“Me neither. We drew straws to see who’d be the best men—which doesn’t count, by the way, because therewasno wedding,” Drako points at me on the last part, earning an elbow from Apollo. “Ow! What was that for?”
“I’m glad you said that. That’s exactly my point. You’ll be the groomsmen at the wedding, and I’m the child’s godfather. Unfortunately for you, the wedding hasn’t happened yet. My godson, on the other hand, is almost four.”
“Idiot! That’s what I was warning you about!” Apollo complains while Drako shoots me an outraged look.
“This isn’t over!” Drako vows as we reach Nina’s door. We knock. It takes a moment before we get an answer—one that comes from a child’s voice, without the door opening.
“There’s nobody home,” Kael announces. Apollo, Drako, and I look at each other.
“And who’s saying that?” Drako asks. A sweet, delighted laugh echoes from behind the wood.
“Me. But I don’t count.”
“Are you alone?” Apollo asks, frowning.
“Yeah.”
“Where’s your mom, Kael?” I ask.
“Who are you?” he counters, smartly.
“We’re your uncles. We came to see you.”
“I can’t open the door. Sorry, uncles,” he says, and I feel a wave of relief. He’s alone—but he won’t open the door for strangers. “What are uncles?” he asks right after.
“They’re your mom’s or dad’s brothers,” Drako explains, staring at the door as if he could see through it.
“My mom doesn’t have brothers.”
“Your dad does,” Apollo adds.
“Ooooooh,” he draws out the vowel, and I wish I could see his face. I’m desperate to see his face, period.
Over the years, Rosa sent me a few photos—two a year, actually. One on Kael’s birthday and one at Christmas. So I know what he looks like, but it’s nowhere near enough.
I’ve always wanted children. I don’t know if it’s because of my past or in spite of it, but the desire has been there for as long as I can remember. For a long time, I thought it would be up to me to bring one into my brothers’ lives too.
When Nero fell in love, though, I knew he’d want the same thing soon. And he did—at least until he was an idiot. I shake my head, abandoning that train of thought, and focus on the moment again.
“I want to have some too,” Kael says after a brief silence. Once again, Drako, Apollo, and I exchange looks. If Nina threatened to kill me for deducing that I was the one who revealed her locationto Nero, what would she do if she found out we might’ve just planted the idea of siblings in her son’s head?
“Where’s your mom?” I ask again, changing the subject. Well done, Atlas. Your godfather career is off to a great start.
“She already went to work.”
“And your grandma?”
“She hasn’t gotten back from work yet,” he answers—and I do some quick math I’d never bothered to do before.
Nina’s shift starts at seven p.m.; she leaves home around six-thirty. Rosa gets off work around the same time. Who stays with Kael during that window? No one. That’s the answer.
When Nero finds out that they both have to work so much they’re forced to leave the boy alone—even for a short while—it’ll be another stone added to the castle of guilt I know my brother is building. If he hadn’t been so stubborn… I click my tongue and shake my head.
“But she’s almost here,” Kael assures us.
“Can we keep you company?” Drako asks.
“What’s company?” Kael counters.
