Page 100 of The Prodigy

“Nice to meet you, misses.” That was the one with the glasses. “I’m Will.”

I shook his hand, then turned to the other one.

“I’m Bo. Nice to meet you, Ms. Malika.”

I shook his hand, then held up the cup. “I’m going to get him some water. Can I get you guys anything?”

They shook their heads and returned to their seats. They were clearly men of few words.

That was fine. Long as they had weapons and knew how to use them.

I found a vending machine, but the only water it had was Dasani. I turned my nose up and went to the elevators. The cafeteria didn’t have bottled water, only tap, so I returned to Jakari’s floor with a cup full, disappointed that I had failed at my first task.

Eris walked up to me as I passed the waiting area.

“How’s he doing, sis?”

“He’s okay. Watching tv. He wanted some bottled water, but they don’t have any.”

“Evian, right?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll run out and grab some.”

“Oh. Okay. Thank you.”

“Not a problem. You need anything while I’m out?”

“No, I’m good.”

I smiled as I watched him leave. There was something so…normalabout that interaction. I can’t explain it, but it felt real. Like I was actually part of this family.

As Eris walked away, their uncle Prez approached me. Having seen Lester around town when I was younger, seeing his brother was like deja vu. They could have been twins.

“How’s the patient?” he asked.

“In good spirits. It’s gonna take a lot more than that to take him down.”

He smiled. “Listen to you.”

“Is his grandmother coming?”

Prez’s face fell. “No. We didn’t tell her.”

“What? Why not?”

“She’s still grieving my brother. We knew it was just a shoulder wound, so…why put an old woman through that again?”

“Yeah. I understand.”

He nodded. “I have to run, but do me a favor and tell my nephew I love him, and I’ll get up with him tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

He went to turn, then he turned back and was on me with his arms around me. Startled, I hugged him back.

“Sorry. We hug in this family.”