Karissa, with River's help, had spread out the blanket for their picnic. The twins were already running toward the playground beckoning River to join them. As soon as the blanket was down and spread nicely, River took off running after the twins. Both Luc and Maya giggled with glee as they tried to run through the sand. They had an easier time of it than River, since the twins were so light on their feet.
As Karissa sat down and watched, she smiled, pulling out some plates and containers of food. She'd gotten word that morning that Danayal was going to the park again that afternoon and she had been in luck, having the extra time. There had been no one of her schedule as if this had been meant to be.
She casually looked around, but didn't see him yet. However, she could feel him, so she merely busied herself pulling out more items from inside the picnic basket. She had brought a lot of food . . . Probably more than they had actually needed, she thought; along with a few children's books for the kids after they ate.
Danayal walked to the playground, enjoying the sun and the wind in his brown hair. He planned to have a nice quiet afternoon before he would have to go to Dominic for his next drug test. That was not something he liked to do, but he knew his freedom depended on it.
He sat down under the same tree he had been under last time, and opened his book...
Karissa suddenly felt his presence strongly and smiled to herself. As she looked up and around, she saw him, over near the same tree he had been at the week before, and he had a book again. Obviously, he hadn't seen her. Swiftly, she got to her feet and quietly walked over to him.
"Hi, again," she said with a smile as if surprised to see him there.
"Oh, hi... You're Karissa, right?" He said grinning. He'd seen the twins from the corner of his eye. It was how he had recognized her.
She laughed softly. "Yes, you guessed right," she replied. "Though sometimes Shara brings the kids here too . . . So you never do really know who you'll be seeing! Anyway, I happen to have brought a picnic today and packed a lot food! I didn't even realize the quantity until I started unpacking it . . . and then I saw you . . . So I thought maybe you'd like to join us."
"A picnic? Do you mean that?" He smiled. "Well I suppose I could, since I haven't eaten yet." He closed his book, and got on his feet.
She led him over to the blanket. "I hope you like the food. I sort of brought some of everything it seems," she laughed as she pointed to all the containers filled with everything from sandwiches and chicken to Rotini salad and melon and berries mixed together. There were also cookies and all kinds of drinks. "Guess I wasn't thinking too clearly when I packed this!" she laughed. "Either that, or I was very, very hungry!"
"I would think you packed for an orphanage, or that you knew how hungry I would be when I saw this. To tell you the truth, I'm rather nervous about something I have to do this afternoon, but now that I've see this, I've remembered how hungry I am."
She smiled. "Then by all means, enjoy!" she replied as she sat down handing him a plate. She took one herself and began filling it.
Danayal soon followed her example, and started eating. His stomach rumbled. But he was nervous for a reason about the test, since he had smoked pot recently... He'd craved for something to lighten his mood, though he knew he'd hear something about it later.
Karissa wasn't about to tip her hand much and let him know she knew what he was thinking. It wouldn't earn his trust and that's what she wanted from him. To trust her, so that he would open up. "So what are you nervous about? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to . . . I just thought . . . Well, maybe if you told someone you knew it would make you less nervous."
"No... I blew something. I don't think you, or anyone can help me. I only have myself to blame."
She nodded. "Well, I hope whatever it is turns out okay for you," she smiled. "Here," she said handing him a cookie. "Try one of these. They're delicious! I got them at the As the Cookie Crumbles Bakery."
"That's the best bakery I know of. Tyran always gets cakes and such there when he has something to celebrate."
"So has he been there in awhile?" she asked, simply making conversation to ease whatever tension he did have and to foster their friendship further. If nothing else, she was good at making conversation.
"Oh yeah, last month..." He said. "He always gets the bread delivered, since we do offer bread as food. We're not a restaurant but we do sell small snacks."
"Mmmmm, and I've smelled their bread cooking! It does smell fantastic . . . but these cookies really got my attention. I'll have to get more when I run out. The twins love them too," she replied, as she turned her attention back to the playground where River was chasing Luc in a game of tag. Maya was running to the slide and rather than climb the ladder, she merely jumped to the top. The twins and River were laughing with just abandon and having so much fun that Karissa had to smile.
"Who is that - that woman... that girl with the kids?" Danayal asked.
"Oh, that's a friend of mine," Karissa smiled. "Her name is River Sage. She helps me with the kids sometimes . . . and they adore her!"
Suddenly, Maya saw Danayal, slip down the slide and ran at him with full force, followed by Luc and River who was trying to catch up.
"Danayal!" Maya smiled as she went to him and hugged him before he could say no.
Luc was right behind her and did the same thing. "Friend Danayal back to play?" he asked.
River finally walked up out of breath. "I think I need to sit for a minute! They're really giving me a run for my money today, Karissa," she laughed.
"I noticed," she replied, and saw that River was looking Danayal over with a smile. "River, this is Danayal Bergman. Danayal, this is my friend River Sage."
"Nice to meet you," she replied with a smile as she extended her hand in greeting.
"Hi." He said, looking shy and quiet... and downright cute. "And you two rascals, come with me, we'll go play tag. And, Luc, you're it!" He tagged the boy and ran off, happy to escape, but he did like the view he got. River was cute, but if she found out he was a criminal... that had always been his reason not to start liking people his own age...
"Wow!" River smiled as she grabbed a sandwich and a drink. "You didn't tell me he was so cute!" she smiled, though her cheeks tinted a light pink at the confession.
"Well, I knew you'd see for yourself soon enough," Karissa smiled. "You should get to know him if you can . . . Just open up slowly by playing with the kids and him . . ."
"You think he'll like me?" she asked quietly, her brown eyes gazing at Karissa.
"I think he already does," she replied. "But he doesn't trust easily. He's afraid . . ."
River was puzzled. "Of what?"
"Of people not liking him once they get to know him," Karissa replied. "But you can't tell him you know this little bit of information," she said with a tease in her voice.
River smiled. "I think playing is a good idea and you know how much I love to play!"
"I know," Karissa replied. "And I'm glad you're open to being his friend . . He needs more people in his life . . . Ones closer to his age."
River rolled her eyes with a smile. "Like you're so much older than us!"
"Well, it's enough to make a difference," Karissa laughed.
River shook her head and laughed again. She quickly finished her snack and headed off to play.
She then sneaked up behind Danayal, touched him and said, "TAG! You're it!" and she took off running, laughing all the time. The twins laughed too as they ran.
Danayal tagged Luc again. He played with them all, laughing and running; eventually losing his shyness. But finally he fell down on the ground next to Karissa. "All I want now is water." He panted; his physical condition was still not as good as it should have been, because of his past. It was something Dom told Tyran he was concerned about...
Karissa laughed as she handed him a bottle of water. "Here, this should help," she smiled. "I saw you all were having so much fun!"
Suddenly, River came back and sat down, taking a bottle of water for herself and grabbing a cookie. "Wow! That was some game of Tag, wasn't it?" Her smile was brilliant, but not as bright as the sparkle in her eyes.
"Sure was," Danayal said grinning as he downed the bottle of water in record time.
"We want a cookie," Luc said coming up to the adults on the blanket.
Immediately, Karissa handed them each one and fixed them both little plates of food. "Don't forget you need to eat some good stuff too . . ."
River smiled. "You are such the mom!"
"Of course!" Karissa replied, a twinkle in her brown eyes.
"Well she is your mom, so you better listen." Danayal grinned.
"Well, she's not my mom. Too young." River grew quiet. "My mom and dad are Archaeologists . . . They're away at a seminary or something. They're always away . . ." She sighed.
"I know how that feels. My real parents live in New York and according to them; I shouldn't even have been born." Danayal had the feeling she would understand him on that point at least.
"Yeah, sometimes my own parents make me feel that way . . . I mean, they love my brother and I, I guess . . . but they're never around . . . Everything else is more important that us . . ." She nibbled at a cookie. "Brent takes it a lot better than I do, I guess. He's my brother."
"At least I think your parents love you, and want you, while mine. my mother said if she hadn't been watched by a midwife around my birth, she would have thrown me in a garbage shoot after my birth." He sighed.
River visibly shuddered. "Geez! That's awful!" she replied. "I'm sorry . . You know, I don't understand some people. Kids are the greatest gift in the world!" she said as she looked at Karissa and the twins. "Without the kids in the park and without the twins here, I think I would go crazy! And it's fun to show them new things . . . and sometimes it's just fun to be a kid with them . . I can't imagine people not understanding that . . ." River shook her head. "Well, at least you have us now!" she smiled gently, though she knew how deep his pain had to go . . . considering hers was deep. But his was worse. At least she knew her parents loved her. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like without that knowledge and still growing up.
"But I do have a foster father - Tyran. You know the owner of that bar on Felixtowe Street?"
"Yeah, I know it," she smiled. "I haven't been inside though . . "
"You should come. It's a nice place, but just after dinner, the crowds get wilder. I mean there are more heavy drinkers. But comparing it to the bar my parents had, it's just fine, not as sleazy."
"Are you inviting me then?" she asked, her dark eyes sparkling, though her cheeks tinted a little pink. "I mean, as a friend, to come visit?"
"Uh, inviting you?" He looked a bit surprised. "Yes, sure, why not."
She smiled. "And do you live with Tyran?" she asked, knowing that many of the storefronts in the area hid apartments behind.
"I used to live with him, but now I have a room above Mayflower - that flower store... It's close to the bar at least."
She smiled. "So you live on your own," she replied. "That's cool . . I still live at home with my brother and my parents when they're there . . " She shrugged. "We live on Renfield."
"Nice, quiet and especially expensive neighborhood to live in. I could never afford such a place."
"Well, my parents do that," she replied with a shrug. "I just live there . ."
"River comes and plays!" Maya said excitedly, as she ate a cookie.
"Do they ever get tired?" He grinned and rolled his eyes.
River laughed. "Nope!"
"Come play more!" Luc said as he sat himself in Danayal's lap, smiling and looking up at the young man.
"Do you feel up to it?" Karissa asked. It was the first thing she'd said since River and Danayal had started talking.
"Yeah, only problem is that I have to go to my appointment now. But I would have loved to have played more."
Luc pouted for a moment, but got up from Danayal's lap. He then went to River and hugged her from behind. "You come play?" he asked.
River smiled and nodded as she put down her bottle of water. "I think I can . ."
Luc smiled and clapped. "Yay!" And then he ran off toward the playground once again.
"Wait for me!" Maya said, discarding the last of her meal and running after her brother.
"Well, I'll see you later, Danayal . . ." River said, flashing him a bright smile.
"Yeah, I'm here often enough." He said with a smile. Then he got to his feet. "Thank you for inviting me," he said to Karissa. "The food and company were great. I'll see you guys later." He waved and walked off.
As River ran after the twins and Danayal walked out of the park to his appointment, Karissa smiled. She'd managed to not only get him to talk a little more - garnishing a little more of his trust. But she also helped him make a friend near his age. It made her feel very happy and contented . . . She knew she was helping him and she hoped she could continue doing so . .
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