Foxy was not sure when she decided to lie on the bed -- it was so soft. She knew had taken a nice, long shower and had felt tired. Then, she had found herself on the bed, asleep.

When she woke her hair was a mess. The wet hair had tangled itself. Foxy sighed as she peeped from the window. It was still dark with the crescent moon beaming. She hadn't slept for long.

Foxy had gone through the room before sleeping. She had learnt that the hotel provided with great amenities -- she had discovered a comb. She was planning to use it. Foxy went to the mirror with her comb and started working on her tangles. The only problem was that it was difficult to use her comb with her left hand.

As she combed her hair, the door clicked open, and Foxy froze. She glanced at where she had kept the device.

"It's me, kiddo."

It was Kez.

"You are back." She was relieved.

"Aye, I see you have made yourself comfortable."

She realised that she had turned the room into a mess. She didn't even want to glance at the bathroom. It looked like a sandstorm had hit it. It was filled with dirt -- her body dirt.

"I'm sorry." She said alarmed. "I will clean it."

"Clean it?" He said with a chuckle as limped and took a seat on the bed. He massaged his bad leg as his cane rested beside him. He looked tired.  "You don't have to clean it, kiddo. It's all right. I just came to check up on you. Did you have anything to eat?"

Foxy shook her head. He nodded. "Me neither. Want to go grab a bite?"

"Where?" Foxy asked.

"Since my leg is actin' up. Downstairs. Is that okay?"

Was he really asking her? Or was he mocking her? It did not make sense. Foxy was convinced that the food she would find in the hotel's garbage would be far better than anything she had ever eaten.

"Yes." She said unsure. He nodded. She was seeing a different side of him. A nicer, kinder, caring side. Had she misjudged him? Who were these two men?

Dangerous, was all her mind could say. Yet, she had seen them nothing out of the ordinary.

"Okay, you meet me in five, eh?"

She nodded. "Will Idris be there?"

Kez sighed, turned and looked at her. "Kiddo, I am about to give you a proper advice, eh? Memorize it." He pressed a finger on her temple. "Don't get attached. You are the only one you should look out for. You are doing that, kid, I see it and I respect it. Continue doing so."

Foxy nodded. She didn't understand what she had said. As he had instructed she did memorize his words. She had to.

"Go on, tidy yourself up." He said. Foxy nodded as she started combing her hair. He grunted as he stood up and then limped to the door. He turned and said. "You look good, kid."

Foxy smiled. Her heart soared at the compliment as she stared at her reflection. She did look clean. Her skin was not grey. Her hair had work to do but it looked better than before.

"Thank you." Foxy reminded herself to be polite.

▪

Foxy devoured the food. It was too much to handle. Kez didn't talk much as he ate but watched her amused. He had introduced her to such great delicacies.

Who knew cakes could be so amazing!

She had half a mind of stuffing all of it in her undergarments and running back to the slum to her sleeping spot and keeping it for herself. She had to remind herself that she could all of it anytime.

Kez wiped his mouth. "How old are you, kid?"

"Emma says I'm eleven."

Kez nodded. "You don't know?"

Foxy shook her head. "I've counted  eight since I remember. But I can't be sure." Then he directed his gaze at her thumb. She had been struggling with the food a bit. Kez had let her eat with her hand even when the place they were eating at was expensive. But she had never been left-handed. Drinking was always easy.

"Right, eleven it is, kid." He said giving her a smile.

"I am not truly adopted, am I?"

"You are here, under our care and protection. Legally you are not adopted but if we are really talkin' about the law -- legally, you might not exist. You don't have a doc, do you? Nor do you have a name. You are like us."

"Is that why you took me in?"

Kez chuckled. "Then I'd have to take all the kids in the slums in, kiddo."

"Then why did you?"

He peered at her through her golden rimmed spectacles. She wiped her mouth, copying him and kept the napkin, back, neatly on the table.

"Can I be honest with you, kid?"

She nodded.

"I didn't. I didn't take you in. I am being nice to you because I am comparatively a nicer guy. He took you in. Saw something in you as you lay bleedin'. Don't ask me why. I have no fat chance on guessin' what goes inside his head, eh? And you shouldn't try either."

"But .  .  ." Foxy hesitated reminding herself that Kez didn't like questions.  ". . . you are friends."

She felt like an idiot saying that.

Kez laughed. He slapped his large hand on the table and it shook. "Aye, aye. I'm somethin' to him, all right. I have my uses and so do you. Don't worry about that, eh?" He said. "Anyway, I've got a kid of your age. He's like you, adopted, a bit older, an arsehole. You will go on well, I think, at least you will feel less lonely."

Foxy didn't like the idea of that. She didn't like kids her age. She never had friends that were not older men or women. Actually, Emma was her only friend. But she pretended to be curious. "Where is he?"

"You will meet him. Come on, we will pay and leave. I'm tired."