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think about how loud she would be. We can move back into the Council housing tomorrow.”
    “Oh nonsense. I only heard her because I was in the kitchen. Let me take her while you get some sleep. I’m already up and would love the company.” He looks uncertain, but he also looks only a few seconds away from falling over. He must never sleep if she does this every night. The compassion I feel for him is at an all-time high. Poor Dex…on top of being a brother he also has to be both father and mother to this little girl who is so full of fear. Not wanting to burst into tears or do anything equally as stupid like embrace him, I scoop her up and take her out the door.
    I light a fire and take her over to the comfy couch. Once I get us a fluffy blanket to burrow under I hold her close and fill her head with sweet stories of fairies and princesses, places full of laughter and joy where there is no heartache. I tell story after story until my throat is hoarse and Grace is fast asleep. I must have joined her shortly after, because the next thing I know there is a tapping on my head. I look up to Wes frowning.
    “Everything okay? Did you sleep down here all night?”
    I put my finger to my lips, carefully scoot out from under Grace, and motion for him to follow me into the other room.
    “I got up in the middle of the night to get a snack. She had a nightmare, and I took her on the couch with me so Dex could sleep. She’s only been asleep an hour or two.”
    Wes looks so sad. He stands there silently for a moment then whispers, “It’s hard to lose a mother, and she lost both of her parents. It’s going to be tough.”
    I know Wes is still grieving the loss of his mother. It will always be a part of him and he never even knew her. It’s a connection Grace and he will share and a pain I will never understand. I put my hand on his shoulder. “You will help her through this, Wes; I think that’s one of the reasons she feels close to you.”
    His face softens a little bit. “She really is a good kid. Dex said something about you going to school with her today? Are you going to have time to do that with everything you have going on?”
    “Honestly, no I don’t. It has to be done though. Her teacher wasn’t fit for the position and who knows how many others like her are there? I can’t put it off but I’m hoping it won’t take more than one day if I’m efficient enough.”
    Wes looks over his shoulder into the other room where Grace is sleeping and then back to me. “I finished the project I was working on; I could go with you. We could split up and get more done,” he offers. “That way it shouldn’t take more than the one day.”
    I want to kiss him. My best friend always knows what I need and he never makes me ask for help. Although I think his offer has more to do with that sweet little girl on the couch than it does me, it warms me just the same.
    “Wes that would be fantastic. I would love that and so would Grace.” He smiles widely, proud of himself for thinking of it.
    “Yes, well it only makes sense me going with you. I know how it feels to be different and it makes all the difference in the world to have a teacher who understands. I can make sure they are doing the right thing and you can fire them if they don’t.” He smiles and I am not sure if he is serious or joking. Either way, I laugh.
    “We make quite the team don’t we, Wes?”
    “That we do, Roz girl.”
    “Do you think we will always be this close, even when we are old and have kids and have to live separately?” One of my greatest fears is Wes and I growing apart. I know it happens, I’ve seen it happen, but it would kill me if that happened to us. Once you add a spouse and kids and real life, maintaining a friendship is hard.
    “Of course we will. I won’t let you get rid of me that easy. You can do the spouse and kid thing. I will be Uncle Wes, the strange man who never really leaves,” he says with a chuckle.
    I laugh. “Sounds