After I helped the nice lady eat her food, Colby helped her lie down. She seems tired, almost like she’s ready to give up on things, but every time she smiles at me, I know she’s as strong as everyone else in our house.
Our house; mine and Colby’s, I think as I glance over at him. He’s giving me a big smile—one full of pride, and it makes me blush. No one in the world has ever been as good to me as my best friend, and I secretly hope that when I grow up, I can marry him. I haven’t told him because I know he’d be mad, but I can’t help it. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had, and I would never want to be away from him.
It’s the only way I would know how to stay with him forever.
“All right, Lils. Go back to bed, the sun will be up soon, so I’m going to make sure that all the doors and windows are secure,” he tells me as he gets to his feet and stretches slightly.
He’s still wearing his eye patch, and it bothers me. He only does that when he doesn’t want someone to look at him funny, and if the nice lady thinks anything different of him for taking it off, I’m going to be loads mad at her.
I won’t help her anymore.
I won’t feed her.
I’ll push her through the back door when Colby’s asleep and tell him she managed to run off.
“I’ll go to bed when you look normal again,” I say to him, putting my hands on my hips.
He shakes his head with a chuckle as he steals a glance at the nice lady. Heidi: her name is Heidi, I remind myself.
“Later, Lils,” he promises me as he starts walking toward the door.
“No,” I begin as I stomp over to him and grab him by the arm, “now.”
He runs a hand back through his hair before he shakes my hand off his arm. I see him steal another glance at Heidi, as he hesitates for a moment.
“Colby?”
“Yes, Lils?” he asks me quietly, turning his attention down toward me.
“Can I have a hug?” I ask him sweetly.
He arches an eyebrow but smiles as he leans down to envelop me in his firm embrace, and as soon he’s ready to pull away, I snatch the eye patch from around his head.
“Isn’t he the best?” I ask Heidi as I look at her with a big smile.
She raises her eyes toward Colby, who I can feel shaking next to me, and she smiles.
Just like I knew she would.
Just like we all do when Colby can be himself around us.
“The very best,” she agrees as she closes her eyes and attempts to fall asleep.
“See?” I whisper to him as I hold up the eye patch, “you’re never gonna have to hide yourself around anyone here. We all like you the way you are.”
Colby takes a deep breath as he retrieves the patch from my outstretched hand and slips it into his pocket. Giving my hair a quick ruffle, he walks out of the room, shaking his head, and is ready to make sure that we’re all safe and sound for the next few hours.
No one in this world will ever be a better protector than Colby. I can’t wait to grow up; we’ll be happy together forever.