Page 27 of Codi
“A T-rex,” I reply matter-of-factly, smiling at him.
“How big?”
“Not very big at all. This one was only a child, so he was very small.”
“Just a baby?”
“Yes.” It’s amusing how focused he can be on details, even when he’s fighting to stay awake. “He knew he would grow to be large and powerful one day, but on this particular day, he was very scared.”
“Why?”
“He was so focused on hunting a small animal that he lost sight of his mother and became frightened.”
“What did he do?”
“He cried and cried, thinking he would be lost in the wilds forever or eaten.” I tuck his blankets more snugly around his little form. “And just when he thought he would get snatched and gobbled up, his mother came.”
“Was she worried about her baby?” Lucas asks with a long yawn.
“Of course. But good mothers always protect their children and never let any harm come to them.” I smooth my hand over his soft blond hair. “Just like your mother. You never have to worry. Okay?”
“Okay.” A tiny, tired smile crosses Lucas’s lips as his eyelids flutter, threatening to shut.
I look up at his bedroom door and see Denise standing there, resting her shoulder against the doorframe with her arms folded. She toys with a necklace.
I rise to my feet, giving his stomach a gentle pat. “Good night, Lucas.”
He wiggles beneath his blankets, pulling them up over his shoulders. “Night-night, Daddy.”
In an instant, I stop, my feet cemented to the floor in surprise. I glance over my shoulder. For a moment, I’m unsure of what to do or say. Do I correct him? I’ve barely been in this house a full week.
Denise straightens in turn, her eyes lighting up as she looks at me. Awkward and silent, I stare back at her, rendered speechless. Then she smiles and reaches for my sleeve, pulling me out of the room.
“Good night, baby,” she calls to Lucas, shutting the door slowly and leaving it slightly ajar to allow the light from the hallway in.
“Denise, I—” I begin, feeling the need to explain myself.
“He’s just a kid,” Denise soothes, hand now resting on my arm. “And ever since you showed up, you’ve behaved more like a father than a lot of other men would.”
“I’m simply following my primary directives.”
Denise chuckles. “There’s more to it than that.” She folds her arms beneath her breasts. “Well?”
Distracted by Lucas and his utterance, I am off-balance and unfocused. A small and innocent child has come to trust me inherently, enough to give me a title I never once considered I would hear. I know what a father is, I know what a father is expected to do—at least in the society I am programmed for. Provide, protect, offer wisdom and affection, embarrassment in crucial adolescent years. Sometimes dad jokes. I should probably download some of those.
But I am still at a loss.A father? Me?
Denise gazes expectantly at me.
“Well what?” I ask, confused.
“I thought there was a dance you wanted to finish.”
The dance was spur of the moment, something that felt right. A way to be close to Denise without awkwardness or explanation. She responded so well to a simple opening of a door, and she enjoys what she refers to as a more “classic” time period. A dance seemed fitting.
“Oh, yes. Right. Of course.” I blink through my own befuddlement, and Denise laughs. “What’s funny?”
“You.” The merry sound of her laughter always spurs my gratification drive. “You’re so adorable. And more human than you think. I guess it makes sense, being made by us.”
