The house was huge, and until someone else showed up or he decided to take in another wayward kid, Eliot’s only company was Joy. He’s always had strong protective instincts when it came to kids, so it had been a no brainer when he’d found her on her own. She’d been quiet and reserved at first, not that he could blame her for that. Thankfully he was patient and never felt the need to be overly pushy. He was content to give her space and let her come to him when she was ready. Once she had, though, the two fell together surprisingly well. He didn’t know anything much about the things she loved, but they enjoyed each other’s company all the same.
They’d been together awhile now and Eliot had been wanting to do something special for her. It took him some time to come up with his plan, but once he had, he was pleased with it. She’d been staying in a smaller room near his that was filled with generic furniture and objects. He figured she deserved something a little more her. So he was taking one of the spare bedrooms and converting it for her, complete with a special closet that he’d built for her with dozens of shelves, hidden cupboards, and rotating racks for all of her clothes. Construction had to be done while she was out of the house, but he somehow managed it without her catching him. The rest of the room was still blank for now, so she could decorate it however she wanted.
Nervously running his hands through his hair and suddenly worrying that she’d hate the whole thing, Eliot went to go find Joy. She’d been in the living room and he gave her a smile and motioned for her to join him. “C’mere a sec. I’ve got something I want to show you.”