Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
My throat tightened. When was the last time anyone had made my girls laugh like this? When was the last time they’d felt safe enough to simply be children? The realization that it wasn’t me, that despite everything I’d sacrificed, I couldn’t give them this simple joy, hit me like a physical blow.
I remained frozen in the doorway. My body hummed with conflicting impulses, relief at seeing my daughters relaxed and happy at the fore, followed closely by wariness about trusting this moment with a man I barely knew and a crushing guilt that someone else had accomplished what I couldn’t.
Tiny gathered the fallen cards with careful movements, his huge hands looking absurdly gentle as he passed half the deck to Zelda. She took them without hesitation, already planning the foundation for their next attempt. The casual trust in the gesture made my chest ache.
“Mom!” Kira noticed me first, her face lighting up. “Look what we’re building!”
Tiny turned his head, his gaze finding mine across the room. Something flickered across his face before he nodded in acknowledgment. “Your daughters are teaching me patience,” he said, his voice deliberately light. “I’m not very good at it yet.”
“He keeps making the tower fall,” Zelda informed me, but there was a hint of playfulness in her tone I hadn’t heard in years. “But we’re letting him try again.”
We’re letting him try again. The words echoed in my head. My fierce, wary daughter who trusted no one, especially men, was willingly spending time with this giant of a man with his intimidating appearance. And Kira, my silent, watchful sweetheart, was openly laughing.
I took a breath, trying to steady my racing heart. “That’s… that’s nice of you.” My voice sounded strange, tight with emotions I couldn’t fully process.
“Mom, come help,” Kira patted the carpet beside her, inviting me into their circle. “Maybe your hands are steady enough.”
But as I watched Tiny carefully place another card with exaggerated concentration, causing both girls to lean forward in anticipation, I felt something else beneath the fear and guilt. A tiny spark of hope, fragile as the card tower itself flickered inside me. Maybe this place really could be the haven its name promised.
I hadn’t realized how long I’d been standing there until Tiny cleared his throat softly. A recognition flashed in his eyes as he met my gaze with his. With a deliberate slowness that spoke of someone acutely aware of how his size might be perceived, he unfolded himself from the floor, rising to his full height like a mountain slowly rising from the ground. I felt myself tense, an automatic reaction I couldn’t control despite having watched his gentleness with my girls just moments before.
“Sorry,” he said, his deep voice pitched carefully soft. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” He spoke softly, the pleasant timbre soothing me when I knew I needed to keep my guard up. There was something about Tiny that had me feeling secure when I didn’t think I should. Not yet.
I shook my head. “You didn’t. I just…” What? Just what? Just stood here watching a strange man play with my daughters and felt conflicted about it? “I was surprised to see the girls so… engaged.”
He nodded, keeping a respectful distance between us. “They’re good kids. Smart.” His massive shoulders shifted slightly as he gestured toward the far wall. “I came by to check the east-side security camera. Knight noticed a blind spot in our coverage. Thought I’d check on it myself and adjust it.” He seemed like he was stretching to find something to talk about, like he thought he needed to make conversation but had no idea how to go about it. Also, he seemed… nervous? Even now, as he spoke, a flush crept up his neck to his face.
“The one by the service entrance?” I asked, latching onto the neutral topic with relief. So, maybe if I ignored his discomfort, he’d ignore mine.
“Yeah. Angle was off by about fifteen degrees.” His hands, so large they made the playing cards look like postage stamps, moved in a small arc to demonstrate. “Creates a dead zone where someone could potentially approach without being seen.” I involuntarily glanced toward the window, an old habit from years of watching for Andy’s car to pull into the driveway. “It’s fixed now,” Tiny added hastily, seemingly reading my concern. “And there’s always someone on patrol, even if the cameras missed something.”
The girls had returned to building their card tower, Zelda positioning the base with surprising precision while Kira sorted cards by their condition, setting aside the bent ones. They seemed so at ease, even with this enormous man standing just feet away. The contrast with their usual hypervigilance around men made my throat tight.
“They don’t usually…” I started, then paused, unsure how to continue. “They’re not usually comfortable around people they don’t know. Especially men.”