Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“What? It’s like the zoo!” Arlo runs right up to the glass and smushes his nose against it. “This. Is. Awesome.”
He isn’t wrong.
The aquarium has won me admiration and a mountain of shit from my family ever since I had it installed. Especially when I had the octopus flown in from Seattle.
“I can’t believe you called it a ‘fish tank,’” Salem murmurs, sending me a smile when I glance at her. “Show Arlo the cuttlefish. He just read about them in his ocean book.”
“Cuttlefish! Where?” Arlo’s eyes bounce around excitedly.
“Up here, little man. Let me help you get a better look.” I lift him up and settle him on my shoulders. “Can you see them now?”
“Yeah! That one’s like a rainbow.” His little finger points.
“And you see the way it shines in the light?”
“Yeah!” He grins.
“They do that to communicate. Almost like sign language, but they use colors instead.”
I slow walk him along the glass so he can take it all in.
Salem trails behind us, happy to let me take the lead, almost as impressed with the show as her son.
Shit, my son.
My son is in my house.
My throat tightens ferociously and I swallow hard.
“More cuttlefish!” Arlo whispers excitedly, moving his finger around and counting them.
Colt used to do that a few years ago, even as an older kid. The animals are used to it, I think.
A bright-green fish floats closer to investigate, its mouth opening and closing, but Arlo’s eyes never waver from the tentacled creatures.
“Why don’t you tell us what you remember about cuttlefish?” Salem asks him.
“They change color! Um… and they have beaks like an octopus. They shoot ink too.”
Not half-bad for a five-year-old. I wonder about his memory, what else he can recall.
“I have an octopus, too,” I tell him.
“What? No way!”
“Way,” I whisper. “Let’s see if he’s out and not hiding.”
We walk along the tank and I point out different fish along the way.
Sure enough, I find the octopus tucked behind a rock with only one tiny curl of leg visible, but the seahorses are swimming around near us, curious as usual.
Arlo looks astonished.
“You know what’s interesting about seahorses?” I ask. “The males give birth. See there?” I point to a sac on the front of one seahorse. “That one’s full of babies.”
The boy’s eyes are almost as round as the sac. “But I thought only girls can have babies.”
“That’s what makes seahorses special.”
“I like the seahorse method. Way more fair,” Salem adds, flashing me a mischievous grin.
I shake my head, biting back a grin. I can’t imagine how this would be working out right now if our roles were switched.
“What about the other fish?” Arlo asks.
“Some lay eggs and some have live young, but the females work the hardest.” I give Salem a quick, repentant glance.
She touches the small of my back.
A tiny gesture, but it’s enough.
“You’re a good teacher. I’m surprised,” Salem says, “but don’t you guys want to watch a movie? I was thinking Spider-Man.”
The minute he hears that word, Arlo’s interest shifts.
He starts wiggling until I’m forced to put him down and he runs out of the room, stopping just short of skidding across the wood floor.
“Be careful!” Salem shouts again. The blue lights wash out her face, making her look pale. “I’m so sorry. He’s been giddy about this all day. He’s a lot to handle when he gets into his hyper puppy mode.”
“I know the feeling,” I say, surprising myself. “It’s nice as hell to spend time with him.”
“You mean when he’s not kicking you and ruining your clothes?” She laughs and leans up to offer a kiss.
I take her lips, parting them just enough to feel her breath as I slide a hand around her waist, then pull away before I can’t control myself.
“We should head downstairs before he finds us. No need to repeat that incident.” Before she starts moving, I lean in close to her ear. “Later, Salem. I’m going to break the bed with you tonight.”
I love the way she shivers, the movement accenting her ass in those apple bottom jeans as she speeds away, throwing me a devilish smile.
Is it bad that a small part of me wanted the kid to walk in while we’re kissing?
Then we could move past this.
Then he could understand, in his own little way, that I’m the guy with his mom and I’m not going anywhere.
For a second, I’m alone with the fish. The only light coming from the tank throws an eerie glow over my face.
So far, it’s almost too perfect. Only, behind that glass, there’s a stark reminder that chaos is always just a breath away, waiting to break through.
Sighing, I follow her downstairs.
They’ve already found my theater room with the huge screen and large leather seats that can swallow a person for days. The dark space still manages to look cozy.