The elevator doors opened and Kyle walked down the hallway, bags in both hands, and stopped at the door of the Royal Suite. He shifted the bags to one hand, fumbled for the key card, and pushed the door open.
"Finally!"
Jasmine's voice cut through the quiet. She was off the couch in an instant, bare feet slapping against the marble floor, her oversized hoodie flapping behind her like a cape.
She collided with his legs, arms wrapped tight around his thighs.
Kyle laughed. "Hey, kiddo."
Jasmine looked up at him, her face split in a wide grin. "You were gone forever."
"It was like two hours."
"That's forever," Jasmine responded.
Kyle set the bags down carefully, then bent over and scooped her up. She was light—lighter than she should be, though she had put on weight since he found her. He held her against his hip like she weighed nothing.
"Did you miss me?" Kyle asked.
Jasmine nodded, her dark hair bouncing. "I missed my big brother."
