Connie laughed so hard she fell out of her chair. The Grinch would have been alarmed if he wasn't laughing also. Well, chuckling really.
He'd just told the child a joke to lighten the mood. He'd never expected to have this sort of reaction. He'd lived alone for so long with only a dog as company that he had forgotten how magical a laugh could sound. Well, her laugh anyway. The last time he'd heard a laugh, it had been cruel ones aimed at him in his misery. He'd never been the cause of happy laughter, only taunting laughter.
He liked this kind of laughter much more.
Connie climbed back into her seat and looked at him, her eyes dancing and her lips still drawn in a smile.
"I didn't know you were so funny."
"Looks can't be everything, my dear."
"Oh, stop. You know I meant your sense of humor. It's great!"
"Well..." Had this ever happened before? The Grinch at a loss for words? Never. This would surely go into the history books.
"It is! Really. I hope I hear you tell more jokes in the future." Connie stood and took her dishes over to the sink where she proceeded to wash them. The Grinch remained seated, seeing as he ATE dishes. He'd had to instal the sink when Connie had asked for one. He wasn't sure why the Who's were always complaining about plumbing; the sink was one of the least complicated things he'd ever had to put together.
But he was glad that the girl liked him. Or his jokes. He was growing to like her very much and wanted the child to like him in return. But he was the Grinch. He knew this wouldn't happen. Still, he wished it would.
"I'm off to bed," the Grinch suddenly stated, standing up.
"It's early for you," Connie remarked. So it hadn't slipped her notice. Well, he supposed, a week of living together and you tended to notice your roommates habits.
"So what? I don't want to hear any of their merriment tomorrow which means I need to be making noise. Can't do that without a proper night's sleep." Connie giggled.
The Grinch turned to head to his bedroom when Connie suddenly said, "I was thinking... Could I go down there tomorrow? To Whoville?" The Grinch felt his heart falter. The girl who lived with him go down to Whoville? The next thing he knew and she'd be asking to move in with a Who family down there...
"It's just that I've watched them for about a week now and I don't think it's right for me to judge them when I've never met them... And I'd like to see how they live... and how crazy they are about Christmas."
"Why should I care if you go?" the Grinch snapped, stalking off to his bedroom.
"You don't mind?"
"I'm not your father. Go if you want." The Grinch did mind. He minded very much. But he wouldn't tell her that. Because that meant he was growing fond of her... To refuse something of someone meant you were concerned about them. He couldn't have her thinking that.
Ever.