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"Sometimes I wonder where she gets it all from. I swear, some days it's like she's powered by a never-ending sugar rush." I laugh softly, stealing a glance at Rendal. His muscular arms are crossed over his broad chest, and the sunlight catches the green tint of his skin, making it look almost iridescent. "How about Zola? Is she always this active?"
"Always," he replies quickly. "I don't know where she gets it from, either. Maybe those are my genes acting up."
"Seriously?" I look him up and down. "You don't seem like the crazy type."
He snorts. "You didn't know me in college."
My eyebrows raise, curious to hear about those wild college days he's alluding to. Just as I'm about to ask, my heart sinks in my chest to hear Penelope's giggles turn into cries.
She stumbles and falls as she tries to run across the playground. Before I can even take a step, Rendal's already moving, his long strides carrying him swiftly to my daughter's side.
I hurry after him, but by the time I reach them, Rendal's already kneeling beside Penelope, his large hands gentle as he helps her up.
"Hey there, little warrior," he says, his voice soft and soothing. "That was quite a tumble you took."
Penelope sniffles, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looks at her scraped knee. My heart aches to see her in pain, but I'm struck by how naturally Rendal comforts her.
"You know," he continues, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I once tripped over my own feet and fell face-first into a mud puddle. Can you imagine? A big orc like me, covered in mud from head to toe!"
Penelope's sobs start to subside as she looks up at Rendal, curiosity replacing the pain in her eyes.
"Really?" she asks, her voice small but interested.
Rendal nods solemnly. "Oh yeah. I looked like a walking mud monster. I scared three cats and a postman on my way home."
A giggle escapes Penelope's lips, and I feel my own smile growing. Rendal's humor is working its magic, not just on my daughter, but on me too.
"There's that smile," Rendal says, gently ruffling Penelope's hair. "Now, how about we clean up that knee and get back to having fun?"
He reaches into his work backpack, pulling out a first-aid kit. As I watch Rendal tend to Penelope's scrape, I'm overwhelmed by a wave of emotion. His kindness, his gentleness with my daughter—it's all so unexpected and yet so perfectly Rendal.
He's funny, he's assertive, and he's strong. His demeanor makes that evident. But he has a soft spot for children that makes my heart flutter.
As Rendal finishes patching up Penelope's knee, he gives her a conspiratorial wink. "You know what? I think this bandage might have special powers."
Penelope's eyes widen. "Really?"
"Oh yeah," Rendal nods solemnly. "It's got super-fast healing abilities. I bet by the time you finish playing on the swings, you won't even remember you fell."
Penelope giggles, her earlier tears forgotten. "That's silly, Mr. Rendal!"
"Silly? Me?" Rendal places his large hand over his chest in mock offense. "I'll have you know I'm the most serious orc in all of Greenfield. Just ask Zola."
On cue, Zola pipes up, "It's true! Daddy never jokes. He's always grumpy and serious."
We all burst into laughter at Zola's perfect timing. Penelope, now fully recovered from her fall, jumps up.
"Come on, Zola! Let's go to the swings!"
As the girls run off and Rendal rises to his feet, I turn to him, my heart full of gratitude. "Thank you so much. You're amazing with her."
He shrugs, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "It's nothing. I've had plenty of practice falling on my face. I grew up playing football. Makes me an expert in cleaning up scraped knees."
I can't help but laugh. "Oh really? And here I thought you were just naturally graceful."
"Graceful?" Rendal laughs. "I don't know if I should take offense to that, Miss Chloe. I'm no ballerina."
"Now that's an image," I say, my eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'd pay good money to see that."
