Neither Tony nor Saffron wanted their day out with Grace to end, but as evening came on they took her back to the children's home and said their goodbyes.
"Thank you for taking me to the animals," Grace said, giving each of them a hug in turn. "It was so much fun!"
Saffy wasn't sure if she'd be able to get through this part of things. Grace should have a real home with parents who loved her, she thought. All of the children at the home should. Even though the place was decorated cheerfully and the youngsters were well cared for, Saff couldn't help thinking it seemed a false front of comfort and security, but only because there weren't enough people willing to take in or adopt the children living there.
"Bye, Mister Tony! Bye, Miss Saffron!" Grace chirped. "Spots says bye-bye, too."
With that, she skipped up the stairs to her room as Tony and Saffy watched.
"Well," Tony sighed, "guess we're on our own again, 'ey?"
"Yes," Saff said, her voice hollow.
Tony put an arm around her shoulders.
"C'mon, Saff," he said tenderly, "it's not 'at bad, bein' stuck with me, is it?"
Saffron smiled up at him.
"Of course not," she replied.
As they headed to her flat, Saff's thoughts turned back to a scene earlier that afternoon - a moment that left her mildly depressed. It happened after she and Tony bought the little girl a stuffed giraffe at the zoo, a surprise which delighted Grace.
"What's 'is name?" Tony asked Grace as she clutched the toy to her chest.
"Now hang on there," Saffron had playfully interjected. "His name? How do you know this isn't a 'she'?"
Tony grinned, snickering.
"With all those spots?" he scoffed, winking at Grace. "'At's a giraffe's giraffe right there! A manly beast!"
Saff raised a leery eyebrow at this, challenging his assertion.
"Oh, really? And when did you become an expert in the field of giraffe gender, hm?"
"I know me giraffes as well as anyone!"
"Anyone, then? Anyone who actually knows facts about giraffes or just anyone who runs off at the mouth about them?"
"Now, look, Saff…"
At this point, Grace suddenly thrust the toy away from her. Saffron and Tony stopped their mock bickering immediately, both confused as to what was happening.
"Grace," Saffron began, reaching out her hand to push the girl's hair back under the little cap she wore, "what's wrong?"
"I don't want it anymore," Grace said quietly, placing the toy in Tony's hands. She looked down at the ground and wouldn't face Saffron or Tony.
Saff's breath caught in her chest. She and Tony looked at one another, worried.
"Gracie," Tony said, his voice soft and gentle, "Miss Saffy and me? We were just jokin' round with each other, 'at's all. Sometimes we like to do that, just for fun."
"You were fighting," Grace said, her lower lip quivering.
"No," Saffron told her, trying to keep her own voice from breaking in the process. "Oh, sweetheart, no…"
Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks and Saff quickly took her into her arms, trying to comfort her. Tony watched, sadness in his brown eyes, as he held the little giraffe.
He and Saff looked at one another, a bit ashamed of having assumed that such a small child would understand the way grownups teased one another. Obviously, to Grace, they sounded serious enough to upset her.
"Grace, sweetheart," Saff said, her voice nearly a whisper, "did you know that Mister Tony is my best friend?"
Grace shook her head "no." Saffron continued.
"That means he and I look out for each other and we laugh about things and we're … special… to one another. I wouldn't hurt his feelings for anything."
Tony hugged the toy giraffe to his chest now, sighing.
"I'd be pretty sad if Miss Saff 'ere wasn't around. Be a bit lonesome without 'er."
Grace sniffled. Tony pulled a handkerchief from his jacket and Saff dried their little friend's tears.
"You know," Saff said, "the truth is, neither Mister Tony or I know if this giraffe is a girl or boy. But I bet you can tell us. I think it definitely needs a good home. And a mother. And a name."
Tony gingerly handed Grace the giraffe. She gratefully took it from him, giving it a kiss.
"Any names you can think of?" Tony asked, grinning.
Grace thought it over.
"Spots!" she squeaked.
Saff laughed, fixing Grace's cap.
"I think that's perfect," she said. "Tony?"
"Couldn't 'ave thought of a better name meself," he agreed.
"Spots is a boy, I think. Or maybe a girl. I can't tell," Grace sighed, clearly taking the decision as seriously as any child would.
"Do you have any books about animals at your house?" Saffron asked. "You could look up giraffes in them and maybe that will help you figure it out."
"Okay," Grace told her. "But they're not my books and it's not my house."
That hit Saff hard. Tony could see the pain in her expression when Grace pointed out how things really were.
Now he picked her up, hoisting Grace into his arms. Giving her a kiss on the cheek, Tony winked at the little girl.
"Maybe next time Miss Saffy and I 'ave a day out with you, we'll go to the bookstore an' see if there's a book all about giraffes that you can keep. Would you like that?"
Grace nodded. Saffron swallowed hard, desperate to keep from crying in front of Tony and Grace. She didn't want to make things worse.
"Mister Tony?" Grace asked.
"What, love?" Tony replied, smiling.
"You didn't kiss Spots."
Grace held out the little giraffe. Tony planted a loud lip-smacking kiss on its nose, which got Grace laughing. Then she and Tony both smiled at Saffron.
And it took everything in her to hold it together until they saw Grace back to the children's home. Everything.