Exton

I step into the room and am immediately bombarded by the joy of happy children. Sometimes I wish I could read them as well as their parents, other times, I am glad to just listen to their babble, picking up a little from the emotions that simply flow from them. Tomas is immediately looking past me to the doorway. I smile and pick him up as he opens his arms to me. He places his hand against my cheek and thinks hard. An image of mi amor pops into my mind.

"Ah, He is at work. It may be several hours before mi Morte' joins us."
Again the scrunched face, the deep concentration. An image of Mortuis among test tubes and beakers appears.

"No, Tomas. Tio Mortuis is at the TV studio. He is working on his show."

The little boy's eyes light up, excitement radiating off him. Images begin flooding my mind, mixed with distinct words among his happy babble. Batman... fight... crimals.. Tio Morchis... I laugh at an image of Mortuis swordfighting against a comic book villain.

"No, Tio Mortuis' show is not like Batman. Tio Mortuis shows movies."

Tomas sighs and rests his head on my shoulder. He stares at the doorway for a few moments, then touches my cheek again. No images this time, just the feeling that I am wrong.

The little man is closer to the truth than he knows.

My hand gently strokes his back and he whimpers when I touch a bump on his back. Alise meets my eyes, along with a feeling of protection from Tara. I speak softly to him, my accent slipping deeper. "May I see, my leetle man?" He looks up at me with big eyes, shaking his head. "Ees ok. I look when you want my thoughts, si?"

Tomas nods, resting his head back on my shoulder. I stroke his back gently, avoiding what I now feel as two ridges along his back. Tara watches until she is sure I do not lie. Chloe distracts Tara and I catch Alise's eye. I can feel the worry over her son, and smile. It is nothing that is not natural, but like teething, it will be uncomfortable, even painful at times.


His hand grips my hair, pulling as he leans to look around me. He suddenly drops his head, burying his face in my shoulder with a painful thump. Instead of crying, he is giggling. I turn and Stoney strides into the Solarium, Ob on his heels. Chloe squeals and raises her arms to be picked up. Tara is up and trying to run to her pa'pan. He scoops her up just as she stumbles. Her giggles and Chloe's laughing screams wake Star. Erik shakes his head, muttering about some things being the same, no matter what century.