keeper of the lost cities one-shot collection

'Humans' part 2

Kayla audibly gasped when she saw the house.

Skylar, who was too young to really process anything, clung to his dad's leg with one hand. his other was in his mouth.

Kayla stared slack jawed at the big blue house sitting in front of them. 

Of all the places Sophie had brought the two of them, this one seemed to catch Kayla's interest.

"It smells funky," she said, fanning the air, and making Sophie and Keefe both laugh.

"What?" Kayla said, sounding annoyed. "It's true; it smells disgusting!" 

"Nothing, sweetheart," Keefe said, kneeling down and wrapping an arm around his daughter's waist. 

"We just find it funny, since that's almost exactly what I said when your mom brought me here the first time." he kissed his daughter's cheek.

"Oh," Kayla mumbled, relaxing.

Keefe kissed his daughter on the cheek one last time before he stood and moved to knock. 

the door almost immediately flew open, and it took Amy a second to process what was happening. She gasped when she did. 

"Come in!" she said, gesturing for them to come in. the nostalgia hit hard. It was the same house it always had been.

"Wow," Sophie said, turning in a slow circle. "This place is so..."

"Dirty? not clean?" Amy suggested. "I've been really behind on laundry, and all of that. It's kind of embarrassing." she turned to Sophie, staring wide eyed at her sister as she said, "THESE ARE YOUR KIDS?!"

Sophie nodded, stroking Kayla's hair. 

Skylar was still clinging to his dad like a lifeline. But when Amy knelt down and held out her arms to him, he ran over and hugged her. Skylar was like that.

He could manage himself socially, he just needed a push. It surprised Sophie all the time.

The look on Amy's face was insane. "I might have to steal him," she said, clinging to Skylar. "He's WAY too precious." 

the six-year-old boy's face twisted as he rushed away from Amy and clung to Keefe's leg again. His small hand back in his mouth. 

Amy looked to Kayla. "Hi," Kayla said, waving shyly. Amy grinned and waved back and then stood, facing Sophie and Keefe again. 

"I knew you had kids," she said. "But I had no idea they were this adorable." Sophie laughed.