Chapter 149
His little face scrunches in thought. “Oh. That’s sad.”
“It was, sometimes, but not always. But I’m thinking we could bring them some cookies and maybe some toys. Would you like to help me do that?”
He nods eagerly. “Will we see your old room?”
The question catches me off guard. I hadn’t thought about actually going Inside, just dropping off the donations and chatting with Giulia–Goddess, I hope she’s still there and hasn’t retired or passed away. She was always older.
But Miles‘ innocent curiosity makes me reconsider. Maybe it would be good for him to see where I came from.
“Yes,” I decide. “We can see my old room, if they’ll let us.”
We spend the morning baking–chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and oatmeal raisin. Miles is a good helper, measuring ingredients carefully and only sneaking a little bit of chocolate chips when he thinks I’m not looking
As the cookies cool, we go through Miles‘ toys, selecting the ones he’s outgrown or doesn’t play with anymore. He’s unexpectedly generous, adding some of his favorite coloring books and crayons to the pile after I explain that some of the children might not
have many toys of their own
“Can I bring my shark for them to see?” he asks, holding up his beloved stuffed shark. “Not to give away, just to show.”
“Of course,” I tell him, touched.
By early afternoon, we’re packed and ready to go. The cookies are carefully arranged in containers, the toys are packed in an extra cardboard box I had laying around, and Miles is dressed in his shark t–shirt to match his stuffed companion. I call a cab, and we wait outside the building, Miles chattering excitedly about meeting the children.
As we’re waiting, the sky above us darkens, threatening rain. I check my phone for the cab’s arrival time and see that it’s delayed due to an accident on the main road. Great.
Just as I’m considering whether to wait or go back inside, a familiar black car pulls up in front of us. My heart does a little flip as the window rolls down, revealing Arthur’s face.
“Iris?” he says, looking surprised to see us standing there with packages. “Miles? What are you doing out here?”
“Daddy!” Miles exclaims, bouncing on his toes.
Thesitate, reluctant to explain our plans to Arthur. But Miles has no such reservations.
“We’re going to Mommy’s orphan–age,” he says proudly, adorably mispronouncing the word. “With cookles and toys!”
Arthur’s eyebrows rise. He looks at me questioningly.
“We’re visiting the Ordan Central Orphanage,” I explain. He knows I grew up there. He knows everything about me, even when I
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+20 Bonus!
sometimes wish he didn’t. “With all this news about the Willford family donation drive, I thought it would be a good time to give back in our own way.”
“I see,” Arthur says slowly. “That’s…. that’s really kind of you, Iris ”
An awkward silence falls between us, interrupted only by the first few drops of rain beginning to splatter on the sidewalk.
“Our cab is running late,” I say, just as Miles squeals and tries to use his stuffed shark as an umbrella.
“I can drive you,” Arthur offers immediately. His eyes flick over me, and I can tell from the brief look of surprise in his eyes that he’s just now noticing how quickly I’ve recovered since the last time he saw me. But he doesn’t mention it..
He goes on, “I was just heading back to the hospital, but that can wait. I’ve never visited the orphanage myself, honestly.” That last part surprises me; one would think that the Alpha President would add orphanages to his rounds in press tours,
I open my mouth to decline, but Miles cuts in. “Yes! Please, Mommy?”
The rain is coming down harder now, fat drops soaking into my hair and Miles‘ shirt. The cookies will be ruined if we stand out here much longer.
With a sigh, I look at Arthur–really look at him–for the first time since he pulled up. He looks exhausted, his eyes shadowed
from lack of sleep. But there’s something else there too, a warmth and sincerity that reminds me of the Arthur I fell in love with
all those years ago.
I shouldn’t. Not really. Not with the whole custody thing still going on.
But the rain comes down harder, and Miles presses against my leg, his stuffed shark held protectively against his chest. I make
my decision.
“Alright,” I say, nodding and opening the door. “We’ll go together.”
D
