Page 29 of Infected By Virus

“My name is Chomper and I like to chomp things,” Adam declared in a fake deep voice while chomping his puppet at Virus’s.

Virus adopted a similar tone. “Well, my name is Stomper, and I like to stomp things.” He proceeded to stomp on Chomper with his flimsy pipe cleaner legs while Chomper tried to chomp down on him. The sound of Adam’s laughter was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

His son’s laughter.

He had a son, and he just couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Adam got up and ran away screaming, “Stomper noooooo.”

Virus jumped up to give chase and there she was, Rae. Looking at him the way she used to, like he was the maker of miracles. Like she was in awe of him. He didn’t realize how much he craved that look until right then and there.

He finally pulled his gaze away from the captivating blue eyes that held him hostage and saw Chomper peek around from behind her.

“I smell …” He made his puppet sniff the air. “Chomper. He’s here somewhere, I just know it, and he’s about to get a … STOMPING.” Virus’s puppet lunged around Rae, but Chomper feinted right. When he went right, Chomper went left. A few more rounds of that and Rae was laughing so hard she started snorting, Adam seized the opportunity to run.

“Hurry up, Chomper. This way,” June’s puppet called, and they ran toward the bedrooms. Her puppet had a pink tutu, but he didn’t know the name. It didn’t matter because his focus was stuck on Rae.

“You still do that, huh?” Stomper noted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tweaked the puppet’s nose before crossing her arms in challenge.

“Yes, you do. You snort when you laugh,” Stomper accused.

“Do not.”

“Do too. But I like it. It means you’re genuinely happy. And that makes me happy.” Stomper’s voice had started sounding a lot more like Virus’s.

“You’re beautiful when you laugh.” That was all Virus. He couldn’t not tell her in that moment.

“Thank you, Stomper.” She kissed the puppet, and he ached for it to be him.

“What about me, don’t I get a kiss?”

Rae stared at him for so long, Virus was convinced she would deny him.

Finally, after what felt like forever, she dropped a chaste but lingering kiss on his lips.

“Thank you, Virus.”

“What for?”

“For just being you.”

Before he could ask her what that meant, she picked up her duffel and headed for the room.

Standing there in a daze with a puppet still stuck on his hand is where he stayed until the bustle around him got to be too much. Rae was back and helping Nova clean up the craft supplies.

“Why don’t you two take these and join the kiddos? Go grab a seat, the movie’s starting. I’ll be in as soon as the popcorn’s done.” Nova handed them cans of soda and shoed them away.

Sure enough, June and Adam were planted in front of the TV. Virus opened the soda and handed it to Adam, while Rae did the same for June.

“Thanks, Dad,” he said, but didn’t spare Virus a second glance. He was watching a lamp jump on a letter. Again, he found himself thinking, holy shit, I have a son.

He tore his attention away from Adam when he heard Rae’s melodic voice.

“Wow. These are … stunning. Who’s the photographer?”

“Guilty.” He heard Hook reply humbly.

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