"Really putting us through the ringer," he said, "and I think they're enjoying it."
I had no idea who "they" were, and it didn't really matter. There was always someone
new in Daniel's world, making some new demands of him.
"Sorry I haven't been around much lately," he said. "Things should be calming down
now."
I shrugged, still staring at the blank side of my paper. "That's just how it is," I said. "I
knew what I was getting into."
"Did you?" He leaned forward, looking at me earnestly for the first time since he
walked in. I swallowed hard.
"Yes," I said. "More than most. I got that practice run, remember."
He chuckled, and some of the tension in his face dissipated. "That's one way to look at
it, I suppose."
I wanted to crawl into his lap and just melt there, breathing in the scent that only
belonged to him, soaking up the warmth of his body on his godforsaken winter day. Instead, I
just sat there, still, looking at the blank paper with a blank mind.
He's probably got something amazing planned. And here you are, with nothing...
A flash of inspiration came across me, jolting me upright in my chair. He glanced at me
curiously.
I knelt down on the floor, with what I hoped was a fluid, graceful movement.
Instantly, his demeanor changed. He drew his shoulders back, his eyes glittering with something dark and secret. A smile twitched at his mouth.