Free The Hardest Fall (Roadmap to Your Heart Book 3) by Christina Lee Page B

entirely grateful to be eating any kind of food and it made me wish that the bowls and plates held larger portions. Although I supposed they were smaller for a reason. Some wore threadbare clothing and shoes and I wondered if the only provisions they owned were on their backs. One of the kid’s faces was marred with dirt marks and I couldn’t help imagining just where he’d been all day. Was he able to attend school? My chest felt so tight watching these downtrodden folks eat maybe for the first time all day.
    “Momma Leon makes some of the best tuna casserole,” I heard Sebastian say to a short gentleman in front of him who smiled. In fact, he was the most talkative I’d heard him in the handful of times I’d seen him. Sebastian must’ve been in his element, and suddenly his degree in social work made a shit ton of sense. The tiny elderly woman beside him who had given me the hairnet chuckled, so Sebastian must’ve been talking about her recipe.
    When Sebastian’s gaze met mine down the food line and he raised his eyebrows as if to silently inquire if I was okay, I offered him a small smile, because I wanted him to know that I was perfectly fine. I wasn’t my usual jovial self and that might’ve concerned him. But in fact, I was out of sorts in the best possible way. I couldn’t help feeling all kinds of different ranging emotions from sorrow to empathy to pride. This experience had thrown me for a loop and was one I wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

14

Tate
    I had been ladling soup for about fifteen minutes when I noticed a lady in line with long black hair continually staring at me. It wasn’t like I had never been admired or scrutinized before—usually my wacky hair colors did the trick—but this was different because the look on her face was one of sheer curiosity. When she finally got in front of me she blurted, “I like your eyeliner.”
    I supposed I hadn’t been able to wipe all of it off. Plastic gloves covered my fingers so I avoided swiping beneath my lashes. “Um, thanks.”
    Her face was completely devoid of makeup, her eyelashes barely visible, and it hit me square in the chest what a luxury it was to paint your face, even on an occasional basis.
    “Maybe you can help me with my eyes sometime,” she said earnestly and my heart knocked against my chest.
    “That would be great,” I responded and could see Sebastian watching our interaction in my side view.
    After the line faded and all the residents had their food, I removed my apron and followed Sebastian around the room while he spoke to a few of the regulars.
    As we passed the woman who had complimented me earlier, Sebastian placed his hand on her shoulder. “Sally, maybe Tate will come back sometime with his face completely made up. He does a fantastic job.”
    My jaw hung open as I waited for the fallout. These folks may have been in dire straits but a man in drag was often an oddity to poke fun at in the real world. As I looked around the table to all the eyes as they stared and chewed their food, there was no judgment, nor any scrunched up faces about the idea of a man wearing makeup. Only genuine interest.
    “I’d love to see that.” Sally smiled, her front teeth missing. The other men and women at the table murmured in agreement. I mustered a grin but suddenly the idea of me in drag felt pretentious and hollow.
    A gentleman from the table next to ours leaned over and said, “I used to have quite a collection of eyeshadow back in the day.”
    I smiled realizing for the first time that the person I assumed was a gentleman was definitely a woman. Her hair was on the shorter side but beneath her tattered coat was what looked like a dress. My stomach clenched and I immediately thought of asking Jessica and the other queens from Ruby Redd’s to help get some things together for her. I didn’t know if she was transitioning to a female or genderqueer, but regardless, it was hard enough trying to be your true self. Already I was