Takoda's gaze wavered slightly, drifting toward the direction Kade had gone before returning to Dakota. "Really?" she asked, her voice small and hopeful.
"Really," Dakota replied without hesitation. "I wouldn't lie to you."
She offered a faint smile, soft and reassuring, the kind that carried quiet strength. "And you saw what he did, didn't you? He left because he knew you were uncomfortable. Not because he didn't want to be here."
That mattered. Even if Takoda didn't fully understand it yet.
Dakota reached for a cloth, gently cleaning the mess from the child's lips, wiping away the last traces of food and tears with careful hands. "And you," she added lightly, a softer, teasing tone slipping in to ease the air, "are sneaking cold food from the fridge in the middle of the night." She raised a brow slightly. "Do you think he wouldn't be upset about that?"
