They were quiet for the few minutes longer it took to reach Andre’s apartment building. When Dmitri stopped in front, Andre turned to him. “Thanks for the lift,” he said. “So, I’ll see you in two weeks?”
“Two weeks.” It felt like a lifetime to Dmitri, but he summoned up a smile. “Have a safe drive. I guess I’ll see you at the airport.”
“Yeah.” For a moment, Andre hesitated again, then he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. “You have a safe drive too.”
“Thanks.” There was so much more Dmitri wished he could say, but he couldn’t, so he limited himself to platitudes. “Text me when you get to San Diego, okay? That way I know you didn’t run off to avoid being cooped up on a bus with me for four months.”
“You’re little. You don’t take up much room,” Andre replied, flashing him a smile. He paused, then stood up, closing the car door. The window was open, so as he waved, Dmitri heard him speak. “Later!”
“Later,” Dmitri echoed, then put the car in gear. As he drove off, he looked back, seeing Andre still standing on the sidewalk, gazing after him.
Surely that meant something, didn’t it?
Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the road, forcing himself to focus on what was in front of him before he caused an accident. He was going to drive himself crazy if he kept trying to read meaning into every word and gesture Andre made. Maybe two weeks apart would give him some perspective, a chance to reset his perceptions and stop obsessing about every little thing related to Andre Lucena.
But somehow, he was certain that thoughts of Andre were going to occupy the next two weeks of his life, just as assuredly as they’d occupied the last four years.
CHAPTER 5
“...and they all lived happily ever after.”
Andre closed the book, then looked at the child lying in the bed, eyes closed, features relaxed in the innocent contentment of the young. He felt as though he could stare forever, as always unable to believe that this small, infinitely precious little soul was partly his. He gazed for several long moments, then sighed as he stood from the chair, placing the dog-eared copy ofThe Princess and the Parrotgently on the bedside table.
All around him were the treasures of a child’s life, the things he’d never been able to have when he was young. The walls were hung with posters of cartoon rockets and trains; the shelves were filled with toys and games and books. A toy box stood in one corner, overflowing with stuffed animals, toy trucks, and Lego pieces, which spilled out onto the carpet with the chaos that seemed to be part and parcel of the room of a small boy. It was a happy room, one meant to foster security and happiness. That at least he could provide, even when he felt like he could never do enough in other ways.
Leaning over, he placed a soft kiss on Miguel’s forehead. The little boy stirred slightly, then his eyes cracked open. “Will we?”he asked drowsily, clutching a love-worn stuffed parrot more tightly against him.
“Will we what,mijo?” Andre kept his voice soft so as not to rouse the child too much, but he couldn’t resist stroking the soft, dark hair curling on the pillow.
“Live happily after.”
The trusting, childish question almost broke Andre’s heart, but he answered as truthfully as he could.
“As long as we have each other, you bet.”
That earned a smile, and Miguel’s eyes closed again. “‘Night, Daddy,” he murmured.
“Goodnight,mijo. I love you. I’ll see you as soon as I can.”
He stood for several more moments until he was certain Miguel was asleep. Then he slipped silently from the room, feeling as though he were leaving a part of his heart behind.
As he closed the door, he heard quiet voices coming from the living room, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair before making his way along the hall toward them. He hated leaving his son, but he also didn’t much care for the potential discussion that awaited him. But it was inevitable, so he straightened his shoulders and entered the room.
Sibila glanced up at him from her position on the comfortable sofa, her lips pinched. She was still a beautiful woman, with long black hair that spilled almost to her waist, golden skin, and huge dark eyes fringed with thick lashes. As he returned her gaze levelly, he felt none of the desire that had seemed so desperate and immediate almost six years before, but she was the mother of his child, and he respected her for all she’d done for Miguel, even if the attraction had burned itself out as quickly as it had come.
“He’s asleep,” Andre said quietly.
Sibila nodded. “Good. I just hope he won’t cry in the morning when he realizes he doesn’t get to see you for a long time.” Thewords were designed to make him feel guilty, and unfortunately, they succeeded.
“Your tour starts tomorrow?”
Andre turned his attention from Sibila to her husband, Derek, who was obviously trying to forestall an argument. Andre’s feelings for his son’s stepfather were complicated. Derek was a likable man, even a kind one, and he treated Miguel with affection. So much so that Miguel even called him “Papa,” which had given Andre a pang at first, but he’d learned to live with it. He was jealous that Derek got to spend more time with Miguel than he himself did, but it wasn’t the man’s fault, after all. Nor was it his fault that Sibila wanted Andre to give up all rights to his son so that Derek could adopt him, which was the basis of their current impasse.
“Yeah,” he replied. “I’m flying to Miami in the morning.”
“I hope it’s very successful for you. Your band is really incredible.”
Derek smiled, far more relaxed than his wife, and Andre knew the compliment was sincere. For all that Sibila was pushing for the adoption, and Derek had been clear that he was willing, the older man hadn’t pushed, understanding and respecting Andre’s love for his son in a way his wife couldn’t seem to emulate. He was a successful accountant and a natural peacekeeper, and since marrying Sibilia three years before, he’d often stepped in to moderate when necessary.
