Binn stepped out of the Portal and waited for the dizziness to pass before taking a deep breath of fresh air carrying the damp Sea Breeze.
He had spent so long in Conch City that he felt as if mushrooms were about to sprout all over him.
"Wow!"
Jack and Rose exclaimed beside him.
"It's so flat here!"
"Why is the sea blue?"
"Do you like it? You could live here someday."
"Really?!" Jack cried.
"Of course."
Binn ruffled Jack's hair and led them home.
Like most Free City People, he lived in a single room at the Mansion.
The twenty-square-meter room was big enough for one adult and two children. Besides, Binn would be returning to Conch City before long.
After setting down their luggage, he crouched in front of Jack and Rose. "You're Lord Annan's people now, too. Remember to leave your bad habits from Conch City behind. You have a home. You don't need to steal to feed yourselves anymore."
"Mommy Binn!"
"Daddy Binn!"
The two little ones threw themselves into Binn's arms. The commotion caught a neighbor's attention, and she poked her head in from the corridor.
"Binn, you're back?"
"Yes, Aunt Meline."
He introduced the children to his neighbor. "These are the two children I've adopted. Jack and..."
Binn paused and looked down at them. "You should choose names for yourselves."
"We want to keep these names. Can we, Mommy Binn?"
"If you like them."
Jack and Rose were meaningful names in their own way. Binn patted their heads. "Go play and get to know the place. I'm going to buy you a bed."
"Oh, what two adorable little things! Come to Aunt Meline. I'll get you some gingerbread cookies..."
Binn had no worries about leaving them there. He went to the secondhand market to