104

                                    

                                          
"Cowabunga!" — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Somehow, Inkling has turned into our meeting spot.
When Lucas is involved, everyone agrees that we need to have the meeting in a neutral place, which just so happens to be my tattoo shop. Zayn called a meeting earlier and asked us all to meet after hours, after checking with me to make sure that it's okay.
Harry's been here all day, lounging around and distracting me from my clients. Having him here makes the day fly by, and I wish he could always be here with me. He didn't have anything to do, and he didn't feel like being alone.
I closed the shop twenty minutes ago, which is exactly when Lucas walked through the doors, even though we aren't supposed to be meeting for another twenty minutes. He and Harry have been talking privately on the couches the whole time, and I would pay anything to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.
I keep stealing glances at them, wondering what they could be talking about. I also check on them regularly to make sure nothing gets violent. The last thing I need is a fight breaking out between them when there's nobody else here to help me get it under control.
Harry's face is serious, but he doesn't look angry. He has a concentrated look on his face, which makes me think that whatever they're talking about, it's not small talk. Even Lucas, for once, isn't wearing his arrogant smirk as he makes hand motions while talking to Harry.
Harry stands suddenly, and my eyes dart over to them to make sure nothing bad is happening. My worry dissipates as he takes his phone out of his pocket and holds it to his ear, excusing himself as he takes the call outside. I watch as he paces back and forth outside the door.
"You didn't tell him," Lucas says. The close proximity of his voice startles me as I see him leaning on the desk I'm sitting at. I raise my eyebrows, confused. He says, "About my little girl. You never mentioned her to him."
It clicks in my mind. Seeing his daughter in the window that day was sheer luck, and it helped persuade him to be on our side. I'm not sure if he would've been fully convinced if I hadn't brought up her safety, or lack thereof, under Elias's control.
I say, "I told you I wouldn't bring her into this."
"People tell me a lot of things," he says with a flat tone, running his hand along his jaw as he looks over at me. He says, "Most of it is usually bullshit."
I ask, "How old is she?"
"She turned six last week," he tells me, which surprises me a little. I didn't expect him to answer. He says, "A little bundle of energy, that one is. Her name is Lilac. It was her mother's favorite flower."
I blink at him. Why is he telling me this?
I question, "Was?"
He says, "She died in childbirth. The plan was for her to take Lilac and move far away from me, cutting all ties that could link me to them. I loved her mother, but I knew they would never be safe. I never even intended to hold Lilac when she was born. But then her mother died, and if I left her, she would've been orphaned. It was a tough decision."
My heart hurts for him. It sounds like an impossible situation. He knew the only way to keep Lilac safe was to not be in her life, but doing so would leave her without any parents. There's no good choice there.
"You made the right choice," I say, my heart clenching a little. I add, "My mother wasn't really fit to be a mom, but she tried her best. She never left us, and that meant a lot."
Lucas nods. "When I met Harry, I saw how broken he was. It was obvious that growing up without parents is why he ended up where he is today. If he had structure and love in his life when he was young, he wouldn't have ever gone down this road. His heart is too good for it. After seeing the way it hurt him, I couldn't leave her."