Crust & Crumb - Manning / Iris
Iris was tired. You could see it in her face, even when the bell of the bakery made her look up with that 'ready to help' smile. There were shadows under her eyes and a greyness to her expression that was hard to banish even with the polite words of helping a customer. She'd had one or two people ask if she was alright, but after several years in town, most everyone knew that she'd never actually say anything other than the polite optimism needed in order to get the customers the baked goods they wanted.
If there's been someone that she'd felt comfortable enough with, she might have told them how she was having trouble sleeping. Even with the three doors between her and the outside, even with the repairs that not only restored them but also made them at least a little bit stronger than they'd once been, even so, she found herself having a difficult time falling asleep. Staying asleep. Dreams of being exposed and vulnerable. Waking with a throat that hurt from the sounds she was unconsciously keeping stifled. Waking with the sensation of someone leaning over her bed, watching, having found their way into her home with no difficulty, no barrier keeping them away. All of that combined meant that she was only getting a very few hours of sleep each night, and restless when it did come.
But the bell rang over the door, and she looked up with that same customer-smile on her face. With the overlaid cloak of fatigue, it took her tired mind a moment to recognize the man in her doorway and the girl in his arms. Once she did, that smile softened, just a bit, reaching her eyes and stealing some of the tension from her face.