“Of course.” He lets go of my hand and quickly hugs her. Then, he steps back and, with a hand on the small of my back, he says, “Ines, this is Riley. Riley, this is Ines.”
I feel his touch through my sundress as if his hand is plastered to my skin.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I murmur. “Thank you so much for inviting me.”
“You too.” She gives me a quick hug. “I’m happy to have you here. It’s an honor to meet the special someone of a person I care so much about.”
Special someone? I sneak a peek at Hayden, but all I get is a broad smile. Whatever her words mean, they haven’t fazed him.
A little boy with curly chestnut hair, dressed in a white tee and shorts, barrels into the foyer, heading straight for Hayden.
“Tío!” he yells, throwing himself at Hayden’s legs.
Hayden crouches and presses him to his chest. “Happy birthday, buddy.” He moves back and holds out the gift. “This is for you.”
Santi takes the box from him, beaming. It’s clear he’s a happy child, despite the tragedy.
When his eyes find me, his mouth forms a little O. “You’re like a princess.”
That simple phrase sucks all the tension and nerves out of me. Being around kids always brings me comfort. Their energy is so contagious, and Santi is no exception.
Ines laughs, shaking her head. “Santi, honey, this is Riley. She’s Hayden’s friend.”
I crouch to greet him, the curiosity in his dark brown eyes making me smile. “Hi, Santi. Happy birthday.”
“I’m three,” he tells me, proudly puffing out his chest.
“Really?” I widen my eyes and stand again. “Soon, you’ll be bigger than Uncle Hayden over here.”
That comment earns me a snort from said uncle.
Beaming, Santi takes my hand and tugs me farther into the apartment. Ines smiles kindly as I pass, and it saps away the rest of my anxiety. “Tío, come,” the little boy commands.
With a chuckle, Hayden follows us.
The evening goes by quickly and easily. We eat leftover cake and laugh about how ridiculous some of the toys Santi’s friends got him are. The atmosphere is light and bubbly, and my body feels weightless.
Santi doesn’t let us out of his sight. He insists we help him build a LEGO spaceship, and once we do, he asks us to play a game involving a knight and a dragon.
“Okay, who should I be?” Hayden asks. He sits cross-legged on the floor, his cheeks still flushed from their rousing game of soccer in the hallway.
“The dragon. Big and bad,” Santi replies. He breaks into a grin. “I am the knight.”
“You sure are, buddy.”
“And Riley is the princess.” He slips his sticky little palm in mine. “My princess.”
I grin at him. “How could I say no to such a wonderful knight?” I look at Hayden, and when I find he’s already watching me, affection and another emotion I’m too afraid to name overtake me. “Is the big, bad dragon going to kidnap me?”
“Yes.” Santi ushers me to his bedroom, where he instructs me to sit on his bed until he comes to save me.
Hayden joins me a moment later, dropping to the mattress beside me. “Having fun, Ry baby?”
“Uh-huh.” I nod. “You?”
He licks his bottom lip, drinking me in, his eyes bright. “Yeah. I’m having a blast.”
My heart beats quickly, my breaths coming fast. Hands clasped, I work to control my response to him. It’s nearly impossible. I’m full of anticipation.
