in a new light

Sunny knew someone was watching him the moment he arrived at Ducky and Xander.

True, he was happy to get out of Boystown. Not that it was a bad place. It was busy with so many rules and classes. Maybe overwhelming. Honestly, Sunny kept telling himself if he had a quiet place to sleep, then he would be OK.

Xander showed him to his room. There was a full sized bed, a desk and a new laptop...strictly for studying.

Xander left him. Immediately, Sunny set down on the bed and looked at the fluffy pillows. There was more than one.

He stretched out on the bed and relaxed. Before long, he yawned. The last few weeks had been so draining without a grandfather and without a home.. and he wasn't sure he could feel anything anymore.

Yes, he was still sad about his grandpa. And as much as he wished he could have done something. There wasn't much to do, other than being shuffled from one place to another.

He was thankful, Xander found him. He feared it was only lip service in the beginning. But here he was now.

Sunny yawned once more and almost sank into sleep. Next thing he knew his door was open. Sunny rose up on his elbows, wondering what was going on. He then noticed little fingers at the foot of the bed.

Sunny sighed. He could see her big brown eyes from here.

"What are you doing?" He wanted to know. "Dakota. Right?"

She stood up and shook her head. Her messy dishwater hair fell around her heart-shaped face.

"You know, you're suppose to knock." He told her.

"I did." She shrugged.

"And you go away if I don't answer." He stared at her thinking one little girl might be a game changer. He wasn't used to little kids. He'd been with his grandpa since he was her age. He guessed.

She was even lipped.

"I was..just checking on you."

Sunny pressed a slight frown.

"Yeah, well..." He wanted to get angry with her.

"Its just.." She looked as if she could cry. He patted down a spot for her to sit next to him. "My Daddy isn't here anymore." Big tears emerged and dripped down her face. "I've waited forever to be with him."

Perhaps her memories of her dad were as raw as his sad thoughts of growing up without parents. He didn't want to be nice to her and yet, it came automatically.