Page 34 of Falling in Love with A Tiny Bat

It is such an offensive sound, I slowly turn around, just to make sure Ash is still okay. Upon discovering that my son is still sleeping merrily, in spite of the noise that just left Alexios, I arch a brow. “Don’t make me say it again. It’s barely been five seconds.”

“I amnotgood.Youlike—” He wraps up a description of mushrooms that contains so much graphic language I am extremely relieved no humans can perceive us right now. “Why?”

“Are you really going to stand here,in Costco, andfood-shameme for liking mushrooms?”

He watches my eyes, laser-focused and intent. Finally, hesays, “Yes. I think I am.”

“Wowww.” I put the package of mushroom ravioli in the cart.

He flinches.

I am having more fun with a basic stranger—who lives with me—than I should.

“Get the spinach ones,” he implores.

“Why? You don’tlikespinach.” I trot the cart down the aisle, perusing potato salads and charcuterie platters. There is an entire bag of cheese cubes twice the size of my head. I want to stack them into a little house and send pictures to my WonderCraft friends… At the Christmas party, Alana made an entire castle out of cheese, and I long to emulate the faerie princess. Not to mention that Enigma, from the WonderCraft server, would so totally remake my cheese creation in the Minecraft world, then invite me by for a tour.

Collab opportunities.

My lifeblood.

I will need different colors, though, so I can drive home my skills attexturing. The first time we all collabed, I built a house of dirt with a single flower beside the door. After I left, Enigma walled my skillful display off with hazard color blocks then put up signs announcing it as a national treasure. His brother, Endeavor, included me in the end-of-season server tour, and I daresay I peaked in that moment.

As I’m delighting in having located different flavors of cheese cube bags, Alexios says softly, “I don’tlikemuch, Zahra.”

“Hm?” I look up off some colby jack to find him looking mighty pitiful. “My dude, my fam, my dearest broski, it is not the end of the world if you’re a picky eater.” I toss a hand at the vast displays of sustenance all around. “I’ll get you whatever you want. I’m not your mom, so I’m not going to monitor your nutrition intake. Eat fish fingers and custard for all I care.”

His pale flesh tinges green. “Fish fingers…and…what?”

“It’s a reference. I forgot you’re too young to be cultured in any way at all.”

“I am old enough to know that the dish you just described should be outlawed.”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds.” With this much cheese, I should opt to build my joke tonight, take the pictures, then share with the LARP group tomorrow. Goodness gracious… LARP day is tomorrow…isn’t it?

Imagine that.

Glancing at Ash’s tiny, sleeping face, I wonder if I should cancel. I barely managed my anxiety during the stream last night. It’s not that I don’t believe Alexios has very good reasons for making sure nothing bad happens to Ash…it’s just…

My attention skims up to his phenomenally distressed expression. It could win Oscars.

Is he…matureenough to manage a baby while I’m outside pretending to be a faerie creature as though two aren’t in my house?

I woke up with Ash last night before Alexios could get to him, so each time he wandered in, I was already taking care of things. All he could offer in assistance was a pout. I have no idea what happened while I was streaming, if Alexios knows how to change a diaper, if he understands how fragile a tiny life can be.

Alexios could have done little more than feed Ash and rock him to sleep after he woke up crying.

I should cancel.

I should probably cancel.

Images from last night after the stream flicker in my head like a dying light.

Or maybe I’m overreacting.

I can’t be the anxious mother who never lets her kid do things. If I raise Ash under the umbrella of my worries, he’llgrow into them, and there’s very little worse than living in constant fear. It’ll be…fine.

“Why areyouhaving a crisis?” Alexios mutters. “Your soulmate isn’t bringing slug-flavored ravioli into your new house.”

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