Page 100 of Alfie: Part Two

“I can do that on Monday,” I said. “Ellie wants one for Shorty too.”

I had to look at the ones we already had first, because it was a tradition to have them utterly mismatched. But with the first letter of our names on them.

“I hope you didn’t throw mine out,” Alfie said.

I frowned and set the food on the table. “Why on earth would I have done that? I much preferred to torture myself by looking at your stocking in the box at Christmas.”

“Awww…” He came over to me and smooched my cheek. “Don’t worry, I cried in my ice cream for you.”

I kissed him back. “Good.”

Trip scrunched his nose and exchanged a look with Colby, who shook his head in amusement.

“Ellie, it’s dinner!” Alfie hollered.

“She better not be covered in glitter.” I didn’t know how that kind of body wash worked. She’d had bath bombs with glitter before too, though the sparkles had thankfully dissolved in the water. “Trip, can you get the napkins on the island, please?”

“Yup!”

Meanwhile, I grabbed milk and water from the fridge.

I flinched, just catching a glimpse of the white napkins, and for a quick second, I saw myself wiping blood off Alfie’s hands. I’d gone through a dozen wipes to get it all off.

Right after I’d shot two men in the head.

Right after he’d tortured them.

I shook my head to clear it, and I fetched the salad bowl from the island too.

I supposed flashbacks were normal after that sort of experience.

Was I a killer? I honestly didn’t feel like one. What did that say about me?

Do you care?

When Ellie came down, her hair a damp mess, and thankfully free of sparkles, we all gathered around the kitchen table to eat.

The pinch of unease in my stomach loosened and disappeared, and I soaked up the chatter. The usual suspects, Alfie and Ellie, loved to rile each other up.

“That’s my milk, Daddy!” Ellie yelled.

“I had a quick taste. Calm down.”

“…and I was thinking about a microscope. Dad? Dad, are you listening?”

Right. I shook my head and smiled. “Of course, son. A microscope, huh? That sounds fun.”

“Yeah, it’ll be at the top of my wish list,” he said.

Duly noted.

“I want a bunny,” Ellie announced.

Oh Christ. I chuckled under my breath and put some salad on my plate.

Alfie answered around a mouthful of food. “Then we gotta give away Shorty first. You want that?”

She gasped in horror. “You can’t do that!”

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