The Trust You Earn

"Me?"

At his question, I remember the concerns brewing within my head. If I don't start moving my hands again, I may struggle to even breathe.

"Mira has been fine. She's slowly getting used to things."

"And you?"

"I'm…fine."

I refuse to make eye contact as I respond. It shouldn't be surprising that Silver would be unconvinced by my empty words.

"Is that so? Perhaps watching over two children felt like too tall a task?"

"So you already know about that…"

That would explain the constant feeling of being watched that I had grown accustomed to.

"It was simply the word on the wind."

The sounds of fluttering wings shouldn't be audible from inside, but my brain nonetheless processes such sounds. I don't think I can ever look at a pigeon the same way again. For all I know, any one of them could be a little surveillance drone informing this man of our every movement.

Silver doesn't pay my suspicions any mind and continues to watch the lights outside.

"I'm glad that Mark came to you for help."

Once again, my hands stop to process what he says.

"You know Mr. Mark?"

"Of course! I paid him a visit after young Ange arrived."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised…"

Silver was immediately present to deal with Mira, so another rabbit incident would also be on his radar.

"He is quite protective, wouldn't you agree?"

"Ah…yeah, I guess…"

Nonexistent burn marks ache around my body. I've managed to avoid the future where I receive these wounds, but the day I do seems ever present.

"When I offered to take her for an hour to procure some basic necessities, he adamantly refused. Even after only a week, Mark would not allow anybody near his child."

"That sounds like him…"

"Now, imagine my surprise when he made such a proposal!"

I have since run out of items to shovel, but I continue crouching in front of the machine. I'm not sure what I want to hear, but my ears won't stop listening.

"That trust is what you earned, young Noa."

"But, I haven't really done anything…"

"Perhaps."

Silver finally stands. After a moment, I hear the rustling of his suit as he crouches down nearby. A hand then lands on my shoulder.

"Perhaps, but that 'nothing' may be exactly what someone needs most."

Flapping wings surround us and small talons push the washing machine door closed. As I continue to stare forward, I see our reflections in the glass. His smile doesn't fit with my grim expression.

"There is only so much that us creatures can do alone. So we rely on others in our times of need. That applies not only to Mark, but to you as well."

"Me…?"

My vision becomes blurred by a cloud of grey feathers. The hand on my shoulder and the mysterious man both disappear within that rather unusual puff of smoke. Silver has departed, but that doesn't mean that I was left alone.

"Noa!"

A refreshing voice echoes out from a wave of blue beyond rows of machines. I turn around and see a small girl trotting towards me, her sandals clicking against the hard floor.

"M-Mira!? What are you doing down here!?"

"Noa forgot something!"

As I stand to meet her, I notice the large bottle cradled between her arms. She tries to stop right before reaching me, but the weight has thrown off her sense of balance.

"W-Woah!"

"Careful!"

I open my arms just in time to catch Mira before she can crash us both into the wall. From her hair, I smell the shampoo purchased specifically for her use. This odour was hard to get used to at first, but now I can't imagine our home without that hint of roses.

Mira's face pulls away from my chest, revealing a few clumps of dust that have found their way atop her nose.

"Sorry, Noa…Ah! Here!"

She takes a step back and holds out the bottle of detergent with all her might. Those fragile arms don't hold out for long, but I managed to take the bottle before they give in.

"Did I really forget something as simple as detergent…"

Sure enough, this isn't a spare. Nowhere in my belongings can you find a bottle of the one ingredient required to actually clean our clothes. In my rush, even this slipped my mind.

"Thanks, Mira…"

My eyes are fixated on the bottle in my hands as I apologise.

There must be a mistake. Silver and Mark shouldn't trust me as much as they do. I can barely take care of myself without any issues, let alone two young girls. Despite talking big to Mark, I don't have what it takes to really help out like an adult. If Mira weren't around, I would just be standing here like a fool.

"Noa!"

From the depths of my mind, I'm dragged back to the surface with a pair of deep blue eyes in front of me. Those large, round pools take up my entire focus and silence whatever thoughts I was forming.

"Don't worry!"

"W-What?"

"I'll clean everything properly! So let's show Old Man Beard that our room is better than hers!"

What was I worrying about just now? For some reason, I can't remember whilst looking at Mira balling her hands into fists. She's covered in dust from cleaning and looks as if she could sneeze at any moment. Yet despite this, she seems to glow brighter than any of the lights in this room. Whatever it was, the problem feels so far away in the eyes of this extraordinary rabbit.

"Can you two take care of Ange."

Those were Mark's words. This isn't just my responsibility. I hate to put some of the work on her shoulders, but this small creature has every intent on helping me. Seeing her leave the apartment by herself to deliver this package is enough to remind me of something so simple. I can trust Mira and her kind spirit.

"Yeah…"

With my motivation renewed, I pump my own fist up.

"That's right! We're going to make it so that Ange will never want to leave!"

"Then we refuse and bring her to tears!"

We bump fists together. Our reasons don't quite line up, but the goal is the same.

"I'll see you soon, Noa!"

"Yeah!"

Mira turns and leaves me behind to the sound of rumbling machines. I briefly hear a sneeze outside, either from the dust or the cold.

"I guess I should do my part!"

As I begin measuring liquid in the bottle cap, I feel a presence return. I listen to his words without taking my eyes off the mission before me.

"I will be watching to make sure nothing goes poorly. However, I don't expect my vigilance to be necessary."

"Yeah, I'll make sure of it."

"Well said, young Noa!"

With that, a flock of pigeons exit the laundromat. The night is peaceful. Peaceful, but with a tint of our combined courage.