Queer Orphanage

Chapter 2

Jayden was a busy man, that much she knew. And although he spent most of the day away, he owned the respect of those who lived there as much as he owned the house itself. While Kasia knew he was busy, she never asked "with what"; while sometimes, Jayden was away even at night, she never asked where he'd been. In fact, she rarely asked anything at all, if only because of the distanced look he constantly wore that consequently drove her into silence.

"I'm back." The sound of keys came from the front door, along with a familiar, tired voice.

The kids scrambled off Kasia's cushions, while Kasia herself helped that process by flipping all of them onto the floor in order to make way, so that she could sprint to the door. "Welcome back!" she greeted with a wide smile.

"How is everyone?" Jayden asked as he loosened his tie. "How are you?" he asked Kasia in particular.

"Everyone is fine," Kasia answered for the kids, who were too busy trying to organize themselves back in their own seats to respond. As they spent the whole day on Kasia's bed, they sometimes forgot where they really should have been. "And I'm kind of tired, but I'm fine too. How are you?"

Together, the two made way to the same side of the room. This time, Kasia knew she would have her cushions all to herself, knowing that the kids avoided Jayden's desk like the plaque. Even though they all loved the man himself, his presence alone made them discipline themselves. On his way, he patted the head of one of the little girls. She beamed innocently at him. That was the most well-behaved child (applicable only in Jayden's presence). "Tired," he said in response to Kasia.

"I saw you in my dreams last night," she told him, lifting her chin to meet his gaze properly.

"I hope it was a good dream," he said, sitting down to listen to her.

She nodded with a bright smile. "We were standing on two sides of the same bridge in London. The fog prevented me from seeing you clearly, but I knew that was you. There were some...red and green colors just floating around." The last bit of information was given in an uncertain tone. "I think they were just floating around." She wasn't quite sure how.

"That's good, I think," Jayden said. "That means we're getting along." Then, he turned his chair to face the desk, signifying the end of conversation. Taking that as a cue, Kasia turned as well, facing the kids that were magically sitting upright in their space, quietly playing with one another. She hugged a cushion.