Page 26 of Crimson Flames

Now that he can see I’m not here to strip him of his freedom, he sits up a little more confidently and makes eye contact.

“Could I stay here during the day, just until she's good enough to go home?”

I nod. “Of course. I’ll drive you here after breakfast and then bring you back after tea time.”

He smiles, a genuine one. It makes my heart warm. Helping kids was always what I wanted to do. There’s a certain peace in guiding a young soul to find its strength.

“How are the kids doing?”

I sigh. “They are doing better than I expected. It has been rather a challenge figuring out what all of them need, but we have a close family and everyone is doing what they can to help.”

“I want to help too. Those kids know me, they trust me.”

This brings me pause. On one hand, it would be great to have his help because of who he is to those kids. Kai is a leader through and through. However, I don’t want him falling into the pit of feeling like it is his job to care for everyone else.

“I’ll make you a deal,” I say. “I will accept your help so long as you know you can always tell me no. I want you to tell me when it is too much at any time.”

“I can do that.” He holds out his hand for me to shake it. I take it but don’t release him yet.

“If we come to you and ask a question about someone, we’re not asking you to handle the situation, we are asking you to help us handle it. You’re no longer the parent here. We will fill that role. It might just take time to build that trust and learn everyone’s triggers.”

Kai squeezes my hand. “Deal.”

Pulling out a new phone from my handbag, I hand it to him. I had a feeling this was going to happen, so I was sure to grab one of the phones Lev provided so Kai has a way to contact anyone, including me.

“This is for you. All of our numbers are programmed in there if you need anything at all.”

He takes the phone from me, turning it over in his hand.

“Lev made sure it was safe, and only age appropriate features are allowed. This is not an attempt to censor you, just to keep you safe until we can establish boundaries.”

“I don’t even know what I would use it for other than to call you guys. I’ve never had a phone before.”

I smile, thinking back to when Nessa talked to me about what to get for the kids. She was so excited to get them tablets and phones, and Lev was more than happy to help set them up.

“Nessa got them.”

Kai chuckles softly. “I’m sure she thought of everything.”

I can tell he wants to say more, so I stay seated instead of heading back to the room. When a minute passes and he still hasn’t said anything, I break the ice.

“What is it, Kai?”

Sadness seems to seep across his features.

“Do you, um…” He looks warily around the room before speaking softly. “Do you think Nessa would want to maybe… keep me?”

My heart rate speeds up, knowing exactly what he’s asking. It makes my chest ache. The foster system has failed so many, and Kai is a victim of the worst of it. I know what Nessa is going through right now is going to be a tough road, but from the way Cillian acted towards Kai, I see they already have a bond.

“Tell you what, when I know that Nessa has had some time to process and heal, I will tell you. Then, you can ask her.”

Kai swallows, nodding his head as if she has already said no.

“Kai?” When he looks up at me, his eyes are filled with unshed tears.

“That’s not a no. I won’t say that it’s a yes, but I know she needs a little time to recover. You can be by her side for as long as you’d like, okay?”

He blinks the tears away quickly, nodding his head.

---