"I'll do it," Reyna said quietly. She leaned against the door frame and watched Chiron cook. The centaur was standing over the stove and making eggs. That alone was enough to make Reyna's mouth water, but she also smelled the bacon and sausage that were frying in the pan. To Chiron's right, Jason was making pancakes.
"I'm glad," Chiron smiled as he turned. He motioned his head towards a cabinet. "Do you mind grabbing four plates?"
Reyna nodded and walked towards the cabinet. She opened it and grabbed four of the plates that were inside. Her gaze focused on the white plates that had small, colored circles all around the center. When was the last time she ate on a plate like this?
Reyna slowly placed the plates next to Chiron, careful to not get too close. After waking up, she spent an hour or two debating exactly what the hell she was going to do. In the end, she kept going back to the same few thoughts. If Chiron was manipulating her, she would just run and not stop until she was out of this country. But if Chiron was going to do something to her, he wouldn't have waited. He would have taken advantage of Reyna when she first woke up in his home.
While Reyna was thinking, she had turned to face the couch, listening to the ambient sounds all around her. She heard one of the girls walk into the living room, and they were extremely quiet as they slipped out of the house, like they were hoping not to wake her.
Chiron woke not too long ago, and Reyna was easily able to trace his movements from his bedroom, to the bathroom, and then to the kitchen. Jason woke not long after and made his way straight to the kitchen to help Chiron make food. Reyna decided to get up a few minutes later.
Reyna heard footsteps behind her and turned her head to look at Piper. It seemed like Piper had just woken up as she was rubbing her eyes and looked exhausted. Reyna studied her for a moment before looking back at Chiron.
"I never caught your name," Piper began. Reyna slowly looked back at Piper. "I'm Piper McLean."
"Reyna. And that's Jason, right?" Reyna asked, looking at the half-werewolf that was currently carrying waffles and pancakes to the tables.
"I am. It's nice to meet you," Jason answered with a kind smile. Reyna managed a nod. Piper walked towards the fridge and opened it.
"Water or milk," Piper asked as she looked back at the rest of the room.
"Milk," Reyna said after a brief moment. Jason quickly nodded his agreement. Piper smiled and pulled out a carton of milk. She closed the refrigerator door and reached up to the cabinet to grab glasses. Jason grabbed silverware, and Chiron moved the food to the table. Reyna stood there awkwardly not sure how to help.
"Jason is one of our servers," Chiron informed as he moved towards his preferred seat at the table. Piper took her own seat, and Reyna took that as her cue to sit down as well. Jason was the last one to sit but the first one to reach for food.
The last time Reyna had a meal like this was when she was a kid. It wasn't anywhere near as relaxed as this. Reyna would be given a plate of food and had to shovel it down within a minute before training would start. But, she couldn't afford to dwell on her past. That part of life was long gone.
"Piper is one of our bartenders," Chiron continued. He looked at the other two. "Reyna is going to be joining us as another member of our security team."
"Don't let Clarisse intimidate you too much," Piper assured with a playful smile. Reyna nodded slightly and felt ready to sink into her chair. "She seems scary, but she has a heart of gold."
"It's just buried behind a million layers," Jason joked as he soaked his plate in syrup. Reyna carefully reached out to grab pancakes and waffles. She poured some syrup on her own before grabbing some eggs, bacon, and sausage.
"Do you have experience working in a bar?" Piper asked. Reyna hesitated before shaking her head. She tried to slowly eat her food, savoring each bite. It didn't really work as she practically devoured one of her pancakes in seconds, but no one commented on it.
"Neither of us did before Chiron hired us," Jason admitted with a mouthful of food. He blushed before swallowing. "Sorry."
"Don't forget your manners," Piper chastised. Jason's face turned red as a tomato.
"Aren't you a little young to be a bartender?" Reyna asked after a moment.
"By human standards, I am," Piper admitted. "I'm a succubus, though. We're considered adults once we hit eighteen, and I'm almost there. My father gave me permission to work there, and I also promised Chiron I wouldn't drink any alcohol until after my eighteenth birthday."
Reyna nodded. She knew that the different beasts were considered adults at different times, and some didn't even care when their young had alcohol. Reyna wasn't sure of all those differences off the top of her head, but she could learn rather quickly.
The rest of the breakfast passed by quickly. Reyna was busy devouring her food but trying not to look like a wild beast while she did it. Jason, thankfully, ate more than her. Piper ate her food and didn't seem to focus on them.
As Reyna was on her second plate, Piper stood and dropped her plate off in the sink. Jason finished his third serving and stood as well. Piper spoke, "Thank you for dinner and breakfast, Chiron. I'll see you tonight. And, it was nice meeting you, Reyna."
"It was nice meeting you," Jason echoed. He waved at Chiron. "See you tonight."
The two quickly left the kitchen. Reyna watched them go before getting another plate of food. Maybe, she would eat more than Jason had. In her defense, Reyna hadn't been able to have steady meals for months now, and she was just trying to make up for all of the meals she lost.
"I don't expect you to be able to start at the bar until another week," Chiron started. Reyna glanced at him and nodded slightly. "I don't mind you staying here, if you're comfortable."
Reyna shrugged and moved her gaze downwards. She focused on eating her waffles. When Reyna finished her plate, she filled her plate only halfway this time and devoured what was on it. When she was done, she stood and walked towards the sink.
Reyna silently started to do the dishes. There were only a few leftovers, but instead of putting them away, Chiron put them on a plate. Reyna was slightly confused about it until she heard a knock on the front door.
The front door opened, and Reyna smelled something that made her head turn. She tilted her head to the side as she heard two new voices and the rapid running of a small child.
"Estelle," a woman called. Reyna turned fully and saw a young child run into the kitchen. She seemed to be heading straight towards the table, but upon seeing Reyna, she froze in place and stared up at the stranger. The girl was wearing a pink onesie, and a hat covered her head. Her green eyes were averted as she hid her face upon making eye contact with Reyna.
A woman stepped into the living room. There was a bright smile on her face, and she held onto a container of something that smelled delicious. The woman had black hair and some of the kindest blue eyes that Reyna had ever seen.
"Estelle, don't stare," the woman ordered as she picked up the young girl. Estelle just stared at Reyna, and it took a moment for Reyna to avert her eyes and look back at the sink. "I'm sorry. She isn't good around strangers."
"It's okay," Reyna said after a moment. She heard the sound of a chair being scooted out. Reyna stared down at the drain of the sink and almost wished she could jump inside. Reyna did not do well around strangers. Especially children.
"Do you work at the bar?" the woman asked. Reyna turned off the sink and began to dry the dishes with the nearby rag. As much as she wanted to be away from this conversation, she knew it wasn't possible.
"Not yet," Reyna answered after a few moments. She looked back at the woman. "I'll be starting next week."
"A bartender?" the woman pressed further. She bounced the child, her daughter Reyna presumed, on her knee. Estelle began eating one of the waffles, using her hands to rip and tear at it. The woman opened a backpack and pulled out a laptop and notebooks.
"No. Security," Reyna corrected, and she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. Chiron walked back into the kitchen.
"Reyna, this is Sally Jackson and her daughter Estelle. I help Sally out with her novel," Chiron said.
"And, he helps me watch this brat," Sally joked while rubbing her daughter's back. She looked at Reyna. "Have a brownie."
Reyna slowly dried her hands and walked towards the table. She carefully opened the container and grabbed a brownie. Reyna took a bite of it and almost moaned from the flavor. It was one of the best brownies she ever had. Granted, she couldn't remember the last time she had one.
Reyna finished the brownie in half a second, and Sally motioned for her to have another one. Reyna accepted, mumbled thanks, and then retreated back to the sink to put up the rest of the dishes. As she worked, she heard Chiron and Sally talking about the novel. Estelle had gone from eating and seemed to be focused on Chiron's tail now.
"Estelle, don't," Sally warned as she tried to focus on the notebook.
"Do you need me to watch her?" Reyna asked after a moment. Chiron and Sally both looked at her in surprise. Reyna was surprised as well. She wasn't sure why she volunteered to help, but it was probably because she felt bad that Chiron had been letting her stay at his house and eat a fridge full of food.
"If you don't mind," Sally said. She smiled at Estelle and set her down. "Estelle, go to Reyna. She'll keep you entertained."
"We have a television in the living room," Chiron pointed out. Reyna nodded and watched Estelle just stare at her. Reyna slowly knelt and studied the young child. She had to be a few years old.
"Come on," Reyna said softly. Estelle slowly walked towards her. Reyna held her hand out, and Estelle slowly took hold of it. Reyna picked her up and carried her towards the living room. "What do you want to watch?"
"What do you want to watch?" Estelle repeated back to her. Reyna gave the girl an annoyed glance and sat her down on the couch. Estelle immediately climbed off of the couch and moved towards Reyna's backpack. She played with the nearly broken strap. "This smells."
"That's because it's older than you," Reyna said as she sat near Estelle. She grabbed the television remote and turned it on. It took Reyna a moment to find a channel that looked like it would be appropriate for kids. Her gaze moved towards Estelle.
Estelle was studying her backpack and was playing with some of the tape that kept it together. Reyna leaned back against the couch. As long as the girl didn't try to eat the tape, she didn't see any harm in letting her play with it. Reyna stared at the television and felt her mind zoning out.
A job at the bar would give her enough time to make some money. She would get new clothes and new supplies in case she had to go on the run again. A new backpack as well. Could Reyna settle down here? Forget the fact that she didn't know anyone here. The bar seemed like some kind of big family, and Reyna wasn't sure how she felt about that.
If Reyna screwed something up or did something wrong, she felt like everyone would know. She wasn't sure how she felt about just letting people into her life like that. Going from no one to rely on to having all these people around her would be a shock. Reyna wasn't sure how she would handle it.
"My brother is a merm," Estelle said suddenly. She frowned and brought her lips together like she was trying to sound out the word. "Mer..merm...mer-"
"Merman?" Reyna asked as she looked at the toddler. Estelle looked at her and nodded rapidly. "Does that mean you're a mermaid?"
Estelle shook her head, "I can't hold my breath."
"Do you get to visit him?" Reyna asked. Estelle nodded quickly. "Does he live with you?"
Estelle shook her head, and something on the television seemed to catch her eye. She stared at the television in an almost trance, and she crawled onto Reyna's lap. Reyna looked at her in surprise before looking at the television.
"She's evil," Estelle explained as she pointed at the woman in black on the television. Her finger moved quickly to point out another figure adorned in all pink. "She's good. And pink!"
"She's good because she's in pink?" Reyna asked. Estelle nodded and started to point out more characters, rolling out more facts than Reyna could keep track of. At some point, Estelle leaned back and rested against Reyna.
Reyna shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't used to children at all. In fact, it was odd for a child not to stare at her and then run away. Estelle continued to talk about the characters before becoming entranced by the show. Reyna tried to watch it as well, but her gaze kept moving behind her.
It was impossible for Reyna to just shut her brain off. She hadn't been able to do that since she was a young kid. Even though she was in a house with people who had shown they wished her no harm, Reyna couldn't help but keep an eye on her back.
"Stop moving," Estelle complained. She looked back at Reyna and pouted. A small smirk came to Reyna's face at the thought of a toddler telling her what to do. Estelle looked back at the television.
Reyna laid her head back against the couch and tried to relax. She watched the show on television and tried to keep herself from shifting too much. For the first time in a long time, Reyna found herself not looking over her shoulder every two seconds, expecting the worst. Instead, she watched the television and found herself slowly allowing her mind to drift away.