Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

Like any kids, she didn’t like her greens very much, but she still ate them
with a little grimace on her face, like the responsible little girl she was.
“I was thinking I’d wear a light blue tie, what do you think, Pretty Girl?”
The night went by slowly, we ate, cleaned up— she helped me because
she said families should help each other when it came to chores, and then we
watched some TV before it was time for her to get some sleep.
I read her a book she loved which was based off of the very famous
Mexican legend of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, as Sofia had explained.
Valentina loved that book, she had us read it to her at least twice a week.
When I was done I put the book back on the shelf, turned off the overhead
light and turned on the small pink one on her bedside, before coming back to
sit beside her on the bed.
“Maddox?”
“Yes, Pretty Girl?”
“You're not going to leave us, right?”
There was something about how vulnerable children could be and how
they could say shit that truly fucked with your heart. I had to swallow the
nerves building in my throat before I could actually answer her.
"No, sweetheart. I’ll stay with you for as long as you’ll have me.” I
pushed stray strands of hair from her face and smiled down at her.
“I’ll have you forever.”
She smiled sadly before looking down at her bedding.
“Sometimes, I miss Mama and Papa.” I sighed, nodding my head.
“Yeah, baby, I know. But you know they’ll always be with you, right?”