After I'd taken care of everything, I realized it was almost three. I carried Ginny into the bar, poured her a glass of Lemonade, then carried her upstairs with me.
In Alvin's room, Ginny stood on the floor with her fingers interlaced, not knowing where to put her hands. Her little face was marked by insecurity and anxiety.
Alvin took off his Plaid Shirt, which had been torn, bunched it up, and wiped his chest. Then he crouched down to meet Ginny's eyes and pointed at his chest. "See? I'm fine. Dad's really strong!"
Ginny rushed over to Alvin in surprise. Her little hands felt all over his chest, searching for the wound she'd caused. In the end, she found only four faint scars, so fine they were hard to see unless you looked closely.
Ginny looked relieved, and a smile returned to her face. Stumbling over her words, she said, "Dad strong. Dad." Ginny had trouble communicating, and sometimes couldn't get the words she wanted to say out. It made her anxious, and she adorably scratched her head.
Alvin affectionately smoothed her messy hair and kissed her forehead. "Ginny's very smart. We can take it slow." Then he kissed her again.
He took Ginny's hands and gently rubbed between her fingers. There was still some blood there that hadn't dried. He asked, a little worried, "Does it hurt?"
Ginny tilted her head as she thought about it. Realizing Alvin was concerned about her, she smiled happily. "Used to it. Doesn't hurt." She thoughtfully wiped the furrow from Alvin's brow with her finger. "Ginny good. Dad not scared."
Alvin felt his heart melt. His daughter was worrying about him now. He'd love her even if she had two knives—or two Pistols—in her hands! He hugged Ginny tightly, then walked to the window and beckoned her over.
Ginny walked over curiously. Alvin realized that she was so small she couldn't see outside from the window. Amused, he watched her grip the sill and struggle to pull herself up until she could just get her eyes above it.
He scooped Ginny up and pointed outside. "Ginny different. Dad different too." The alley outside was empty. A thick, dark-green Vine shot up from a drainage ditch, straightened, and reached the window.
Alvin pinched the Vine's tapered tip. The Venomous Flower Vine shivered happily, seeming to enjoy it. Then Alvin had it wave hello to Ginny. Her little mouth fell open as she stared at him in amazement.
Alvin smiled and bumped his forehead against hers. "See? Dad's different too, so Ginny's Alvin's daughter. We're different from everyone else."
Ginny smiled innocently, enjoying Alvin's affection. She nodded as hard as she could. "Ginny, Dad, different from others."
Alvin affectionately touched his nose to Ginny's, then waved the Venomous Flower Vine away. He set Ginny down and patted her head. "Dad's going to change. Then I'll take Ginny to buy some clothes, okay?"
Ginny looked at Alvin and smiled. "Ginny wants Dad, not clothes."
Compared to Ginny, the chubby little boy from my previous life who wanted everything he saw might as well have lived on another plane of existence.
Alvin pulled on a fresh Plaid Shirt and a gray jacket, then put on a pair of dark-blue jeans. He looked just like a northern farmer: plain and unpretentious, but dependable. He settled a Baseball Cap on Ginny's head and smiled. "Let's go, my princess." He took her little hand and hurried downstairs.
When they got downstairs, Alvin saw that most of the people had left the Restaurant. Only a middle-aged man with a thick beard remained, sitting dejectedly in a corner with a cup of Coffee in his hands, lost in thought.
It wasn't Alvin's concern. This was a Restaurant; the man could sit wherever he liked. In a good mood, Alvin asked Jessica to bring him a Beer. Judging by his expression, Beer suited the moment better than Coffee.
Then he smiled at Jessica. "Come with me. The Boss is treating you to some new clothes."
Jessica had just brought the middle-aged man his Beer. She cheered and asked, "Are we going to Seventh Avenue?"
Alvin felt his pocket and thought it over. "We're going to the 27th District, to Shirley Clothing Store."
Jessica let out a disappointed "Oh," but soon perked up. Her Boss was buying her a gift, after all. She quickly took off her apron and, hands behind her back, bounced out the door with Alvin.
Carrying Ginny, Alvin stood at the entrance and gave Old Kent his instructions. "Old Kent, get a couple of the guys to clean out my Attic. Move all of Mr. Nick Caster's things up there. Mr. Castor's been wanting to live in the Attic for a long time, so let's finally make his wish come true.
"Our little princess needs his room. Also, ask Old Juan to make a set of furniture for her. Pink, and have it ready before bedtime tonight."
Old Kent happily agreed. He pretended to hold a hat that wasn't there and bowed. "My pleasure, Princess!" Then he called over a few of the young men and headed upstairs in the Restaurant.
Nobody noticed that when Alvin mentioned Nick, the dejected middle-aged man's face twisted into a strange mix of guilt, longing, and fear.
When he heard Alvin was moving Nick up to the Attic, he looked Wrathful. When he heard that living in the Attic was Nick's Wish, he looked happy. It was as if Nick's every joy and sorrow tugged at his heart.
As he listened to Alvin proudly showing off his daughter, he looked utterly envious.
Alvin had JJ keep an eye on Jason, the black kid, then drove Ginny and Jessica around the block to Shirley Clothing Store, a street away. The shop specialized in women's clothes, but it also carried girls' clothes.
The owner, Shirley, was a beautiful woman in her forties. Her clothes weren't luxurious, but she always looked polished. A few carefully chosen, inexpensive accessories could make her shine.
Alvin could tell she was a woman with a story. But that had nothing to do with him. Once inside, Alvin swept his hand out grandly and told Jessica, "Buy whatever you like!"
The amused owner stopped Alvin from making a fool of himself. She first took Jessica along to help pick out a few outfits for Ginny, then had her try them on.
Princess dresses—pretty! One in every color!
Tracksuits—pretty! Pink, yellow, and green, one of each!
A T-shirt with a button-up shirt and denim overalls, plus a denim jacket. Too cool! And a Baseball Cap too. Perfect! Alvin and Ginny bumped fists, laughing as they stood together in front of the full-length mirror. They looked like father and daughter; their different skin colors didn't make them look out of place.
Ginny especially liked the outfits, and Alvin liked them even more. With a grand wave, he ordered ten of each.
With Jessica's help, they also picked out all sorts of other things: shoes, socks, Underwear, pajamas, and more.
After that, Jessica didn't get nearly as generous a shopping spree.
Denim shorts and a cropped T-shirt. "Boss, do these look good?"
"It's not even hot out. Who are you showing your belly to?"
A short floral Miniskirt. "What about this one?"
"Why is the skirt so short? Aren't your legs cold?"
Jeans and a T-shirt. "How about this?"
"Yeah, pretty good. We'll take it. Two sets!"
Jessica angrily marched up to Alvin and complained, "Boss, you're being too much! These are the clothes I wore here!"
Alvin paused. "They look nice, though. Get a few more sets so you can change into them."
Jessica angrily stomped on Alvin's foot, then turned to the owner, Shirley. "Everything except this one, please. Two of each in different colors. Put it all on the Boss's tab."
Was it really okay to make such a fuss for yourself, young lady?
Alvin had learned the hard way in his previous life never to provoke an angry woman. He'd put up with it, since she'd helped pick out clothes for his daughter.
While Jessica snickered, Alvin reluctantly paid. Thankfully, it wasn't expensive—just over nine hundred U.S. Dollars. Hmm, when he had more money, he'd take his daughter to explore those famous avenues.
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