoenix into the museum. The little girl rubbed her nose on Hana’s shoulder and settled down for a nap.
“She’s heavy. Give her to me,” Will insisted, grunting as Hana lay the spindly bundle of child on his thighs.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Hana worried.
The old man guffawed. “Nothing left to hurt, kōtiro. And I’m sitting on my nono all day so it makes sense.” He patted Phoenix’s back gently with his arthritic fingers, the dark hair standing up on each bent finger like fur. Comfortable in his presence, the child snuggled into his lap and lay back like a queen, her thumb finding its way between her lips and her eyes flickering closed. Will patted her chest in a rhythmic pattern and Phoenix sighed with contentment.
“When she gets bored, please can
