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“You’re evil, you know that?”
“Batman calling me evil? How predictable.”
“I think I need to take you down to the bat cave, show you what Batman’s really into.”
“Okay, but if any real bats fly at me, you can kiss your naughty rendezvous goodbye.”
Julian laughs and continues to talk about how his day went. I enjoy listening to him. He’s just as ambitious as I am. His love of journalism is evident every time he speaks. One thing I have learned since our time together—New York City is never short of a scandal.
After chatting for ten minutes, we agree to meet up after eight for a bite to eat.
I pack my bag and head out the door. It’s dark, but the car lights brightening the streets. I wait on the sidewalk, hailing the next cab that drives past. It’s my lucky day as one halts suddenly. Rushing over, I climb in and give the driver the address.
It’s Monday night, and like always, I take the cab to Rocky and Nikki’s apartment to spend time with my favorite person in the whole world.
“Cha Cha, it’s you!” He throws himself at me as I walk through the door.
God, I love this kid. Hearing him call my name reminds me I was his first word. Not Mommy or Daddy, it was Cha Cha, and it stuck.
With his head nestled on my stomach, I pull him away so I can examine his face. His jet-black hair is a replica of Rocky’s, same tendrils that hang just above his brows. But it’s his cornflower blue eyes which make him the spitting image of Nikki. Tiny freckles cover his nose, his big smile contagious with his missing top teeth. I plant a kiss on his nose, embracing him again.
“Of course, it’s me, silly.”
Like his dad, Will talks a mile a minute, from everything about school and what happened to his best friend’s dog, to the latest episode of Star Wars. It’s an overload of information, especially from a seven-year-old. Monday night is our night. I come over after work, spend some time playing with him or doing homework, and then reading a book to him in bed. It only takes him ten minutes to complete his homework before he climbs into bed where I take my usual place beside him.
“What’s this book about?” I ask when he hands me a book.
“A prince, but he’s kinda a bad guy. He loses his princess and has to search everywhere to find her.
But he fights all these monsters while hunting for her. He also has this superpower that he can read minds.”
Great, one of those stories.
I put on a smile and open the book to Chapter One. By the time I get to Chapter Four, Will’s eyes are drooping. I know the signs when he’s close to falling asleep.
“Cha Cha, do you believe in fairy tales?”
“You’re never too old to believe in fairy tales,” I whisper back.
“Do you hope your prince will find you one day?”
I close my eyes for a moment, not wanting to explore the question. With a knot forming in my stomach, I quickly come up with an answer, hoping to veer off this topic.
“I don’t know if I need a prince, maybe just someone who will love me.”
With his eyes drooping further and a yawn escaping his mouth, he murmurs his last words of the day before falling asleep. “I love you, Cha Cha. I’ll be your prince if you can’t find one.”
It’s moments like this that completely melt my heart. The love from a child is unconditional and the most precious gift anyone can give you. I’m not one of those needy women wanting to find a man, get married, and get knocked-up, but there’s a part of me that aches for that type of love—with the right man.
Placing a kiss on Will’s forehead, I put the book on his nightstand, covering him with his blanket. I switch off the lamp, then tiptoe to the door and watch him. He looks so peaceful, his eyes fluttering every so often, and his tiny snore can barely be heard. My heart wants to burst with how much love I feel for this kid, a love tinged with longing.
As the knot begins to grow in the pit of my stomach, I close the door and leave to meet Julian.
***
“You smell good,” he murmurs, leaning in to place a kiss on my cheek.
“Is that how we’re greeting each other now? Because if we are, you smell good, too.”
