The kitten mewed at the attention, which only granted Nathan another beaming grin from Molly. She remembered, way before Kirby Plaza, watching him on the television making speeches. She had thought his smile wasn’t as nice but now she disagreed; he had a nice smile, it made her feel safe. Then again, when she first saw him, it was on a TV screen and not up-close—he wasn’t another hero to her then. Now? Now he was, even if he didn’t meet the ranks of her dads, Mohinder and Matt. Not that she’d ever tell them she thought of them as her dads. Something inside her told her it was too soon, even if they behaved like fathers in their very own way.
That was when her face, for only a moment, crumbled into a disappointed heap. “Mohinder and Matt aren’t here, are they?” She knew that already, though. She only needed a grownups assurance that, no, they weren’t here. They were in their respected places, probably thinking she’s still at school. She could use their hugs right now, especially when she had no way of receiving them until the laws of physics made the choice to send one of them here. She hoped.
Nathan then alluded to his flying ability and any shadows of sadness disappeared in an instant, replacing the broad, beaming grin she held only moments ago on her countenance. “I do, I do!” She replied, lightly bouncing in place. “I would love to! I told Mohinder I would if you ever asked, but he always said it wouldn’t be safe, that real life isn’t like a Superman movie.” Molly rolled her eyes heavenward, a typical child rehashing an overprotective parent’s statement.