The boy appeared at the top of the stairs. He had dirt smeared on his face, stained across the front of his shirt and his pants where he'd wiped his hands. He bounded down the steps, but stopped when he got to the bottom, his little hand raised up to the railing.
"Hi." He hovered back, suddenly a little bit shy. He stuck a finger in his mouth, but he kept his eyes on her. He could smell the food from the bag she carried, and his stomach rumbled in reaction to it.