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“Who was your friend?”
Adam cleared his throat in the doorway, spooking us. “She was a vampire.”
“A child vampire?”
“I never got the full story, but…” He trailed off while observing his son. “I don’t know.”
Henry looked particularly upset, dragging his feet to the bathroom where I heard the faucet run for the tub. The scent of bubbles tickled my nostrils next. It smelled like bubble gum.
No wonder he always wanted candy.
I smiled weakly. “It sounds like he’s upset about it.”
“He can’t be mingling with the enemy.”
“I agree with you, Adam. I think it’s dangerous for him. Especially after what happened.”
He dropped his arms to his sides. “You think so?”
“Yeah, I think he needs time to recover. We have more security, so I doubt his friend will visit. But if she does…” I scratch worriedly at my chin. “Well, I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, right?”
“Motherhood looks good on you.”
I blinked at him for a while, trying to digest the words he just said. That wasn’t a phrase I ever thought I would hear.
Or one that would bring me more joy than a cup of coffee first thing in the morning.
My shoulders slumped with relief. “Thank you.”
“Can you handle bedtime? I should clean up our mess and get the bed ready for, uh…” He blushed. “I mean, if you want to spend the night, I can get some extra pillows and…”
“Adam, do you want me to sleep in your bed?”
“Gods, I really do.”
I smiled. “Then, it’s settled. I’ll be there after I read him a book.”
“Dang, he’s really going to love you now.”
I laughed. “Go on. I’ve got this.”
“Alright, I’ll see you in a minute.”
The faucet shut off in the bathroom. I heard Henry climb into the tub and play with his toys, making motor sounds and explosions with his mouth. While perusing his bookshelf, I found a bunch of books about bugs and gardening, model airplanes, and shifter history books. The kid loved to read.
I made a mental note to stop by the bookstore at some point to get him more.
Once Henry was dressed in his pajamas, he reappeared and climbed into bed. He beamed at me while I pointed to the bookshelf. “Can you grab Superman?”
“You want me to read you a comic?”
“Yeah, why not?”
I shrugged. “I’m not complaining. I like superheroes.”
A few minutes later, I sat cross-legged on his bed while holding up a comic book. I did voices for all the characters and even acted out a few scenes, causing Henry to bust a gut with laughter. It didn’t take long for his eyelids to droop heavily while yawns replaced his smiles.
As soon as I was done reading, he rolled over, tucking himself under the comforter. He snuggled against his pillow with a contented sigh, looking more like a puppy that curled up to sleep than a kid. In a lot of ways, he was just a puppy. But he was growing fast.
