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picking up some candy.
    “Have you seen Dex?” Molly asks.
    I look to Tash because as far as I know she doesn’t know what’s going on there. Molly waves a hand and says, “I already filled Tash in.”
    “I saw him today, and things got a little, well, heated. We were talking about Grace and he made it sound like I’m trying to play house with her.” Molly and Wes exchange a look I can’t exactly read. “He said she’s not doing well, so I’m concerned.”
    Molly bites her lip. “Well, she has been different since you left. She’s pretty sad and withdrawn, not sleeping well, afraid of her own shadow too.”
    “Will you guys leave that poor girl alone? So she’s quiet. I think more children should be that way. She is perfectly content being by herself. Who can blame her for that? If it were up to me I’d never talk to anyone either,” Wes said, defending her…or himself, I’m not sure which.
    “I hope you guys don’t mind, but I kind of mentioned they could move back in with us. I told him I would be fine with only Grace moving in, but obviously that didn’t fly well with Dex’s protective streak.”
    Wes snorted. “Protective is an understatement. The first few times she wanted to sit with me he kept giving me that evil glare like I was a pedophile or something. I even made a three foot rule and everything.”
    I laugh out loud at that.
    Tash hasn’t really said much, but that’s her way. She tends to sit back and observe, take it all in, and then come to a conclusion or add some advice. She looks right at me now with that all-knowing look.
    “Are you sure moving in is a good idea right now?”
    “No, I’m not. I’m not sure what else to do.”
    “Why stop with them?” Wes snorts. “Natasha, you should move in too, and bring that scary boyfriend of yours. It seems Rosaline thinks we run a hostel.”
    “Wes, zip it! It’s her house, she doesn’t even have to let us live there. Remember that,” Molly says.
    “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a nice enough guy, totally scares the crap out of me, but he’s all right. The little girl is great, but with both of them come many more complications. That’s all I’m saying. What happens if you start dating someone? Or he does?” Wes says bluntly, like always.
    They are all good points; ones I keep running around in my head.
    “I don’t know, Wes. I don’t even know what’s going on with Dex and I. We were never really together and we never really broke up. We both have an interest but he needs to get his stuff together. I have a country to run and can’t be there to go through all his ups and downs. It’s hard enough picking up the pieces of a broken country and rebuilding it into something better; how do you fix a broken man? As far as dating goes I’m not going to date anyone, and if he does, well, I will have to ask out of respect for me that he doesn’t bring her to the house. He can take her back to the Council house for all I care. Plus he didn’t say yes, so this could all be for nothing.”
    “Don’t worry about it, honey, it will all work out. Give your focus to running this country and getting it on track; the rest will fall into place,” Tash says, patting my hand.
    “Thanks guys, I feel much better. Now I have a billion and one things to do, and I still have to meet with Andi and Judy before I can do those things.”
    At the mention of Andi’s name Wes starts to fidget.
    “How’s everything going with Andi, Wes?”
    “I don’t know what you mean. Everything is fine. We are only friends after all.”
    “Does she know that?” Molly asks.
    “Of course she knows that. Now you are making me uncomfortable and I really need to go back to work.”
    I hug him and he leaves.
    “I better get back too. I’ll see you soon, hon.” Tash gets up to leave.
    “Thanks for stopping by, Tash. I’ll see you Friday for sure. We’re doing a staff lunch. Masters can fill you in if he wants.”
    She leaves.
    “I guess I need to get