One hour and one game of hide-and-seek later, Didi was back home, feeling a little bit better. She and Dominic had blissfully eaten the chicken down to the bone, the most indulgent meal they'd had in... well, probably ever. Dominic was now napping soundly. Finally at liberty to read, Didi brought her book downstairs, to the lobby, so she could close the blinds in her and Dominic's room. The presence of others in the lobby didn't bother her. So long as her head was clear, it was easy to tune out external stimuli while reading.

So much so, that she didn't notice Kaylessa was speaking to her until she'd repeated herself. "I said, what's that you got there?"

Didi put her book down and lifted her head. "Hmm?"

Kaylessa looked at her expectantly.

"This?" Didi held the book up. "It's a book. An adventure story. There's this human boy, and he left his village because it was attacked by orcs, and– "

"And where did you get it?" Kaylessa interrupted.

"Huh? Oh, from Gaelker."

Kaylessa's eyes narrowed. "With what money?"

"From wages! I didn't steal it!" Didi defended.

"You better not have!" Kaylessa sighed, shaking her head. "That money is for you to save and use when you need it – if you need to buy yourself a new pair of boots, or if y'all ever decide to leave this place and make a start somewhere else. Maybe an occasional small treat, on special occasions. You shouldn't be spending it all on things like books."

Didi felt her ears drooping. "I only bought this one. I like books."

"Ain't your head in the clouds enough already?" Kaylessa asked. Didi almost argued back, but she noticed Kaylessa didn't really seem angry – she was smiling. Teasing her, not lecturing her.

Didi perked back up again. "Don't worry, I'll save most of my wages. I just really wanted to read this one book."

"Okay, now. If you say so." Kaylessa approached her, casting her eyes about the room to scan for others before she spoke again in a lowered voice. "Truth be told, I'm more worried about you spending your time browsing around in that Gaelker's shop –"

"I didn't steal from him! He's lying! He just doesn't like me because –"

Kaylessa held a hand up. "Stop. That ain't what I meant. Look, just... between you and me, I don't want you to go around Gaelker's shop unless you have to. His is the only place in town that has some things, but there's some shady things about that place."

Didi's ears turned towards Kaylessa. "Ooh? Like what?"

"Well, I shouldn't be spreading rumors, and it ain't anything I know for sure about, but people say and I suspect..." She stopped, eyes narrowing when she saw the eagerness in Didi's eyes. "This ain't no gossip for you to be spreading around, Didi. I'm only telling you so you stay away from it."

"I won't tell!" Didi said. "...I'll only tell Dominic, but Dominic won't tell anyone else."

Kaylessa seemed to accept that, and said, "Well then, just between the three of us, there's rumors – the credible sort, not the gossipy sort – that when you pay Gaelker in copper coins, he flattens 'em out and breaks 'em and paints 'em to look like gold coins. That's why I always send you with exact change when I send you over there."

A pause. "That's all?" Didi asked.

Kaylessa looked at her like she was dumb. "It's counterfeiting, Didi," she said, as if Didi didn't understand.

"I know, I know! It's counterfeiting. You just made it sound like it was worse. You were talking like he's been sacrificing virgins to Asmodeus, or something!"

Kaylessa noticeably recoiled at that. "Didi! What in the world put that into your head? That's why you shouldn't be spending all your time reading books, filling your head with those things!"

Didi clutched her book to her. Maybe for Kaylessa, the real world was full of good people and books were full of evil, but that's not how it had been for Didi. Didi would have never had a sense of right and wrong if it wasn't for books. She never would have known there was any such thing as heroes who fought for justice. That adventurers could rise against and destroy powerful wizards like Didi's mother. That love and friendship were assets, not burdens or weakness or even debts to exploit. Kaylessa didn't know what the world without books had been for Didi, and Didi couldn't explain that, but she had to defend herself and her favorite hobby. All she could say was, "But I – I didn't get it from a book!"

That comment just seemed to bother Kaylessa even more, from the way her eyebrows crinkled, but all she said was, "Okay, okay. Just don't go talking about those things in polite company, and especially don't be accusing folks of that with no evidence. It's time to get prepping for dinner, anyway; go put your book away and head into the kitchen."

Didi did what she was told. Normally, she would have lingered in her room and at least finished the chapter, knowing Kaylessa would be too busy to drag her out. But, she realized, she wanted to make Kaylessa happy. Not because she was afraid of being kicked out, or because she wanted to get back onto her good side after offending her. She just wanted to.

Kaylessa had been kind to her, and she was being kind to Dominic, and... Didi liked her. Even though she was strict and made her do menial chores and didn't like books. She liked her.

She wanted to stay with her, she realized, for a long time. And not just because there was a roof over her head and food on her plate every night.

Maybe even, in the future, when her little brothers and sisters were rescued... they could stay there with Kaylessa, too? All together, like a normal family.

But she didn't dare think about that. She would want it too much and it would hurt too badly that she didn't have it. That she might never have it.

Instead, she reserved her pining for something that she might actually obtain – Kaylessa's approval. And, like she'd done after seeing the book in the shop, she went to work at obtaining it. She worked fast and focused, not at the lulling pace she usually worked at while daydreaming about pretty elf boys. She chopped all the onions first, the least desirable task, and set the tables for the guests as soon as the prep was done. When the guests had their food, and the other kitchen staff had sat down to rest and smoke and lay claim to the leftovers, Didi ate quickly without chatting, and then got a head start on cleaning the kitchen.

She stayed later, too. Kaylessa usually dismissed all the staff but the dishwasher, then mopped the floor herself when the dishwasher left. But Kaylessa wasn't there to mop the floor when the dishes were done this time – in fact, she hadn't been in the kitchen all night. So Didi mopped.

Kaylessa arrived, with wet hair, when Didi was almost done. All the staff but the night desk clerk had gone home, and the guests were in their rooms. It was dark out, but there were magic torches on the walls, which provided just enough flameless light for humans to walk through the halls without hurting themselves. For Didi, it was still fairly easy to see. But Kaylessa had to squint for a second before she recognized her. "Didi?" she asked. "What're you doing down here?"

"Mopping!" Didi said quickly, realizing how suspicious she probably looked. "Not stealing food!"

"Mopping?" Kaylessa repeated – suspiciously at first until she realized the floor had indeed been mopped and Didi had the mop and bucket. "Why – thank you, Didi, but you didn't have to do that! I was gonna do it myself, after I fixed myself something to eat. I don't reckon there's much soup left, is there?"

"Oh no!" Didi said, realizing Kaylessa hadn't eaten. "I'm sorry, I didn't think to save anything for you; but there's a little bit!" It was just mostly broth, the kitchen staff having ladled most of the meat and potatoes into their own bowls. "And there's bread! Here, let me get it!"

Kaylessa shook her head and walked towards the stove where the soup had been left. "I just bathed; I won't get the floor dirty."

Didi slid off the counter and watched Kaylessa wearily fill her bowl. She had been covering for Dominic in the stables, Didi realized; that's why she'd had to wash before she could come to dinner.

Kaylessa, seeming to feel Didi's eyes on her, tossed her a glance over her shoulder. "Don't wait up for me, Didi. I'll take care of the rest of the mopping. You head on down to bed. Be up on time tomorrow; we're booked full."

"Okay," said Didi. But she didn't leave.

Kaylessa waited for a second, then turned to face her with eyebrows raised inquisitively.

"But before I go to bed – can I ask you about something?"

Kaylessa kept the same inquisitive look on her face as she carried her food towards the table. "Go on?"

Didi followed her to the table, but didn't sit down. "Well, I was talking to the constable today, and he was saying something about how he thought you were done with kids. And I was just wondering what he meant by that."

Kaylessa swallowed her mouthful of soup. "He said that about me, did he? Well, I don't reckon he meant much by it – just that my own boys up and left town a while back."

"You have kids?" Didi asked. Kaylessa had never mentioned them before.

"I do. Well, did. They ain't kids any more, and I ain't seen 'em in years."

"Why not?"

"Well, they left home for the City of Splendors when they were about your age and haven't kept in touch much. My older son got married a few years ago, a nice young girl. I traveled to Waterdeep for the wedding, had a nice time, but I don't hear from them much besides big news like that. I tried to write 'em a few times, but they never seemed too interested in keeping in touch. So I stopped." Kaylessa shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "They know where to find me if they need me."

"Really?" Didi said. It seemed remarkably ungrateful. "That's not right. They should write to you!"

Kaylessa held up a hand to quiet her. "Now, now. I don't want you to be criticizin' other people and their choices – my sons ain't bad people. We just didn't get along that well. That's how life is, sometimes. I'm not angry about it, and neither should you be."

"I wasn't trying to badmouth them," Didi said, and then before she could even think about what she was saying, she blurted, "It's just that – if I had someone like you for a mother, I'd never leave."

For a moment, both she and Kaylessa were frozen. Didi felt her ears stiffen and her face heat up as she realized what she'd said. She'd meant it more as a reflection on the circumstances of her own runaway status than anything, she hadn't meant she really wanted to live with Kaylessa forever; Kaylessa certainly didn't wish or intend for her to stay there forever -

Kaylessa stood up and pulled her in to a tight embrace. "Oh, now," said Kaylessa, in a tone of voice Didi had never heard from her before. "You're just a sweet little thing, aren't you now?"

Didi hesitantly reciprocated the hug with one arm. A hand, rough in texture but soft, pressed gently against her head, coaxing it into place against Kaylessa's shoulder.

"You don't need to be worrying about me or my sons, Didi," she said, ruffling Didi's hair. "But I sure am glad I have you – and your brother – to keep me company for now. You're a good girl, Didi."

Didi brought her second arm up to link with the other around Kaylessa's waist. Kaylessa continued to caress the back of her head in a gentle weaving motion. I should say something back, Didi thought. But her mind was drawing a blank, struggling to process the mixed signals her nerves were sending. She had the irrational urge to run away. She resisted it, and instead stayed exactly as she was. After a few minute, she relaxed. Her view of the kitchen wall softened into a blur, and her eyelids drooped as affection ran through her veins like warm water.

Kaylessa ended the embrace with a firm thump on the back. "Head on up to bed now. Good-night, Didi."

I should say something back, she thought again. But she didn't know how to put her feelings into words, especially not in Common. "Good-night," was all she could manage.

Question of the Chapter: How do you show people you care about them? What is your love language?