Girl Problems

[Rhett Keyes]

‹Rhett Keyes› Most nights Rhett walked to his final destination, but tonight wouldn’t allow it. Tonight, he had been running a little late because Rhett would rather be with Dhara than at work-which was an oddity. Not that it was odd for him to spend time with Dhara, and want to spend time with her, but it was odd that he would shrug off his responsibilities for a few more extra minutes with Dhara when they had both been afforded the gift of immortality. It had been like this since he returned, clocking in right on time, or a couple minutes after his shift was supposed to start. Dhara made it exceptionally difficult for him to want to leave their shared apartment.

As he waited for the train, Rhett’s eyes were watching two people on the station platform. A woman and her daughter. The daughter seemed to be a little skittish and maybe around the age of seven, eight tops. The woman looked young, and dressed young too. Under thirty, and she seemed to be very protective of her younger daughter. Each time a person headed in their direction, the woman in the black dress with the pink and blue flowers on it would would turn the girl around so that the mother was in front of the girl, facing the person, or people that were bypassing them. It seemed...weird.

Normally, Rhett didn’t people watch, at least not so intently. He was the type to glance in people’s direction, give them a nod of his head and move on. Maybe he was bored, sitting here waiting for the train, or maybe it was just the peculiarity of the situation that had him still focused on the woman in the dress, or skirt, because he couldn’t actually see more than the skirt that fell right in the middle of her thigh area due to her coat. What was she so scared of? Vampires? Zombies? People in general? Rhett was betting on the latter, because every person seemed to get the same response, she didn’t seem to be profiling against any specific gender, hair color, nationality. Every person appeared to be a threat. And maybe they should be. Maybe everyone in the city was a threat. You put vampires, zombies, fae, people and who knows what else in one small space and surely something was bound to happen, right?

And something did happen.

Only, it was so typically average, that Rhett hadn’t seen it coming as the approaching train slowed down to a crawl and stop. Doors on every other section opened to let the people out, as the tall male stood and started to prepare to board it. As expected, the mother, or maybe even an older sister or babysitter, turned to face the train, putting the girl smack dab behind her as the doors swung open. People vacated and wormed their way around her, and Rhett decided to go to the section of the train she wouldn’t be on. He didn’t want her to be hunched over, because of him. Rhett wasn’t the type to try and upset people, he was the guy that tried to diffuse situations and negative feelings.

There was a loud ‘pop’ that made him stop a few feet shy of boarding the train. Not sure where it came from, he looked right and then snapped his head left as he heard a little girl scream. She was screaming a name-a name that wasn’t ‘mom,’ and hunched over the woman who was now on her back, looking at the night sky as two guys ran down the length of the train station, right past Rhett. One of the guys was carrying a gun, the other a black purse-the black purse that had been on the woman’s left shoulder.

Deep down, Rhett knew he should leave it alone. He should turn the other way, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t in the guy’s nature. So much for being on time to work, he thought to himself before Rhett moved into action. Maybe, and hopefully someone was calling for help, while he would try and help the woman-whoever she was to the little girl. Time always seemed to stand still, and grow heavy in situations like these. Where people’s lives were on the line. There was only a small window of opportunity and if people didn’t react, or even act that window grew smaller and smaller with each second that passed.

He was knelt down next to the woman, giving the girl some simple, easy instructions. Talk to her. About anything. Say her name a lot. And finally, to reassure the little girl, help should be on the way. Rhett first found a pulse on the woman’s right wrist, but it was pretty faint. Not liking what he felt (or lack of what he felt), Rhett placed two fingers under the woman’s jaw and searched for it there. Still faint, too faint.

He wouldn’t say anything and his face wouldn’t give away what he knew the woman’s fate to be. “You’re doing good.” Rhett ensured the little girl as Rhett focused on assisting the woman with the blood she was losing with his necromancer powers. It wasn’t as if anyone would see or know, but it was probably pretty pointless. Until the wound was closed, she was going to lose the blood she had left in her and the blood he was putting inside of her. But digging out bullets and closing wounds was a little bit above his old paygrade and knowledge base. Some woman came and knelt down next to him, informing him she called for help, but Rhett already knew. He knew that the help wouldn’t get here in time. Not with a shot that went right through the center of her throat, where blood was slowly choking her to death. “Why don’t you go wait over there and look for the guys who are coming to help, sweetie?” Rhett pointed to an area where the girl could stand, an area that was far enough away to not see the final seconds.
She was dead before they arrived.

He tried to slip away unnoticed with all the commotion, before any police showed up, but Rhett wasn’t that lucky. Life comes and goes so quickly, and the fingerprints of the lives people have touched don’t fade or vanish. They leave imprints and impressions on a magnitude of levels people will never understand. As Rhett walked away, a hand squeezed around his own bloody one and it made him stop. It was tinier than Dhara’s which meant it belonged to a tinier person. Child-sized.

He looked down to see the same little girl at his side, holding his hand. “Hey.” He said with a nod of his head before he looked back at the scene he had just left from. “There will be guys coming. They’ll be wearing blue and yellow. They’ll get you home safe.” He said as he knelt down and looked the girl square in the eyes. ”I don’t like blue.”

Rhett looked around and then nodded again. “I’m not a fan of it either. But it’s a safe color.” He pulled his hand away and wiped them on his black jeans, hoping most the blood would vanish from his hands before the little girl saw how much of his hands were caked in it. “A lot of colors go with it.” He pointed to where there was a crowd of people gathering, the train obviously delayed and on hold for the night. ”My mom told her to watch me. She said there were things in the city.” The little girl whispered to Rhett. ”Monsters.” She nodded solemnly at Rhett. ”I need to find my mom. She’s going to be worried.”

“They should be able to help you find your mom. The men in blue.” Rhett interjected, placing a hand on both her shoulders, reassuring the girl. With a pat to her shoulder, Rhett stood and started walking away before things got any more weird. After a few more steps, the hand was back in his and he sighed. Rhett wasn’t good with things like this. Saving lives, or trying to save lives? Sure? Helping people with their train wrecks of emotions? Wasn’t that what shrinks were for? ”I don’t like blue.” Rhett sighed and reached into his pocket for his phone and pulled up Dhara’s name. He pressed the call button and waited for it to get picked up before he talked. “Hey. I was on my way to work, but something happened. I’m fine. But I’ve got a bit of a girl problem here…” It was left open, because Rhett didn’t think it could be taken any other way, but in truth, it could be. A girl could be a woman, even if in this case it wasn’t. “Help?” He asked, the tone of his voice clearly indicating a small level of frustration.


<Dhara> After Rhett had reluctantly left their apartment, Dhara had gone about starting her day. First the nightly exercise of sipping tea or coffee and forcing herself to keep it down. Little by little it was working. She couldn’t taste any of it, but the simple act of swallowing something hot that smelled good went a long way to making her feel more… more what? Human? Alive? Maybe it was both. She was still coping with being a vampire and there were just some things she wasn’t willing to let go. Her coffee addiction was one of them.

She was in the midst of tidying up their living space when her phone rang. Darting across the small apartment, she scooped it up, worry stabbing her when she saw it was Rhett. He was on his way to work. The fact that he was calling meant something was wrong. Her soft hello was met with a short, confusing explanation. After a few more moments of conversation she collected her things and was out the door, barely remembering to lock it behind her. It didn’t take her long to get to the station, and even less time to find Rhett.

She paused a moment and took in the scene. He looked a little confused and awkward, standing there with a small child clinging to his hand. The young girl was nearly as tall as Dhara, which didn’t mean much considering her tiny stature. A small smile curved her lips as she approached, looking up to her love, then down to the small girl. She paused and smiled again before she spoke, her softly voice with it’s German accent was just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

“Hello Poppet. My name is Dhara, what’s your name?”

‹Rhett Keyes› Rhett’s frustration was met with relief when she saw Dhara approaching him. His tense posture slowly slacked and he waved her over with his free hand. “That’s my girlfriend.” Rhett told the little girl at his side, hoping maybe that would make her go away-or go to Dhara. But she didn’t. The girl stood planted right at his side as Dhara finished approaching them.

Rhett looked at his girlfriend as she initiated conversation with the little girl, who still held on to his hand. ”What’s a poppet?” The girl asked curiously as she looked around the main subway platform. ”Her name was Sylvia.” She pointed to the crowd around the woman now, but hadn’t given her name yet. ”My mom said not to talk to strangers and that this city is filled with bad things. ” She told Dhara. ”But not him. I don’t know about you yet.” The little girl nodded her head two times before peering right into Dhara’s face.

<Dhara> She looked up at Rhett and smiled, then turned back to the girl after her Amber eyes touched on the woman being covered with a sheet. “Sylvia was your mom…” She didn’t apologize for the woman’s death, and yet she just knew the child knew the woman was dead. “I do not have a mom any more either.” She said softly. She couldn’t remember if Rhett knew that or not. And she wasn’t going to tell this child what had happened.

“Where I come from, Poppet means darling or sweetheart. It is a term of affection. Though historically it was a small doll used in sorcery.” Always the truthful one, she couldn’t help it. She canted her head and brushed her pink hair from her eyes. “Your mother is right. You should not talk to strangers. Rhett is a good, trustworthy man. And he only keeps company with good people. And I have told you my name, so that does not make me a stranger now. What is your name?” She asked gently, hoping this time there would be an answer.

‹Rhett Keyes› Rhett just waited for Dhara to work her magic on the little girl, and was about to interject on what Dhara said, when the little girl had done it all by herself. ”Sylvia wasn’t my mom. My mom’s name is Charlotte. Charlotte Uhmmm. I forgot her second name, but her first name is Charlotte and her last name is Jenkins. Charlotte Jenkins.” She inched closer into Rhett’s side. ”What’s sorc-whatever that is? Why is your hair pink?” The girl reached out to touch Dhara’s pink hair with her other hand, but then pulled away. }My name is Alexa. Alexa Renee Jenkins. Renee was my grandma, but she...she died last year and that’s why I have Sylvia.” Alexa inched away from Rhett, to stand slightly in front of him, her hand still on his.

<Dhara> “Alexa. It is very nice to meet you.” She smiled warmly and categorized the girls questions in her mind and began to answer them one at a time. “A sorcerer is someone who they say can do magic. Like a wizard or a witch. My hair is pink because it’s a pretty color and Valentines is coming up. Plus I enjoy having hair different than everyone else.” She smiled as the child moved in front of Rhett but still held his hand. “I like holding his hand too.” She said with a nod at Alexa. “Do you know your mother’s phone number? Sylvia is your caretaker? A nanny perhaps?”

[Dhara]

‹Rhett Keyes› “Can anyone become a sorerer?” Alexa stumbled over the words as she tried to sound out the word Dhara had said. “Can I do magic?” Alex looked down at her hands, then looked around. “Don’t they need wands or a special bag or book or something? I watched this one show where girls had magic powers because they had special charms. Do you have a charm?” Alex sounded slightly doubtful of these claims about sorcerers running around. “Sylvia lived with us. She was going to school to make people better. In the head, mommy said. She was from Ance. Or some place like that. Ance.” Alexa looked over to where Sylvia still was and then put her lower lip outwards. “Who will live with us now?”

This time Rhett did interject. “Maybe we should keep walking. To where your mom lives. Do you know the street name?” He coaxed the girl as Rhett pulled at her arm, taking her with him, slowly, but surely. ”I know my number. Alexa suddenly returned to Dhara’s question, forgetting about Rhett for now and anything he’s said or asked. “It’s-” Alexa took a long breath in and then blurted out a seven digit number so quickly that Rhett could only remember the first and last number. “Woah. Slow down there.” Rhett laughed as his other hand grabbed his phone from his coat pocket and asked her for it again-this time, going very slowly.

Once Alexa did that, he was able to ring the number, but it went right to voicemail. He sighed and shook his head. “Guess we’re walking. Do you live by a school? Maybe a library? The hospital?” Rhett was trying to get as much information as he could from Alexa, his eyes wandering to Dhara, giving her a very apologetic smile.

<Dhara>She agreed with Rhett and took Alexa’s other hand, walking with them and while Rhett asked his questions, Dhara answered the girls. “I can do magic. And I have a charm.” She chuckled and showed the girl a silver and sapphire ring. “This is a love charm. It was given to me by someone very special.” She caught Rhett’s eye and winked, the simple ring had been a Christmas gift from Rhett. “And this one is a protection charm.” She showed Alexa the simple gold band on her thumb. It had been her mother's wedding band and she never took it off. She looked at the silver band that matched one Rhett wore, trying to think of what to call it. “This is a charm of eternity.” She said with a nod, then her free hand vanished into her bag, fishing around, she found a guitar pick. Nothing fancy, but she offered it to the young child as they headed out of the station. “You could make this a charm if you wanted.” The plastic triangle was the same shade of pink as Dhara’s bubble gum hair.

‹Rhett Keyes› Rhett listened to Dhara’s replies and gave her a small grin. It was one of the things he liked the most about Dhara. Her imagination and creativity. Before Dhara, Rhett’s life had been a plain and conventional way of life. Go to work, walk home, go to sleep. Start the day over with the same lifestyle he was accustomed to. A lot of people would say he was boring-but Rhett never viewed his life as boring. It was consistent and had purpose. Rhett wanted to buy a house-so he had to work a lot to get that house. Everything he had planned had an end goal-it just took time to get to that goal.

”I live by school. It used to be a school-but it’s been closed for a long time. Mommy says due to cuts. Booger cuts.” Alexa shook her head, knowing that wasn’t right.”Bugle cuts. She looked at the guitar pick Dhara had given her and then took it. ”I can make it whatever I want? Or does it already have special powers?” The girl’s eyes returned back to Dhara, fingers tightly clenching the pick in her fingers. “I think she means the place in Westwall.” Rhett said quietly, not wanting to interrupt the conversation between Dhara and Alexa.

<Dhara> She gave a small nod at Rhett, her voice was low when she said “Safer to walk I think.” She didn’t know the whole story of what had happened, but she smelled the blood congealing, she caught the whispered scent of death under the smell of fear and chaos. A mugging gone wrong? Or did someone want the girl that walked between the two vampires?

“Budget cuts” she said to Alexa, correcting her pronunciation without making her feel like she’d done wrong. “That’s the great thing about charms. You can make it whatever you want. That’s where the magic comes from. A charm is just a physical representation of the power you already have.” She nodded, still fishing in her bag. She always had various odds and ends and her fingers closed around a coin that made her smile, she tugged it out and showed it to the girl. “Now this is a very special charm that already has powers.”

She looked to Rhett and then to the girl. “This is a German Mark. They are not made any more, because they come from a time when Germany was an Empire. Before the first World War. Germany is where I was born.” She offered the coin to Alexa. “This charm is a memory charm. Whenever you see it, it will remind you of your new friends, Rhett and Dhara.”

‹Rhett Keyes› Alexa and Rhett were all ears as Dhara kept talking. She seemed natural at this sort of thing-not that Rhett couldn’t keep the young girl engaged. He did that a lot when he was in the back of the truck, trying to keep someone focused on anything else than an injury or pain they were experiencing somewhere on their bodies. With the pick still in her hand, the very hand that Dhara was holding-Alexa thought about what her magic powers might be. She was good at math, but what good would that do her? She loved cookies, but loving something didn’t give you powers, did it? “Yeah! Budget cuts.” Alexa concluded with a squeeze of her hand against Dhara.

At the mention of Rhett’s name, the girl looked in his direction. “Do you have magic powers too?” She looked at the ring on his finger, that looked almost the same as Dhara had and then jumped up and down. “I want a ring of eternity too!” She looked at the pair of them. ”Where can I find that at? I’m going to ask my mommy if she can buy me one!” Alexa started jumping as the Dhara and Rhett kept walking in the direction of the Westwall area.

<Dhara> She couldn’t help but chuckle at the girls excitement, though explaining the ring and being a vampire wasn’t something she was going to tell the child. She was far too young to be trapped in a child’s body forever. Dhara had to wonder what that would do to someone's mental health. To mature in the mind but never in the body. She gave the smallest shake of her head. “You can’t have one of those yet. You have to wait until you’re older.” She paused, trying to think of an appropriate age. She knew she was somewhere between 20 and 25 so she picked an age in between the two. “You have to be at least 23 before you can have one of those. And it can’t be bought, it has to be gifted to you by a friend.” She nodded a little. “Charms are either something you make or something given. Never bought.”

They walked along, the night somewhat warmer than it had been. Dhara’s amber eyes darted to and fro, looking for trouble. She trusted that Rhett would be able to protect them both. Dhara herself only knew that she would try to protect the young girl should anything happen, but so far, all was quiet as they walked on. “What kind of adventure were you on when you met Rhett?” More information couldn’t hurt them to have.

‹Rhett Keyes› “Twenty three is a really long time away! That’s too old!” Alexa whined before sulking between them, her jaws clenched together as her eyes rested on the ground they kept walking on. [/i]“I can make a charm and give it to someone? Anyone? What about my mommy?” [/i]She then looked up and over at Dhara, her sulkiness fading as they kept walking towards the old abandoned school. Rhett hoped with everything he had that this was the right way and the right school.

“I was going to the library with Sylvia. I have no more new books to read. And mommy says she won’t buy me anymore because once I ripped a page. It was an accident, I told her! But she said it happened two other times, so I need to learn to be more careful with my books until she buys me another one. I was hoping to get a book about that rat who looks for his shadow.” She nodded her head.

“It’s not a rat-it’s a groundhog.” Rhett chuckled before going on. “But I doubt there’s very little difference. Both are rodents.” He kept chuckling thinking about what the girl had said, then shook the amusing thought away before resting his eyes on his girlfriend.

<Dhara> “Yes you can make a charm and give it to anyone you want. Even your mommy.” She said with a warm smile, her own amber eyes lighting up. “I love books. In fact, Rhett and I met over Shakespeare at Thornside park. The book, not the actual Shakespeare in the Park event. Though those are a lot of fun as well.”

She held on to the girl's hand a bit tighter, knowing the next question might cause a bit of trauma, causing the child to revisit the events that had just happened. “Alexa, do you know why those men wanted to hurt you or Sylvia?” She asked as gently as she could, looking down at the girl with a reassuring smile.

‹Rhett Keyes› “I like parks. I like to slide and swing. But I like to swing the most.” Alexa said with three nods of her head before coming to a stop. “Because they are bad people. Like mommy said. There are lots of bad people in the city.” Her tone was very somber for someone her age-maybe saying it exactly how her mom told her that before. “She said there are all kinds of people who like to hurt others. That’s why I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without Sylvia. Not anywhere past the back yard.”

Rhett looked at Dhara, wondering who or what the bad people are, then looked down to Alexa. “Have you or your mommy seen a lot of bad people?” He asked her, trying to coax more information from the little girl. “What do the bad people look like?”

“Mommy says they have guns and wear black. Sometimes they wear masks. And they come inside your house and take your toys and tvs. I don’t want them to take my Barbie dream house. I just got that for Christmas!” Alexa’s pitch rose when she started talking about her Christmas gift. “I think your house is safe. Both of your homes.” Rhett said quietly as they started to walk past the park where Rhett had tried to make Dhara his blood snack one night. The one she had just mentioned in passing to Alexa.


<Dhara> It was a sad state of affairs when a young child thought that way and Dhara ached to take her away from all of this and hide her away. She desperately wanted to keep the young girl safe. She had experienced violence when she was around this child's age, maybe a little older, and she wished she could keep it from happening to her. But she couldn’t. Alexa had already been touched by evil, and now, all they could do was try and keep her safe for tonight. She gave the girl’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“I never had a barbie dream house.” She said softly to the child, a smile on her lips as she redirected the conversation. “Tell me what it’s like? Is it your favorite toy?”

‹Rhett Keyes› Alexa started adding some bounce to her step when Dhara asked about the Barbie dream house. “Well, it’s almost as tall as me, and this big,” The girl stretched her arms out to both her sides to indicate its width. “Daddy got me a car to go in the garage and its got four floors. And there is a pool and a kitchen where Barbie can make food. And there are three bedrooms and a really nice room where they can watch tv!” Alexa looked between both the two and kept going on about her Barbie dream house. ”It’s pink and Barbie likes making turkey. Do you like turkey? I like it a lot but mommy only makes it for Christmas. I want it for Easter this year. What are you going to eat for Easter? Do you think the Easter bunny is real?” Alexa looked right at Rhett when she asked. He nodded his head. “Isn’t Santa real?” He asked the girl who nodded her head. ”I like Santa! She bounced a little and then stopped and looked around. ”Hey! This is the block next to my block!” She exclaimed excitedly.

[Rhett Keyes]

<Dhara> She laughed softly as the girl launched into a joy filled diatribe of her Barbie Dream house. “I think we’ll have ham this year for Easter.” She murmured in response to the food question. She noticed the girl had mentioned her father for the first time. Dhara was beginning to think she didn’t have one. She said they were only a block away and she nodded slightly, becoming even more focused on their surroundings. Was that smoke she smelled? Did that shadow just move? She was making herself paranoid now, wondering what they would find when they reached her home. “Alexa, tell me about your dad?”

‹Rhett Keyes›Alexa looked at Dhara and then at Rhett waiting for him to chime in about what he was having for Easter, but was momentarily distracted by Dhara asking about her dad. “He’s a little older than mommy. Mommy says he’s too old for some of the things he does. But I don’t know what those things are sometimes. They stop talking when I come around.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I think he’s too old to work. He’s forty-three mommy said once. That’s really old!” The girl exclaimed with a skip to her step. “That’s two numbers together and more than twenty or twenty-five. I can count to twenty-five. Can you?” She looked at both Dhara and Rhett again before pointing down the block. “Our house is seven from the corner. I can count to seven too!” She starts counting, to prove that she can, while Rhett starts to look around. He’s uncomfortable with the girl now, especially since she’s being so loud. In her own neighborhood.

“Can you whisper count? Like this?” Rhett asks Alexa, counting in a whisper, just like she had been-only the vocal range was barely audible. “I bet I can count quieter than you.” He grins at the girl after laughing and starting to whisper-the two of them having an all out ‘whisper war.’

<Dhara> She chuckled softly at the two, her amber eyes darting from shadow to shadow. Spying out every movement and noise. She brushed a pale pink strand of hair from her eyes, jumping in fright when a stray dog knocked over a trash bin. She laughed off her nerves, counting the house until she found the 7th one. It looked perfectly normal, a quaint two story house with faded paint and neat little shutters. A car sat parked in the drive. Not new, not old, but the perfect middle class family sedan. The yard was small, but neatly manicured, and it was obvious, even in the darkness, that the house was well tended. She looked up at Rhett and then down at Alexa as they stepped on to the sidewalk. The closer they got to the house, the more nervous she became. A feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach and she wished she could talk to Rhett telepathically.

[Dhara]

<Dhara>Tucking her hair behind her ear, she slowed her steps without thinking. Her hard soled boots didn’t make a sound on the concrete and she was glad her hands didn’t sweat any more as she held just a little tighter to the girl’s hand. The counting had stopped once they reached 25 and she murmured her soft approval to Alexa, her eyes fastened on the dark green front door.

‹Rhett Keyes›Rhett would glance over to Dhara when she practically jumped out of her skin at the loud bang. Rhett had traveled to and lived in a couple different places in the city before moving into the ‘perfect’ apartment he once occupied, before moving in with Dhara. Loud noises didn’t do much to the guy-he heard and lived with that in the dorms, then an apartment complex that pretty much housed others like him in college. Others his age, not necessarily others like him.

The house seemed to be occupied by someone, as Rhett noticed a light on in the main living area he would reckon, or a dining room. He couldn’t see anything but a light shining through by the main doorway. The car in the drive was a tall-tell sign someone was home too. When the trio got to the door, Rhett gave it three sound taps before ringing the bell in front of Dhara, giving her a small, reassuring smile.

He heard someone approaching, feet heavy and in a hurry before the door was pulled open and a woman both hesitantly and quickly opened the screen door just a little bit. “Alexa!” An arm snaked out to grab at her daughter and pull her into the house . “Who are these people, Alexa? Where is Sylvia?” Her mother snapped before turning her attention to both Rhett and Dhara. “Where is her nanny?” The woman said, her tone getting lower as the woman wrapped her oversized sweater around her robust frame. She wasn’t fat by any means-she was average and curvy and also wearing a tank top that clung to every curve (good and bad), before she hid that frame.

”She’s not coming back!” Alex said quickly, before going on. ”Some man shot her. I think she died. Or is really, really hurt.” At this point the door opened drastically and the woman grabbed Alexa’s arm this time. ”YOU ARE BEING RUDE. I AM TALKING!” Alexa shrieked as she pulled her arm back violently. ”These are my FRIENDS. Invite them for dinner!” The girl demanded as she all but buckled away from her mom’s hold. ”They helped me! We invite nice people over ALL the time!” Alex reminded her mom as the woman kept grabbing for her.

”These people are strangers, Alexa.” Her mom chided her, as she waved her free hand to the girl, indicating she should come inside. ”No they aren’t. I know their names so that doesn’t make them strangers anymore. Stay for dinner, please, please?” Alexa turned to look at both Rhett and Dhara and then grabbed a hand from each and started leading them inside.