She looked back to see that Tina's head was now raised, her eyes on the back of the parting warrior.
She blew nosily into the handkerchief once again before she said, "he didn't pick this."
She pointed to the helmet that had fallen next to her feet on the stairs.
Gaby went there and picked it up gingerly, a slow smile playing on her lips.
"He will soon discover that it is missing." Her eyes narrowed playfully. "But it will be a good thing to do, if I returned it to him personally before then. You know, its all part of being a good neighbor or brother's keeper or something."
She waited a while for a reply, still accessing the helmet in her hands but when Tina didn't respond, she rolled her eyes and added.
"You know, this is the part where you tell me it is--" her voice trailed off when she looked down at Tina.
Her head was bowed on her kneels again and she was sobbing.
Gaby rolled her eyes, letting out a frustratied gasp.