“Yeah…”
“It’s not perfect,” I said. “As in, it will never be the same. The tissue and cartilage will be all messed up, the colours, the markings. With salamanders it grows back exactly the same, and just as strong.”
“So it can never die?”
“Oh, it can die, it’s more that whatever doesn’t kill it makes it stronger, I guess, just like humans.” I tapped her temple. “Although that’s an emotional response. Humans can’t grow limbs back.”
“And we don’t have tails.”
I started to snigger, but the sensation of being watched returned. A scan of the room revealed Isha standing five feet away, leaning on a pillar, expression unreadable. I tried for a smile, but his gaze didn’t flicker. Just dug a hole in my heart until I could barely breathe.
With Delilah still clinging to me, I stood, and closed the distance between us. “Okay?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Sure about that? Cos you’re staring a crater in my brain here.”
“D, go find your brother. He’s by the glow-in-the-dark toads.”
“They’re actually—”
Isha silenced me with a shake of his head.
I set Delilah down and she flitted away to where Tam was hanging by the polka-dot tree frogs. When I was sure she was safe, I shifted my gaze back to Isha. “What’s the matter?”
“Are you serious?”
“Deadly. We’ve only been here half an hour. I can’t have pissed you off already.”
“I’m not pissed off.”
It was my turn to be incredulous.
Isha rubbed his hands over his face. “I’m just having a hard time with you being so awesome with Delilah.”
“You’d rather I was an arsehole to her?”
“Of course not. But seeing you so close makes me feel some type of way, and I don’t know how I’d ever explain that to them.”
“Explain it? Why would you ever do that?”
“I wouldn’t. That’s the point.”
“I don’t understand.”
Tam demanded Isha’s attention before he could respond.
“Dad, I need the toilet.”
Isha sighed, and walked away, leaving me once again with Delilah, and a heartbeat I couldn’t seem to catch.
* * *
Isha
I’d upset Jude. The zoo trip was supposed to have been a distraction, but I’d forgotten that weird and wonderful creatures were his bread and butter, that he’d be in his goddamn element, and all the feelings I had for him would increase tenfold the moment I saw him being three times the father to my daughter than I’d ever been.
I was jealous, enthralled, and so totally fucking in love with him my heart seemed fit to explode.
