Night Watchman

The night watchman smelled like a tuna sandwich, but Leah still felt safer with him nearby. He often talked about how she wore her frizzy blond hair across her shoulders, and noticed the new red frames when she’d gotten new glasses. He said the oddest statements most of the time, and she didn’t always understand him, but he watched over their buildings while she slept, and she never feared anyone breaking in while he was on watch. Yes, Greg might smell like tuna, and he was socially awkward, but to her, he was safety.

In her 27 years of life, the only other time she’d ever felt safe was when she was home with her parents and siblings. Out here, the world was scary and intimidating. She’d been robbed in the parking lot twice already, and before Greg took the night watchman position, they had multiple break-ins as well. All that changed when he came.