Seri rubbed his nose against Severo’s, and kissed one of the man’s tears away. “It’s over now.”
“It is. He is never going to touch you again.”
“Never.”
“Will you go out with me?” Severo asked.
Seri chuckled. “Yes.”
“Ahh, you make me so happy.”
“You make me feel…safe.” Seri leaned up and pressed his lips to Severo’s.
The kiss started gentle, and remained gentle, for Skya began squealing angrily. “OH-OH!”
Severo pulled back on a groan.
Seri glanced down to find the little girl awake and glaring fiercely at her ‘Oh-Oh’.
“No, Oh-Oh, Dah-Dah!’
“Oh boy…” Severo laughed. “Are you going to fight me for all of Daddy, Skya?”
“Bah ah,” she grumbled.
Seri giggled. “It appears so, Severo. What will you do?”
“I will pull out all the stops, and bribe her with all that I can, to get her to share you.”
He was the one glaring now. “Stop trying to bribe my baby with food.”
“It’s the only way!” Severo cried.
His eyes narrowed. “Mention the C word to her right now as part of your bribery scheme, and see how fast you end up sleeping out here on the couch.”
Severo’s expression turned sheepish. “Right, no more bribery!” He smiled. “Skya, my little gummy bear. Come to Oh-Oh.”
The man plucked her out of the chest straps and spun away with her. “I've got a nice sippy full of juice for you. Don’t you want some juice before going nap nap?!”
Seri’s face twisted—Nap nap?
“BAH!” she said angrily, and she kept up her angry complaints, even as Severo took her into another room in the apartment. Seri followed and watched Severo cajole her into a smile as he gushed over her.
He eyed the room, heart beating a bit faster on seeing that it was filled with more life than the living room and kitchen combined. Toys were everywhere, along with everything one would need in a nursery. The walls had been painted to look like they were underwater, a family of sea turtles swimming around them.
Fifteen days…the man had done this much in fifteen days, not knowing how long it would take, or how long Seri would stay.
Smiling, he backed out and closed the door, letting the man continue his efforts to win Skya over. He was sure it would be fine, his daughter was just as much of a sucker for Severo as he was. Curious, he headed to the other room of the apartment—Severo’s bedroom. Opening it, he froze on finding it dark… With a shaky hand, Seri took a deep breath and felt along the wall, sighing in relief as he found and hit the light switch.
Maroon floor, beige walls, a mattress on the floor…a single dresser, a nightstand, and… It was empty, just like the rest of the house…except… He glared at the pile of clothes just sitting a mile high in a basket.
Severo glanced backwhen Seri turned to leave. The minute the man closed the door, and he heard him walk away, he crouched down next to Skya, beside her crib. “Here’s the deal, gummy bear. Daddy is your Dah-Dah, but he is also my boyfriend now. But him being my boyfriend doesn’t make him any less your Dah-Dah. And just think, because Oh-Oh is with your Dah-Dah, you get to have Oh-Oh too.”
She stared, head tilting.
He listened, and not hearing Seri nearby, he whispered again. “I’ll give you a cookie if you share your daddy with me.”
She frowned, lips pursing. “Ookie, Dah-Dah?”
