AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Uncle Theo!” little Kara cried, flinging herself around his legs. He looked down at her.
“Hello, sugarplum.”
“Theo.” Emmie wiped her eyes with a visibly shaking hand. “I was afraid something terrible had happened.”
It had, Theo thought. Long, long ago. And it meant he could never be the man she wanted him to be. With a deep breath, he forced himself to smile. “Here I am.”
“But where have you been? I left so many messages—”
“Car trouble,” Nico said succinctly. “His engine stopped.”
It was technically true.
“Uncle Theo, look at my drawing! Look!” Three-year-old Kara waggled her page covered with squiggles.
“It’s...nice,” he said, unable to manage his usual charm that had made him a favorite with the toddler. His eyes met Emmie’s, and suddenly his heart was in his throat.
“We should go,” Nico said.
“It’s past Kara’s bedtime.” Meeting her husband’s eyes, Honora quickly gathered up her daughter’s crayons. “Granddad will be wondering where we are.”
“And so will his wife, since she’s been watching him and the baby.” Nico scooped up Kara, ignoring her protests. The family abruptly disappeared, leaving Theo alone with his wife and newborn son in the hospital room.
Emmie looked at him.
“You missed everything,” she said, her voice strained.
“I’m sorry.”
“Well.” Her expression relented. “You’re here now. Come meet your son.”
His throat was tight as he inched forward to Emmie and the baby cuddled together. “He’s healthy? You’re both all right?”
“Fine. Come see him.” Looking at the sleeping baby dreamily, she patted the side of her hospital bed.
Awkwardly, he sat down on the very edge. His gaze fell on some flowers on her nightstand, with a visible card.
You’re a brave lady. Best of luck with him.
Carlos Mondragón
Looking around at all the flowers filling the hospital room, in red, purple, yellow, pink and blue, blue most of all, it struck Theo how long he’d been missing. Long enough for Emmie to give birth and his acquaintances to hear about it. Long enough for them tosend flowers.
Theo really was a selfish bastard. He looked down at his rough, dry hands and repeated helplessly, “I’m sorry.”
“No, stop. It’s not your fault you had car trouble.” But there was something stiff in her voice, as if she didn’t believe her own words. As the baby woke and started to fuss, Emmie forced a smile. “Come hold him.”
Theo looked nervously at the unhappy baby. “I don’t know if...”
“Take off your shirt.”
“What?”
“Just do it.” Reluctantly, he obeyed, dropping it to the linoleum floor. She lifted her free hand. “Now hold your arms like this.”
Jaw tight, he held out his arms. His wife gently lifted the squirming infant, who wore only a diaper, against Theo’s bare chest.
Cuddled against his father, skin to skin, the baby gave a little hiccup, then soothed by the rise and fall of Theo’s breath, his eyelids grew heavy. His tiny body relaxed back into sleep.
