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“Don’t,” he said putting a second hand on mine. “Don’t. That’s just how they say hello.”
“What?”
I looked up to where his mother was standing. She was gone. So was his brother.
“Any other fine folks I’m gonna meet.”
“Just my father. But he lets my mother do his talking for him. It’s easier since she’s already doing his thinking.”
I looked at Lou surprised.
“And yes, they’re horrible people. I know they’re horrible people. They know they’re horrible people. But it’s hard when you grow up knowing that the only person who will ever love you is yourself. So…”
“Wow!” I said with sudden realization.
“What?”
“I finally see where you get that from.”
“Don’t you dare say I’m anything like them.”
“I’m not saying…”
“Because you can get back in that truck and drive right back home, Mister.”
“Lou,” I said trying to bring him back to me. “Lou. Relax. You know I didn’t mean anything like that.”
“You’re right. And I’ve never once dislodged my jaw and swallowed someone whole. That fact alone makes me nothing like them,” he said talking himself down.
I stared at him wondering if he heard it.
“What?!”
“Did I ever tell you how adorable you are?”
My compliment broke through.
“Ahhh.” He put his palms on my cheeks. “And that’s why I agreed to marry you.”
“You mean fake…”
“Shh,” he hissed. “There’s a massive echo. They can hear every word we say,” he whispered.
“So they heard everything you just said about them?” I whispered.
Lou’s smile was devious. My baby knew exactly how to fight back against these people. He wasn’t as helpless against them as he pretended to be. I couldn’t have loved him more.
“Let me give you a tour,” he said returning to full volume.
Leading me by the hand, Lou walked me behind the stairs and the dining room. On one side of the room was a grand piano that looked tiny in the large space. On the other side was an elegant wooden floor with a large area rug and a living room set. Taking me back through the dining room, we crossed into the chef’s kitchen, prep room, dry storage, and laundry.
The carpeted second floor were all bedrooms. The master bedroom suite was over the side of the house with the grand hall. That was where his grandmother had slept. Next to it was the room that his parents occupied. Next to that was his brother’s room.
“Where do you sleep?” I asked after we ran out of doors.
He smiled and pointed to the stairs.
“You get the whole third floor?”
