Carefully.
The bikers pretended not to watch the children devour food.
Noah appreciated that more than he could explain.
Mara brought milk.
Then two plates.
“Kitchen made extra eggs.”
Noah looked toward her.
“We can’t pay.”
Mara shook her head.
“Didn't ask.”
She walked away.
Lily drank half the glass without stopping.
The scar-faced biker watched her.
Then looked at Noah.
“What’s your name?”
“Noah.”
“Last name?”
Noah hesitated.
“Carter.”
The biker nodded.
“Victor.”
One of the other men snorted.
“Nobody calls you Victor.”
Victor looked at him.
The man grinned.
Noah looked confused.
Victor wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“They call me Grim.”
Lily’s eyes widened.
“That’s scary.”
One biker coughed to hide a laugh.
Victor’s expression almost changed.
Almost.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Long story.”
Lily studied his scar.
“Because of that?”
Noah whispered:
“Lily.”
Victor raised a hand.
“It’s fine.”
He touched the scar above his eyebrow.
“No.”
“What happened?”
“Longer story.”
Lily accepted that.
She returned to her fries.
Noah relaxed one inch.
Grim.
The name fit.
The man was frightening.
But not the way Noah expected.
He did not move suddenly.
Did not talk loud.
Did not try to touch them.
He simply sat there like the room naturally adjusted around him.
One of the bikers asked:
“You traveling?”
Noah’s stomach tightened.
“Kind of.”
“With who?”
“Our dad.”
Again.
The lie.
Victor said nothing.
The biker opened his mouth to ask more.
Victor glanced at him.
He stopped.
Noah noticed.
Nobody asked about Dad again.
For several minutes, there was only food.
Then Lily whispered:
“Can I save some?”
Victor heard.
“For later?”
She nodded.
He looked toward Mara.
“Box.”
Mara brought two.
Lily carefully placed fries inside.
Then toast.
Then a piece of sausage someone had given her.
Noah wanted to tell her not to take too much.
Victor seemed to read his expression.
“Fill it.”
Noah looked at him.
“She can take whatever she wants.”
Lily smiled.
A real smile.
First one Noah had seen since yesterday.
Victor looked away quickly.
As though the smile hurt.
Noah ate more slowly now.
Hunger was retreating.
Awareness returned.
Where they were.
Who these men were.
How strange the situation looked.
People in other booths watched.
Some openly.
A woman near the register held her phone in a way that made Noah uncomfortable.
Victor noticed.
He turned toward her.
“Put the phone down.”
The woman froze.
“I wasn’t—”
“Put it down.”
She did.
No threat.
No raised voice.
Noah filed that away.