Page 64 of The Art of Deception

Levi turns from her to me again as his face lights up. “We can go back to the shop after school?”

I tense up, knowing that the shop is all but gone, but another one is being built in its place as we speak.

Tomi exhales. “No… no, Levi, the shop’s gone.”

His face falls like it’s broken his heart all over again. It stabs me right through mine once more. I hate I was a party to his heartache.

“In a few months, there will be a new shop, Levi,” I tell him.

Tomi glares at me like I’ve said theworstthing possible.

Levi’s eyes open wide like that’s thebestthing I could have possibly said. “We can go there after school?”

“We haven’t finished discussing what’s going to happen with that shop yet, Levi,” Tomi grunts. Levi’s face falls again.

“We haven’t?” I ask, a little confused. I thought it was a given she was going to go back into the studio.It’s there, for her. Why the hell wouldn’t she take it?

“No, we haven’t, but that’s beside the point. We’re not here to discuss the shop right now, Levi. We have other news. Something very exciting.”

Levi tilts his head while I sit here reeling.

Is she not going to start up the new Hope & Faith Ink?

I can’t think of that right now. This is a discussion we need to have in private later. Right now, is a celebration of life, so I need to be in the moment.

“Levi, we want you to know how important you are to both of us.” Tomi beams, love oozing from her.

I sit forward, nodding my head in agreement. “Absolutely.”

He furrows his brows, obviously sensing something is coming.

Tomi stares Levi in the eyes and exhales. “Xander and I arehaving a baby.”

Levi scrunches up his face. Then he exhales. “So, you have one…” he points to her stomach, “… in there, now?”

Tomi sniffs and nods. “Yes.”

He shifts on the sofa like he’s taking this all in. “Will it scream?”

Tomi winces. “It will cry. Yes.”

He hums under his breath like he’s deep in thought. “Okay,” he says in his high-pitched voice, again shocking us both.

Tomi sits up taller as I open my eyes wide. “Okay?” Tomi asks for clarification.

“Yes, okay. I will be an uncle.”

Tomi slowly smiles. “Yes, you will.”

Levi smiles. “I will be a good uncle.”

Tomi sighs as I squeeze her thigh. This wasn’t the reaction we were expecting, but it’s definitely one we will take. “Yeah, buddy, you sure will,” I tell him as he smiles to himself.

“You sure you’re okay with this? The baby will take up space in the house, and it will cry and sometimes smell and change the way we have to do things.” Tomi can’t take a good outcome and roll with it.

Levi shrugs. “I will love peanut. I will be a good uncle.”

I want to rush forward and embrace him, but if I did that, he would tense up. Instead, I tilt my head at him as Tomi giggles.

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