Page 144 of Roulette Rodeo
"That's actually progress for him," I admit, then show her how to send photos. "Here, let's take a picture to send them."
She immediately holds up the phone, then frowns.
"How do I...?"
I reach around her, guiding her hands. "See this button? Tap it to take the photo. You can flip the camera here to take selfies."
She experiments, taking a photo of Duke who's chosen that moment to flop dramatically on the porch. Then she flips the camera and we're suddenly looking at ourselves on the screen—her nestled in my lap, my arms around her, both of us slightly flushed from the kiss and the cooling evening air.
"We look good together," she says softly, then snaps the photo before I can respond.
She sends it to the group chat with the caption:"Learning about phones with Doctor Cowboy"
The responses are immediate:
Talon: GET IT CORWIN
Shiloh: Coming home now…
Talon: Jealous much?
Shiloh: My omega. My lap.
Red: There's enough of me for everyone's lap
Rafe: This conversation is inappropriate for a group chat.
Talon: You're inappropriate for a group chat
"They're ridiculous," I tell her, but I'm smiling.
"They're perfect," she counters, then looks up at me. "You all are."
She spends the next twenty minutes exploring her phone while I guide her through features—how to download apps, adjust settings, use the camera properly. She takes approximately thirty photos of Duke, five of the sunset, and several more selfies where she experiments with angles.
"What's this?" she asks, finding the app store.
"That's where you can download other apps. Games, social media, whatever you want."
Her eyes widen.
"There are games? On the phone?"
And that's how I end up teaching her about mobile games, downloading several puzzle apps that she immediately becomes obsessed with. She's curled completely against me now, my legs long since gone numb, but I wouldn't move for anything.
"Can I text Poppy?" she asks suddenly.
"Of course. Add her number here."
She carefully inputs the number from the napkin she's been carrying, then sends:"Hi Poppy! It's Red! I got a phone!"
The response is almost instant—a voice note of Poppy screaming in excitement so loud I can hear it clearly.
Red laughs, delighted, and starts typing back.
I watch her face as she navigates this new form of communication, the way she lights up with each notification, each new discovery.
"Thank you," she says suddenly, looking up at me. "For being patient and teaching me. Also, for not making me feel stupid about not knowing this stuff."
