Antonio squirms. “I’m not a genius. I just read and write a lot.”
“That’s what I said. A genius.”
He starts closing the tabs on my laptop.
“Will you play Uno with me?”
I tilt my head, kissing his jaw. “Will you behave?”
His ears turn pink. “I broke that plate by accident.”
“You broke it because I changed the color to yellow.”
“It was a systemic injustice.”
Antonio shuffles and hands out the cards while I grab us sodas.
He wins the first round by stacking several Draw Twos.
“What happened to that being a punishable act?” I ask mildly.
He pretends he doesn’t hear me.
By round two, the air has shifted.
Antonio has only three cards left. He places down a red eight with reverence.
“One step closer to victory,” he says quietly to himself.
I study my cards. I could pretend I have to draw like I sometimes do with Noah. But Antonio is not four. I lay down my card—Draw Four.
Silence.
Antonio stares at it. He doesn’t blink. Doesn’t breathe.
“The color is blue,” I add gently.
His eye twitches.
He draws the cards one by one, his jaw set so tight I can almost hear his teeth grinding.
“What stands in the way becomes the way,” he mutters. “What stands in the way becomes the way.”
He’s quoting Aurelius. That means he’s going to flip.
“Everything alright?”
He smiles at me. It is the most fragile smile I’ve ever seen.
His lip wobbles in self-pity.
“I just think it’s fascinating how some people choose cruelty instead of kindness.”
I can’t help the smile sneaking on my face. That does it. He lets out a hiss. The cards hit the table.
“I invited you into my HOME!”
“Our home,” I point out.
