Page 93 of Her Redeemed Protector

“Well, that’s just for keeping us safe. I don’t carry it around the house or anything.”

“Do I call you ‘Papa?’” Rodolfo asks, his eyes curious.

That word hits me harder than expected, and I find myself speechless.

And for once, Rodolfo’s bubbliness comes to the rescue. He confidently says, “Um, actually, I will think on it.”

I chuckle, grateful for his light-heartedness. “Yeah, you think about it, buddy. You can keep calling me Huxley, that’s cool.”

“How aboutSaltamontes?” he suggests.

“Let’s not call her that. It’s special between her and her dad.”

Rodolfo thinks for a moment, then brightens. “What aboutMama Saltamontes?”

I can’t help but laugh. “I bet she’d love that.”

Rodolfo’s curiosity shifts. “Is America like in movies?”

“You watch a lot of American movies, huh?”

He shrugs.

I narrow my gaze, almost interrogating him. “Well, didn’t your English teacher talk about what America is like?”

He shakes his head. “Only showed me postcard with big statue.”

“The Statue of Liberty?”

“Yes! Yes!”

“I’ll take you to see it someday. America is like what you see in movies, but it’s different too.”

“That is strange…” he says, deep in thought.

“You’ll see it soon enough,” I say, turning on the television.

He watches me flicking between channels. “Do you understand that?” the boy smugly says, commenting on the Spanish programs.

“I’m looking for CNN,” I say. “It’s in English.”

The channel eludes me, and Rodolfo giggles at my futile attempts. “Should we eat?” he asks.

“You’ve just eaten!”

“But I’m still hungry!”

I eye his slender frame. He does look like he could eat a bit more, but I’m wary of any unwanted gastronomic adventures. “How about some snacks then?”

“Ice creams? Popcorns?” His eyes brim with exaggerated hope. I reach for the phone, and that gets him excited. “Oh, oh! Are you ordering room food?”

“Room service. Yes,” I reply.

“Like inHome Alone?”

I’m shaken with laughter. “Yeah, but we’re just ordering small portions.” I seem to dash his excitement as I peruse the ‘small bites’ menu. Thank God it’s in English. “And you’re sharing with me.”

He pouts, his lips twisting into a comical frown. “That is not fun. In movie, the boy orders everything!”

---