Page 34 of Heart of a Villain

He stretched as he sat up, maneuvering his long arms around Theo. It was a continuous effort; Theo vaulted from the floor onto the sofa. Then, he alternated between standing and sitting before deciding to bounce on his knees as if the cushion was a trampoline.

“I thought you were sleeping at my old house?” Theo continued.

Adrían yawned into a fist. “I still am. I just walked here last night and was too tired to walk back.”

“Are you Daddy’s best friend?”

“I think so.”

“Are you going to be Daddy’s brother like my uncoes are Daddy’s brothers?”

“One day, maybe.”

“A little brother?”

“Only by some months.”

“And you’re Mama’s best friend?”

“Yes, sir. What about you, Theo? Do you have a best friend?”

Theo hopped with each name. “Jojo. Thandie. Daddy. Mama. Tiare’s too littl—oh, Mama wasn’t here last night, so I sleeped with Daddy in their bed, but Daddy said I waked him up so early, even the sun’s alarm clock didn’t go off yet. Next time, you could sleep in my bed if I’m not using it. Daddy buyed it for me, and we went to a lot of places to find it because it had to be perfect for his baby boy. Tiare’s a girl baby, so I get to be Daddy’s baby boy for longer.”

Adrían smiled, tracking Theo’s movements to make sure he didn’t get too close to the cushion edge and teeter off. “Thank you for offering me your bed, meu amigo.”

“That means I’m your friend, right?”

“You remembered.”

“I’m a good rememberer, but I’m a good forgetter too.”

“So, what you’re saying is that you’re an expert in many things,” Adrían said, searching the room. “Theo, you said your father was looking for you? What were you doing before he was looking for you?”

“Eating.”

“Oatmeal, I’m guessing?”

“Uh-huh.”

With how much oatmeal was on Theo’s face and his ribbed tank, he wondered whether any had made it into his stomach. No wonder the kid was always hungry.

Ayesha descended the stairs.

He sat up straighter and glanced behind her, but she was alone.

“Theo, are you bothering Adrían?” she asked.

“No, Mama. I only waked him up to aks him a question.”

“Did you finish your oatmeal?”

“Not yet.” Theo turned back to Adrían. “Adrían, are you coming with us today? Did you know my uncoes are here? They’re on the pati—Mama?” He turned again. “Do I have to call Adrían my unco, or do I have to wait until he’s Daddy’s little brother?”

“Ung-kul,” Ayesha enunciated, pressing her tongue against her teeth. “And let me talk to Daddy first, okay? Now, how about we pretend we’re…sloths? Remember the book we read about sloths and how they move like they’re in slow motion? Show Mama how good of a sloth you can be.”

Theo hopped off the sofa.

Adrían grabbed him just before he would have landed on the area rug on his kneecaps. The area rug was well-cushioned, and Theo was at the age where he still had soft bone tissue. However, some fractures could impact growth, and Theo was already small for a five-year-old.

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