Page 93 of Havoc's Fox

“Who were you talking to?”

“Oh, yeah, that. That was Analise. She’s not going to be able to make it.”

“Oh,” she said, her disappointment clear. “That’s okay. We can go tomorrow.”

“Baby, Analise has to go back to work. She’s getting things packed and ready to head home so I don’t think she’ll be able to go at all. But we’re going to make birdhouses here. We’ll make all kinds so we’ll have different kinds of birds everywhere. And we’ll get you a puppy, too.”

Her little arms fell at her sides. “I don’t want to do that. I just want Analise.”

“She’s got to go to work. You know she has an important museum job. They need her because some things they found broke and they need her to put them back together.”

“Oh. Well, after she fixes them she’ll come back!” Harley said, smiling.

“Maybe. But it’s a long way off and they’re gonna need her for a long time.”

Harley’s smile fell and her lip started trembling.

Havoc went over to her and picked her up, holding her close as she cried a little. “Want to watch some cartoons?”

“No.”

“Want to watch Brave?”

“No,” she said, sniffling.

“What do you want to do, then?”

“Just sit here.”

“That’s what we’ll do. We’ll just sit here until you want to do something else. Then we’ll do that. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said, sniffling a little as Havoc sat down on the sofa, holding her on his lap.

“It’s gonna be alright.”

Harley nodded. “Is she going to come say goodbye?”

“No, she was going to try but I told her I knew she’d be busy so she should just keep packing.”

“I would have said goodbye.”

“I know, but adults got all kinds of things to worry about. You understand.”

Harley nodded again.

“I promise. Everything is going to be alright. Daddy always makes everything alright, doesn’t he?”

“Yes,” she said, her head leaning on his chest.

“Trust me. It’ll be okay.”

Chapter 21

Analise spent the rest of the day packing, then went over to Bane’s house. She knocked on the door and waited only a few moments before Daisy opened the door. “Hey, ‘Lise, come on in.”

“Thanks. I just wanted to come tell y’all goodbye.”

“Goodbye? You’re leaving already?” Daisy asked.