Page 52 of Falcon’s Forever

I look at her properly. “You’re scared?”

“Of course I am,” she replies.

“You never look frightened,” I tell her.

"Neither do you." She bumps her shoulder against mine, gentle. "Sometimes being strong is being scared and doing the useful thing anyway."

That sounds suspiciously like something Falcon would say. I don't tell her that. She'd never let me live it down.

A knock at the front door sends every muscle in my body straight. The women in the living room go still too, though nobody panics this time. The security phone buzzes right after.

Security Phone:

NIGHT PATROL: Falcon requesting entry. No emergency. Security check and supply delivery.

"Efficient," Frankie says, reading over my shoulder.

There’s another knock. I check the peephole. Falcon is standing on the porch with two cardboard boxes, and he's not alone, Zip's farther back near the path, facing the tree line instead of the house.

I unlock the door and open it fully. "Good to come in?" he asks.

“Yes,” I tell him.

Falcon steps inside slowly, avoiding any sudden movements. His gaze sweeps across the room, checking each of the women before finally settling on me.

Maya sits up immediately and eyes the boxes in his hands. “Is that food?”

“That depends on how generous you’re feeling about the definition,” Falcon replies.

She narrows her eyes at the boxes. “What is it?”

“Harrier packed sandwiches, fruit, and enough snacks to survive the apocalypse,” he explains.

Maya jumps to her feet. “I like him.”

“Everybody likes Harrier until he starts yelling,” Falcon warns her.

I take one of the boxes from him. Falcon releases it without arguing that it might be too heavy for me.

It’s a small thing, but I notice it anyway.

Frankie opens the first box on the kitchen counter. “Oh, good. Real food.”

“Harrier said that if anyone complains, he’s personally banning them from his kitchen,” Falcon tells her.

Frankie looks offended. “He cannot ban me.”

Falcon raises an eyebrow. “Do you want to test that?”

“No,” she admits.

“Smart,” he replies.

I smile, and Falcon notices the exact moment it happens. His expression softens before he looks away.

The second box contains bottled water, protein bars, batteries, two flashlights, and a ridiculous number of phone chargers.

Maya appears beside me and points proudly at the collection. “I requested those.”