Page 38 of Judas

“Fine,” he grunts and waves bye-bye to Mommy and I. “The garage is stacked to the ceiling. There may be room in the shed out back if you move the junk around. It’s yours, after all.”

Mommy doesn’t say anything; she only turns and we go through the food room. It’s much bigger than Daddy’s, and the lady is in here now. She is moving things out of the doors and onto the counter, boxes that have a glove with a smile on it.

I wonder if they have noodles.

Outside, we walk across the yard to the small house at the back. Hers old and muddy shoes crunching the ground-hair cold with every step. When we make it, and Mommy opens the heavy door, we step inside and it smells not nice. My nose scrunches when she pulls me off her hip and sets me down on the wood floor. It makes a hill in the middle of the room. Boxes have black fur on them on the far side of the tiny house, and I think one moves when Mommy crouches down to my level. She gives me a smile when she talks, her fingers pushing some of my Superman hair out of my eyes.

I love Mommy, all mines heart.

“We will only be here for a few days, okay, Lulu? Then we will go to Nana’s house, deal?”

“Kay, Mommy.”

Just like her said, we stayed in the little house for a few days. When the sun was out, I was in the snow. Putting together all the snowballs I need to have a fight with Mommy—she said we can before we leave. I so excited, I even make many little snowman’ that we can use if we run out of our amoonition.

Each day, I see that little girl—Nadia—come home and run to her room. One day, I was in the food room with Mommy while the mean man was gone. She was looking for snacks but I wasn’t good that day because I walked down the hall looking for the little girl.

I found a potty room but she wasn’t there. Then a big room that smell like smoke—do not like that room. At the very end of the hall, I push up on my toes to reach the door ball. With all my might, I turn it. When it opens, I see all things girl. Dollys, flowers, stuffies that look like the kitties on her backpack.

Daddy says I nosy, I don’t know what that means. But I is curious-cat and she like kitties. Maybe her will like me too.

Easing into her room, I run over to her desk where there are colors and pages with princesses. I know that because they wear big dresses with crowns, but… they have rain on their face, like Mommy. The princess sad, but why?

Climbing onto the chair next to her colors, I pick up a yellow one and draw a sun over the princess with lots of lines to give her happy and warm. Mommy says the sun makes big people happy, so this will work. It will make the rain go away. With a different color, put a flower next to the princess, take my time making sure is perfect.

Nadia deserves flowers, just like Mommy.

“Lucien Charles!” I hear Mommy shout and jump ‘cause it scare me. I let go of the color and it falls to the desk. Fast as Flash, I scramble off the chair and run out of her room. The mean man must be back and we have to run away. As I fast-run down the hallway, my shoes make light-up colors on the wall like police cars—red and blue.

Wee-woo, wee-woo, what you do, Lucien come to you.

They’re my favorite kind. We went to the store one day, and in the back where they keep all them, Daddy handed this pair to Mommy and she put them on my feets. Said we had to make sure they had growing room because I sprout like a weed, not a flower, and won’t be able to come back for a new pair for a long time. After that, we went to the door and then I raced Mommy and Daddy to the car. It was lots fun. When we drove away, aman with a shiny badge was chasing us—I think he wanted to race too.

I make it back to the food room and go to Mommy. She stands at the door with her arms crossed over her chest and I walk up to her, lifting my arms so she can pick me up from the floor.

“Up, Mommy.” I ask.

She's never upset to me long, and I know she is. In a few seconds, she shakes her head and pulls me up, squeezing me tight.

“Where were you?”

“In the little girl’s room. She has color pictures. The lady said her to color when she comes home. Mommy, her princesses are sad. I had to give them sun.”

She looks at me quietly, her head tilting to the side so I mimic her, not sure what it means. Is there water in her ear and she need to get it out? That happens to me in the bathtub when I dive for treasure.

“That was nice of you, Lulu. Do you know who that girl is?”

“Nadia,” I answer.

“Yes, that’s her name but she is important. You know that?”

“N… no. Is she special like me?”

“In a way, yes. Nadia is your sister, sweet boy. You share Mommy with her.”

“No, I don’t share Mommy. Mine.”

She laughs but I scowl. I’ll not share her with another. I already have to share her with Daddy and him’s asshole.

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