Mercy’s sigh was quiet as she tilted Abigail’s chin up, cupping the child’s cheek in her palm. “You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m just so very glad you’re here with me, and that your papa is here, too. I hate to think about the people you left behind, that’s all.”

“But you’ll find them, right?” She glanced over at Liza. “Right?”

“Agent Hunter will,” Liza said confidently. She’d given up hope on her own relationship with Tom, but when it came to his single-minded focus in finding Eden, she had no doubts. “Come on. Let’s pick out some kicka—um, kickbutt glasses. I need your fashion sense, Shrimpkin.”

Abigail snickered. “You can say ‘kickass’ around me, Liza. I’m seven.”

“I think I can’t.” Liza chuckled. “Miss Irina would send me to bed without dessert.”

Abigail exaggerated a shudder. “That would be awful! We’ll get kickbutt glasses.” She returned to her study of the kids’ frames.

Liza followed, looking over her shoulder to the optometrist’s glass door. The Fed who’d been assigned to protect Mercy was standing guard outside. Rodriguez was armed and experienced and took his duty very seriously.

He’d chosen this optometrist because it wasn’t in the mall, which offered too many points of egress to cover adequately. This office had only two doors—the front door and one in the back, which was locked and alarmed. Liza wasn’t crazy about the wall of plate glass windows in the front, but it was covered by promotional displays, so that would have to be good enough.

“Molina says that Rodriguez is a good agent,” Mercy murmured.

“I know. She told me.” Liza trusted Special Agent in Charge Molina more than she trusted most people, which still wasn’t a lot.

Mercy’s lips twitched. “I forgot you two were besties now.”

Liza rolled her eyes. “We are far from besties. I just looked in on her a few times when she was on disability.”

“You cooked her meals, changed her dressings, and did her laundry,” Mercy said. “She told me that you did, so no use trying to deny it. Molina doesn’t warm up to just anyone, you know.”

Liza shrugged uncomfortably. “She doesn’t have any family in the area. Her daughter lives out east and had to go back to work, so she was alone. I was glad to help her.”

“Which makes you a nice person. I wish I’d visited her more while she was laid up.”

Liza patted Mercy’s shoulder. “You were a little busy taking care of Amos.”

Abigail’s father still had a ways to go before he fully recovered, but he was improving daily, and Mercy’s care during his recovery in the hospital was one of the reasons.

Abigail turned at the mention of her father’s name. “I helped!”

“And he’s getting better faster because you did,” Mercy agreed.

Abigail beamed, choosing a pair of purple frames, sliding them onto her face. “I like these.”

Mercy leaned down until their faces were side by side in the mirror. “I like them, too. They make you look smart and very pretty.”