The Luna Choosing Game

With a statement like there, I had no polite way of backing out. Not that I would. These kids needed me,

and Elva was already having fun with them, playing on the slides.

Nicholas and I would just have to put aside our differences long enough to help the kids. After that, we

could go back to not getting along as usual.

After confirming I would be staying, the caretaker offered to lead me and Mark inside.

“I’ll stay out here,” Mark said. “Keep an eye on the kids.”

I was grateful. If he watched Elva, I knew I wouldn’t have to worry.

Inside, I joined Nicholas in the kitchen. He was washing dishes, preparing for the day’s main event:

lunch. And what an extravagant lunch it would be, if the piles of containers were any indication.

“Did you bring all this from the palace?” I peeked under the aluminum foil on one of the containers. Inside was at least ten servings of garlic potatoes.

“One of the cooks is particularly fond of me,” Nicholas said. “She makes special servings when I ask.”

you. There’s

it goes to a good cause. Plus, I make sure she’s

No wonder

then set it aside on a wet stack.

and began to dry.

domestic. Him washing and then passing the dishes to me

How many times had we shared moments

wasn’t all that

to help out the kids at the orphanage like this all

fortune from being there, it was the least I could do to pay some of it forward

had always accompanied me. Often times, he went even

never stopped,” he said.

but after Elva, with her

at an

Nicholas grunted in acknowledgement.

reminisce, but

and I had some of our best conversations like this,” I said. “Do you remember

caught it? I’ll never forget. I felt like

question, and you knew you were going to surprise me. You were ready for me to

it.”

didn’t remember that.

stopped scrubbing at a dish to glance at me. His face was entirely passive, but his eyes