. : HELLACIOUS : .

The Heart

Lazy afternoons are dangerous.

Lazy afternoons with inquisitive children are deadly.

"You get crushes, Kash?" It was, at its core, an innocent question. But the D'Jinn knew better than to underestimate eight year olds. They gnawed at their curiosities worse than rottweilers with steak bones. Daisy asked Kash to babysit Fluer for her while she took care of some administrative hoopla at the elementary school. The D'Jinn was happy to oblige on the condition the young mother treated herself to a manicure before she returned.

"No." A simple answer for what should've been a simple problem.

Fleur swung on the tire swing, sucking on a rootbeer candy. "Uncle Malvin does. He like my daddy before he died. Momma told me."

Out right with it, then.

The D'Jinn wilted and scrubbed the stubble forming on their chin.

Fleur obviously considered Malcolm a replacement for her late father. If Daisy encouraged this notion then it must be true. They were really an item. A couple. A thing.

Kash decided it wasn't fair of them to swarm around Malcolm like bees to a virgin queen when he had a lovely, new family waiting in the ranks.

How insane is it, letting go of someone I never had.

As intelligent and emotionally keen as Kash was, the D'Jinn failed to realize the little girl's speech impediment (the mere clipping of a final -ed) changed the meaning of her statement entirely.

Daisy arrived shortly after lunch with a fresh set of French tips and a basketful of groceries.

"Hey, you two. I see the house is still intact, so I guess you weren't up to too much mischief while I was away."

"We robbed a bank!" Fleur shouted, taking the basket from her mother and walking it inside to the kitchen counter. The three of them got down to resupplying the pantry. Kash stiffened as soon as they touched the oatmeal box, questioning everything.

Once finished, Fleur ran for the TV, leaving the D'Jinn and the school teacher alone among the sea foam blue tiles and crispy white appliances.

"Thanks again, Kash. I was in a real pinch there. Everyone else was busy so I didn't know who else to call."

Daisy rang Malcolm's office the day before, figuring Kash would be there. And she was right.

The D'Jinn self consciously checked her bonds to see how she felt about them and found nothing but admiration and respect in return.

Either she's good at hiding it or she doesn't know I've been blatantly encroaching on her man for the past five months.

Kash cleared their throat and straightened their cuffs. "Daisy, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Yeah? What is it, Kash?"

Daisy turned the oven on and pulled lamb chops out from the freezer.

"You two are lovely together. Malcolm is... gonna take real good care of you and Fleur. I mean- you knew that of course, you've known him way longer than me, but I just wanted you to know... that he's good for it. And I think that's great. That's something really special. I've seen some relationships doomed to fail before they even start, but this one is... swell."

The young mother was taken aback. She nearly dropped her premium lamb. "He...what?"

Kash snatched a deep breath and braced themselves. Grit their teeth. Hid their hands. "I guess what I'm saying is that you guys are really swell for each other and I wish you the best. Especially after what you went through."