Page 99 of Damien
Jules practically jumps out of her skin when he asks her, “How many brains does an octopus have?”
Eagerly, she guesses, “Three?”
Her eyes nearly bug out when he simply shakes his head. “Nope. Besides the central brain, each tentacle has its own mini brain. So, that’s a total of nine.”
Jules’ jaw drops as she mutters, “Holy cow.”
Chris just nods and continues his presentation.
She’s so freaking adorable. She’s like a sponge absorbing the wealth of information Chris shares. Every once in a while, she turns to me and whispers, “Can you believe that?” as she repeats her newfound knowledge.
My heart melts when she grabs my hand from my lap and locks her fingers in mine. I’m not sure how this one little gesture can have such an impact, but it does. She’s wormed her way so deep into my heart, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her—or her mom for that matter.
When the presentation ends, Julia looks around quizzically as she finally remembers her mom is missing. “Where’s Momma?”
“She stopped off to get some coffee. She’ll catch up to us in a bit.”
Julia smiles innocently. “Mommalovescoffee. ‘Specially when it’s quiet. Does your momma like her alone time with coffee, too?”
Chuckling, I admit, “She did when I was your age, that’s for sure.” God knows how Mom handled four of us under foot all the time.
Knowing Van hasn’t sought us out, I try to buy her more time. “What do you say we check out more things and let your momma have her quiet time?”
It’s been over twenty minutes, and even though I’m enjoying my time with Jules, my mind isn’t far from Vanessa. The longer she waits, the more I worry something might be bothering her more than she let on.
When we get in view of the café, my chest tightens when I see her sitting at one of the high-top tables, across from a guy her age. Clearly, she’s not comfortable by the way her frame remains rigid as they speak. Her expression reads more of shock than anger, upon further inspection.
As if she can sense I’m looking at her, she glances up to me with an unsure expression. I’m dying to know if she’s okay, but I don’t want to drop a bomb on Julia either.
Shit, if I wait too long, Julia will notice her mom, too. Fuck, should I take Julia over to meet him, or give them their space?
Is this Julia’s biological father? He doesn’t look much like her—but then again, she’s all Vanessa.
Does he want to be a part of her life after all these years? I have no fucking idea why he’s even been away. Since Julia’s never met him, I’m guessing there has to be a good reason. I just wish I knew what it was.
Glancing over, I see Vanessa’s expression relax. She nods once at me, assuring she’s okay—for now.
In a split-second decision, I offer to Jules, “Wanna check out the gift shop?”
Oblivious to my sudden panic, Julia’s eyes widen, and her face splits in two with one of the largest grins. “Where is it?”
Since it’s in the opposite direction from her mom, I steer her in there and occupy her time for as long as possible, walking around the shop to ensure she sees everything before we purchase the one item I promised her.
I’m not sure how convincing I am when my mind’s stuck on the café outside, but Julia’s so eager to find her one prize for the day, she hardly pays me any attention. Eventually, she’s made her decision. After listening to the octopi presentation, she wants a small stuffed gray octopus to remember the occasion.
As we walk out of the gift shop, my eyes immediately find Vanessa. She’s still in deep conversation. Shit. Where else can I focus Julia’s attention?
Unfortunately, I can’t give Vanessa any more time because Julia spots her and gushes, “Mommy, look. Look what Dame got me!”
Vanessa’s smile doesn’t quite meet her eyes as she pretends to eagerly ask, “What’s that, love bug?”
Julia rushes into her mom’s awaiting arms, holding up my most recent purchase.
When Vanessa’s eyes meet mine, I shrug and mouth, “Sorry. I tried.”
Vanessa nods in understanding as she refocuses her attention on the plush octopus in Julia’s hands.
The man at the table makes a movement which catches all our attention. Then he shifts awkwardly as if he wasn’t quite ready for us to notice him.
