Page 17 of My Monster, My Choice

But the dancers love Christina, as they should. They pull her to them, no doubt reassuring her again that Tera and Relion love each other.

And probably teasing her over our kiss.

“Iffa you and my momma likka each other, you gonna be my pappy?” Kenny asks.

“If yourmamanwill have me, I would love that,” I tell him, and assume pappy is a favorable term for a parent.

“Are you a good one?”

“Definitely. One of the best.”

“You gotta other girrrlfriends too?” His nose scrunches like girls are disgusting.

I wink at him. “Lots of other females want me. I’m a catch. But I only have eyes for yourmaman.”

“Why?”

I turn his head toward where she stands with the dance troupe, fitting in like a rare gem among the other jewels. I drop my cheek to his where I peer over his shoulder.

“See that? She is the most beautiful female in the world.”

“Yes. She’s is.”

“And even though she’s already that beautiful, watch when she smiles.”

We wait, watching as Sydney says something in her dry tone, and Christina sparkles with laughter.

There it is, her entire face lights up, just the way I saw her for the first time when she thought it was Tera waiting in the dining room that day.

“Magic,” I whisper. “That look that comes over her face when she smiles? That’s love. That’s all the love inside your maman just bubbling over, bursting to get out and make the rest of the world as beautiful as she is.”

“Yes,” he agrees, his little face studying her some more. “I luvva her. And I luvva Terr.”

“You were a very lucky little male,” I tell him. “To have both of those females in your family. You grew up very loved, didn’t you?”

“Yes. Yessa, I did.”

Then he turns slightly and presses a chubby finger to my lips. “An’a when I’s grows up, Ima gonna be just like you. Hansom. An’ strong. An’a daddy.”

My heart threatens to burst. “My boy.”

He twists fully and arms wrap around my neck as he presses a kiss to my cheek.

I rub his little back, aware that he needs love. He is just an adorable, loveablekish.

“You gonna love me if I’s not too smart in school?” he whispers.

I snort and tickle his side. “You’re never going to be not smart in school. So yes, I will always love you. Sneaky male.”

“Uh, huh. Mr. Pichito? He ya say I’ma dummy when I droppa my book.”

“Well, he might know,” I agree, ignoring the slowly heating burn in the pit of my belly. “It takes one to know one. Where is he now?”

I will string him from the trees.

“Oh, he all gone. He gotta fired. My momma come to work at my school, and she yell at Mr. Pichito and file charges.”

“Good.”

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