Zaire***
I didn’t rush this morning. Didn’t want to.
I help Kyra down the stairs, one hand hovering near her back, the other laced with hers. She doesn’t need me to do it. I know that. But I like knowing she wants me there anyway.
The TV’s murmuring something soft. Sunlight’s pouring through the windows, laying warm across the floor, making everything feel ordinary. That’s the best part.
She settles on the couch, feet propped up, and looks at me. “You working today?”
“Later,” I tell her. “I cleared my morning.”
Her eyes narrow, but there’s a smile behind it. “For me, or for you?”
I can’t help the small smile that pulls at me. “Both.”
I sit beside her, arm stretched along the back of the couch. For a few minutes we just watch the light move. Quiet. Easy. Then her voice comes, qu
