Page 57 of Seeking Shadows

He watches me cautiously but eats. I feel a little bad for him—having to be around me all day. It’s not exactly the most exciting job.

“Don’t you miss home?” I ask, catching him off guard. He shakes his head.

“You can talk to me, you know. I get it.”

Tristan hesitates for a moment, then gives me a small, almost reluctant smile.

"Do you have a family?" I ask, leaning in closer.

"I have a father."

"And your mother?"

He hesitates, then looks at his plate, like the question has stirred something deep. "She died a long time ago."

I soften, my voice gentle. "I’m sorry..."

Tristan just shrugs, but there’s a quiet sadness there. "It’s been a while."

“And brothers? Do you have any?”

“I had a sister.” His eyes wander to the plate, but I can tell he’s not really seeing it. “She passed away too.”

My heart aches for him. I want to reach out, hold his hand, or offer him a hug, but something tells me Tristan doesn’t want that—he’s been alone so long, he probably doesn’t know how to deal with that kind of gesture.

“Do you have anyone else?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation to safer waters.

He shakes his head, eyes distant. “Not a lot of family, not a lot of friends. But that’s okay.”

I give him a wide, reassuring smile. “It’s nothing. You’ve got me now. And as long as you’re my babysitter, you’re stuck with me.”

He laughs, but it’s soft, almost incredulous. I think he’s still trying to figure me out.

“And before you became a security guard, what did you do?”

Tristan looks up, and for the first time, there's a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “I used to work in a circus.”

My jaw drops. “Seriously?!”

He nods. “Seriously.”

“Oh my God! What did you do? Bend your whole body? Swallow fire? Walk a tightrope?”

“Juggling.”

I clap my hands excitedly. “This is amazing! You have to show me.”

He laughs, as if the idea is absurd. “I don’t know if I’m that good anymore.”

“Oh, please! You’re so serious. You need to prove to me that you were once fun.”

Tristan gives me a look that’s a mix of amusement and disbelief, but in the end, he just shakes his head, laughing softly. “Maybe someday, Mia.”

I lean forward, eager. “That’s amazing! Do you realize those are perfect skills for a dating profile?”

Tristan frowns, clearly confused. “Dating profile?”

“Yeah! I wish I’d known this sooner. Back in my day, we tried tokeeppeople after we tried to kill them,” I joke, and he laughs as he eats more.

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