Those doors were really a hazard, to more than just her, she'd noticed. Back when the place was a functioning prison, she supposed the windowless doors had made sense, but now they were just a nuisance. Come summer, they'd probably be propped open to let in a cool breeze, so there wouldn't be nearly as many collisions. “Still should've been paying attention to where I was going,” she said with a half-smirk.
She didn't used to be the type of person who wasn't aware of where she was walking. Sing Sing life, it seemed, plus all the things she had to do, made her less observant. Another thing she'd have to work on, even though she suspected it'd be harder to manage in the next few months. Having her family around to help would make things a little easier, but she didn't plan to fully rely on them. The independence was hereditary as well as learned.
Like it always did, Leah's smile widened and became more genuine whenever someone complimented Marigold. “I'd be lying if I tried to argue against that to spare your feelings, but you lost that particular adorable contest before I almost ran into you.” A truthful statement, but also meant to be a joke, as well. “Really, though, I'd appreciate the help. Probably shouldn't have been trying to carry everything in one trip, anyway, but...” She'd been trying to save time as well as save her feet the second trip.
“Yep, that'd be me. Thanks for not calling me Lilah. You'd be amazed how many people still get us confused.” The twins didn't look much alike anymore, but it didn't stop people from calling them the wrong name. Sometimes she suspected they only did it to get on her and Lilah's nerves. Lilah did a lot of work with Team Science, so she could only assume Miah had more familiarity with the smarter Stone.
Leah made a point to keep eye contact when Miah showed his surprise. The last thing she wanted was for someone to offer help out of pity. “Yeah. Didn't bother to ask anyone either. Figured I could handle the bags by myself. Obviously, I was wrong.” She shrugged and tried to peek down in the bag she'd dropped, hoping nothing had spilled.
She offered him the lighter of the two bags, still subconsciously resistant to the assistance. “Again, thanks. I'm not really used to asking people to help me,” she admitted, moving out of the way of the door when it opened again. The last thing she needed was to get knocked over while standing in front of the door. Just like she'd almost knocked Miah over.