Shadow's own little blonde moppet was down by the water line hard at work on a sand castle. He had promised to help do one of the turrets, but Garm had run off after something and needed tracking down. But before he got to the dog, who was jumping at something in the brush, there was a little girl in his path.
One of the Ms. Pinnochios looked up at him expectantly. Shadow smiled and looked right back at her. She was so tiny.
It's times like these, the littlest, most insignificant moments when Florence wishes she could speak. To be able to call a simple apology for her runaway charge is leaps and bounds beyond everything she's capable of.
Hurrying after Mack, she offers Shadow an apologetic look instead, shifting Flo against her hip.
Flo smiled up at him and raised a hand, which was either a wave or an indication she wanted to be picked up. He wasn't sure which but settled on scooping her up. The first time he'd met her, she'd been just a month old.
Shadow gave Florence a bit of an understanding smile. "One second they're there, the next they're already halfway to the beach."
She likes Shadow. There are few people on the island like him, few people she truly likes, but he and Rollie have both somehow made it onto that list and when he smiles, she does the same.
Nodding her agreement, she looks at Mack in amusement, wondering how someone so small can move so quickly. Then she nods toward Karen, seeing her down by the water and the sandcastle, asking if she and Shadow might want some company.
Shadow offered Florence a bit of a smile as he shifted Mack comfortably on his hips. It was always easy to spend a few hours with her. The both of them were pretty good with comfortable silence.
"I think Karen needs some help with her castle. Do you want to go play with her?" Shadow asked the girls. He was familiar with the trouble kids can get into when they think they're being ignored.
"Yeah!" Mack crows excitedly, already scrambling to get down from Shadow's hold. Flo is quieter about her agreement, but she's nodding, looking at Florence questioningly. She doesn't jump down, like Mack tries to do, but Florence can feel her energy.
With a smile, she puts the little girl down, watching as they both run off to help Karen with her castle. Turning the smile on Shadow, she shrugs helplessly. I have no control.
Now and then, Florence answers, tipping her hand back and forth. It isn't so bad, even though Mack does seem more and more like her father every day. She took care of him for years, she can watch his daughters.
Shadow nodded slightly at the gesture and caught enough of the meaning behind it. He glanced up at Eostre's two little girls nearly falling over himself to say hello to Karen, his own girl.
"I didn't think it would be like this," Shadow said quietly. Even when things were good, they had never been like this. And up on that tree, he was so sure it would all be over.
He looked over at Florence and offered a small smile. "Feel a long way from home."
There's no way for Shadow to know just how true that is for Florence in this moment and her hand goes to her hip absently, missing the weight of her gun there. Had she ever forgotten it somewhere in Harsh Realm, she would have died. There's no question.
There would have been no forgetting back home.
Smiling in return, she nods her agreement, her hand hovering at her hip for a moment before it falls once more.
He watches the girls chatter and Flo plop down in the sand, all three of them blond. His mother had had dark hair, thick and beautiful, but after that he has found himself near surrounded by blondes. Sam had dark hair though. And present company excluded, of course.
Florence shakes her head simply. It isn't because she can't swim, because she can, but that she can't imagine putting on a bathing suit and taking a leisurely swim in the ocean. So many of her talents have been developed out of necessity.
One of the Ms. Pinnochios looked up at him expectantly. Shadow smiled and looked right back at her. She was so tiny.
"Hi there."
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Hurrying after Mack, she offers Shadow an apologetic look instead, shifting Flo against her hip.
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Shadow gave Florence a bit of an understanding smile. "One second they're there, the next they're already halfway to the beach."
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Nodding her agreement, she looks at Mack in amusement, wondering how someone so small can move so quickly. Then she nods toward Karen, seeing her down by the water and the sandcastle, asking if she and Shadow might want some company.
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"I think Karen needs some help with her castle. Do you want to go play with her?" Shadow asked the girls. He was familiar with the trouble kids can get into when they think they're being ignored.
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With a smile, she puts the little girl down, watching as they both run off to help Karen with her castle. Turning the smile on Shadow, she shrugs helplessly. I have no control.
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Shadow shrugged and looked amused as he and Florence followed after at a more sedate pace.
"You do a lot of solo babysitting for these two? They're a handful."
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"I didn't think it would be like this," Shadow said quietly. Even when things were good, they had never been like this. And up on that tree, he was so sure it would all be over.
He looked over at Florence and offered a small smile. "Feel a long way from home."
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There would have been no forgetting back home.
Smiling in return, she nods her agreement, her hand hovering at her hip for a moment before it falls once more.
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"You swim much, Florence?"
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"We've been trying to give Karen lessons. Get it so her enthusiasm doesn't wind up drowning her because she goes in without an adult."
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