“He was sleeping on the couch with a bag of frozen peas on his forehead. I didn’t want to wake him up.”
“Where’s Ael?”
“Watching Bluey in the playpen. Can we go to the park?”
“Yes, but we have to go ask Papa first.”
Zaadi sat up on his chest. “Papa said you have to take us cuz he doesn’t feel good.”
Qylar doubted Alex would’ve used the words‘have-to’.“Oh, did he now?”
“Yep,” Zaadi said, giving a confident shake to her head. “Youhaveto.” She slid off his chest, and he helped her stand beside the bed. “I already got Ael’s shoes on and the wagon ready.”
Qylar pointed to the nearby chair. “Can you bring Uncle Q his shorts?”
Zaadi ambled over and returned with them clutched in one hand. He pulled them under the bedding and slipped them on before getting up. After snagging on a t-shirt, he noticed sucker marks running up his arm. Lean, slender marks too delicate to be his own.
Had Zaadi marked him before he woke up? He turned to find her already gone.
“Hurry up, Uncle Q,” she yelled from the hallway.
Qylar quickly washed his hands and face in the empty bathroom and then checked the downstairs rec room before climbing up. He scanned the living room and kitchen—but there was still no sign of Kenji.
“Kenji?” he called up the stairs.
Silence met his ear.
He didn’t sense anyone in the house.
He didn’t even say goodbye?
Qylar entered the townhouse next door—through the secret door they’d built between the two—and found Zaadi wrapped in Alex’s arms, tears streaming down his face.
“Don’t youeverscare me like that,” Alex said, his words choked with emotion.
“Okay, Papa,” Zaadi said, sounding more remorseful than he’d ever heard her. Her papa’s tears had likely done the trick.
Alex looked up from where he squatted on the floor beside Zaadi. “I had no idea she knew where the key was. I’m sorry she came over unannounced.”
“It’s okay. She said you were dozing on the couch because you didn’t feel good?”
Alex hauled himself up, wiping wetness from his cheeks and sniffling. He lifted a hand to his forehead. “My head is pounding. Even more now.”
“It’s probably just like when you were pregnant with Ael.”
Alex’s mouth dropped open for a second. “He told you?”
Qylar nodded.
Tears collected in Alex’s eyes again. “I’m so sorry, Qylar.”
“Sorry?For what?” He sensed what that sorry was for, and if he was right, he wasn’t having it.
“That we didn’t tell you sooner. I know it must’ve hurt to learn the news this far along.”
Thatwasn’twhat Qylar had been expecting, but seeing Alex’s sadness at keeping him in the dark helped soothe his ruffled feathers a bit. “I can understand not telling others—butme?”
“I wasn’t sure which one of you was sadder last time. Cryss or you. This time, I couldn’t save him the pain, but I could you.”
