Reflections of Light

Shopping

"So, Travis, Abby wants to know if, hypothetically, we were to get you a present for your birthday, what would you want?"

"Nyx, was this entire shopping trip you insisted I came on, orchestrated just so you could ask that?"

"Abby was asking, not me!" Nyx said with a grin, as she pushed Abby in her pram past the various shops of the shopping mall.
"Just saying, it's her dad's birthday, the first she's been around for, she wants to get him a special present."

"Nyx, she can't even say present."

"So? You can't tell the time! Never stopped you!"

"C'mere you!" Travis put an arm around her shoulders, dragging her towards him and ruffling her hair.

"Gerroff!" Nyx squealed through giggles, wriggling in his grasp. "You're messing up my hair! And people are looking!"

Travis released her, grinning. "Come on, let's go buy Abby a princess dress or whatever you two usually shop for."

"She needs new shoes, better ones now she's beginning to start walking."

"Shoes it is then!"

Travis was awkwardly babysitting the pram, watching Nyx browsing the shoe racks with Abby on her hip, when he heard the happy cry.

"Hiya!"

Turning to where the voice came from, he was surprised to see the small blonde girl - Wesley, was it? - that he'd returned to her parents after having been found by Nick in Lady Mater's mansion.

She waved at him, smiling. "I'm here wif my mum, we're gettin' new shoes 'cause my trainers are too teeny small now."

"Thats... Good, I guess."

"Yeah,'cause it means I'm gettin' bigger an' taller!"

"Okay then, good."

Wesley skipped up to him, grinning, then noticed the pram. Her eyes lit up.
"Have you got the likkle baby wif you? Can I see?"

At that moment, Vivian appeared, carrying a pair of glittery children's trainers in one hand. "Wesley, I told you not to run off... Oh, it's you! Umm... Nick isn't it?"

"Actually, I'm Travis. Nick's my best mate. He's the one that actually found them in the place, I just dropped them home."

"Ah, yes, now I remember. Sorry! Anyway, thanks again for doing that, I was worried sick!"

"Oh, it was no problem..."

"Where's the likkle baby?" Wesley interrupted, having snuck round Travis and peered into the pram, only to find it empty.

Travis pointed in Nyx's direction. "Over there with that lady, looking for shoes."

"Yay!" Wesley cheered, spying Abby and making a beeline towards them.

Vivian chuckled. "What's she like? She hasn't shut up about seeing your daughter for months! That's when she's not talking about how cool she thinks Nick and Emilia are after they rescued them from the house. I swear, just 'cause he rescued Billy from some kind of flying demons or something, your friend' said her hero!"

Travis chuckled. "I'll be sure to make him aware of that."

Nyx was distracted from the pair of tiny brown strapped shoes she was inspecting, by a small voice at her elbow.

"Hello."

She turned and looked at the small blonde girl, a bit confused.
"Hello."

"I'm Wesley. Travis said I could come over here an' see you an' the baby. He's over dere wif my mum."

Nyx took a second, but then it dawned on her. "Oh, you're Wesley. Oh, okay. Tell you what, why don't you help me pick Abby out some shoes?"

She turned back to Travis, giving him questioning 'What do you expect me to do?' eyes.
Travis just shrugged, as Vivian chattered aimlessly to him.