Page 12 of Finding You

“Was someone being mean to you?”

She nodded again.

“Someone from our class?”

“No. Some big kids.”

The playground she’d been on was for kinders only, but some of the fifth graders were getting their kicks in breaking the rules. It was senioritis, he knew. They felt like consequences didn’t apply to them this year because they’d be done for good at the end of summer.

And he only took a little pleasure in knowing they were in for the hellscape that was middle school next, which was punishment enough.

“Do you want me to walk with you out there? You know you can’t be in here until the bell rings.”

She bit her nail, then sighed and shrugged. Something about her face triggered something in him—something familiar. He just couldn’t place it. “I’m a big girl. I can do it.”

He walked her to the door. “Go tell a monitor if they’re still there, okay?”

She nodded.

“Oh, and am I going to meet your parents tonight?”

Flora looked back at him, halfway out the door. “Auntie,” she said, then paused. “And maybe Daddy.”

Good. He’d try and talk to them. Flora was smaller than most of the other kids and more passive. She was a little fussy about stuff and liked a strict routine. Dallas had seen it before, and it put a target on her back that left him worrying about how the rest of the world would easily chew her up and spit her out.

He didn’t want to see her little spirit crushed like his own had been. He wanted better for everyone else in the world, even if he couldn’t have it for himself.

Chapter Four

KYLEN

“Oh. It’s Howard. Howard’s here.”

Kylen fought the urge to correct his grandmother. He wasn’t even sure she knew a Howard. Maybe he was one of the nurses. Or some fling she had back in the fifties, which was something he did not want to think about.

Beside him, his sister scoffed. “Gran…”

“Just let her have it,” he told her.

Grace gave him a flat look. “It’s not healthy to let her think whatever she wants.”

He fought back a small wave of rage. His sister meant well. He knew that. All of his family always meant well. But this was the longest any of them had even stuck around since his grandmother had gotten diagnosed. Somehow, he’d become the official carer for her in spite of the fact that he made the least amount of money and had the least amount of time.

But Grace would stay for a week, then go home and pat herself on the back and make inspirational posts on Facebook about what a good job she was doing taking care of her ailing grandma. And everyone would praise her, and no one would bother looking deeper into the reality of their situation.

He didn’t really care though. The only thing that mattered was that his grandmother was safe, which was what he was working on now. He was able to get another two weeks of leave before he had to fly again, but then he was tapped out.

If he didn’t want to lose his house, he had to work. He was starting to feel the strain. If it wasn’t for Dani’s best friend, who was willing to babysit Flora while he was in the air, he would have been completely screwed.

“What’s that face?” Grace demanded.

He ignored her and walked over to his grandmother’s bed, kissing her forehead. “Hi, Gran.”

“I’m not a gran yet, Howard,” she said with a small giggle. Her voice was hoarse from being intubated, and her left pupil was still a little dilated.

He wanted to maim the fucking neglectful nurse who’d been on filming a TikTok in her car instead of watching her. The woman had been let go, but apart from a half-assed apology, they weren’t getting anything from the company except an email saying that his grandmother was no longer a good fit for their services and that they were working with the insurance to have her transferred.

He was shit out of luck until he heard back from someone.

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