“Mr. Ethan, do you know ballet?” Ellis asked.
“Uh, no, darlin’, I don’t,” he said.
“I can teach you.” She reached out her hand for E, and he wordlessly took it and let her lead him in front of us all.
My heart clenched at the sight of the two together.
I missed Ro. I missed her so much. She would cry if she saw this.
Fuck. I needed to bring her home to us. E may not have been interested in joining us, but I wasn’t too proud to admit I missedhim, too, and wanted him back in my life. I would be really good if he only wanted friendship with us.
“Now do this,” Ellis instructed E as she did a plié.
E mimicked her, and she clapped excitedly.
“Mr. Ethan, you are doing great!” Ellis squealed. “Do you want to meet Mr. Rufus?”
“Yes,” E said, his voice shaking.
Maybe this was too much for him. I imagined it was a shock.
“Ellis, baby, why don’t you see what Aunt Sirena is doing and ask her about the cookies?” Anson said gently, catching what I was noticing.
“Mr. Ethan, do you like my mommy’s cookies?”
“Love them,” E whispered.
“I will go tell Aunt Weena! We will make you some! Then I will tell Mommy that you ate them!”
“I would love that,” E said as she danced around. “I could take some home to my son.”
“You have a son?” Ellis widened her eyes at him.
He nodded. “I do. His name is Lazarus. He is about your age.”
“Like a lizard?” She crinkled her brows.
He laughed loudly at that. “We call him Riot for short.”
“I will make extra for Lizard,” she said, her tone serious. It looked like she’d nicknamed the poor kid.
“I’ll take you,” Klaus said, getting to his feet.
“She’s likely already in the kitchen. It’s almost time for lunch,” Dante said. “Will you all be staying?”
“We really need to be out looking for Rosalie,” Anson said.
Dante nodded. “Yes. I will be headed out soon as well, but I have Asylum with me today, and he’s a pain in the ass if he doesn’t eat. He brings a fucking roast chicken with us, and I’m so tired of my car smelling like that.”
“Does he have any idea on any of this?” I asked as Klaus gave Ellis a piggyback ride out of the room.
Dante shook his head. “He’s in a dry spell, according to him. It happens sometimes. He’s been trying a new med, and I think it’s fucked with him. He’s been struggling lately with a few things, so we’re letting him ride this one out. He did say he can feel her alive.”
I breathed out. That was good. Asylum was never wrong.
“Trent is out with Shadow and Ashes right now,” Dante continued. “Figured I’d put him to work.”
Anson nodded. “He told me he was going out again today.”
