Vera Xavier walked ahead, deliberately putting some distance between herself and her grandparents to get closer to Aaron Cheney. Aaron took the hint, and seeing no one else around, he moved in front of her and whispered, "So, ma'am, how was my performance today?"
This was, strictly speaking, the first time Vera Xavier had ever spoken to Aaron Cheney. She gave him a thumbs-up. "Fantastic!"
Aaron Cheney was so pleased he was practically walking on air. "Really? Then you have to put in a good word for me with Nathaniel, so he'll think of me when something good comes up!"
Vera finally understood the other meaning behind his words. "Did Nathaniel Nathan send you?" she asked.
"No," Aaron Cheney said with a smile. "Before Nathaniel left on his mission, he gave *me* a mission: to protect you. He said if anything happened to you, he'd kill me! I was just worried you might run into some trouble today, so I tagged along. And sure enough, I got to be useful right away!"
