We Shadows

Chapter 1: wine and blocks

"Geordie, it's time to put your blocks away," Esperanza told the boy.

He looked up at Esperanza with his chubby cheeks and little pout, ready to ask for five more minutes. But she had already been too lenient this evening. She had let him have two cookies and stay up nearly a half hour later than his bedtime. Esperanza had a hard time saying no to the little boy. His blocks were piled into some structure that looked like a ship with the curves of the base. She hadn't asked because last time he had rolled his eyes as if it should be obvious.

"'speranza," Geordie sighed.

"Here, I'll help you," she offered, kneeling down to pick up the blocks and put them back into the bin.

They cleaned up quickly and Esperanza found Geordie's nightclothes. He brushed his teeth as she lifted him up to the sink and then he spat out the paste, spraying nearly everything in the bathroom. Esperanza shook her head, but wiped it down with a laugh. Geordie tried. He considered himself to be a grownup, despite his age and size.

"When will Blair be home?" he asked.

"Soon," she promised. "I'm sure he'll wake you up, pas mal?"

He nodded, wiping the toothpaste off his face and then crossing the room to the small bedroom. Blair had packed a bin of toys and clothes for his son as if Geordie was staying one week and not one day.

"Will we play tomorrow?" Geordie asked, pulling the covers back and snuggling into the bed.

"You aren't tired of me?" Esperanza teased.

"No," Geordie yawned, closing his eyes.

Esperanza slipped out of the room though left the door cracked so she could check on the boy. Lully and Blair should be back any minute now, so she took the time to clean the berth back to pre-four-year-old levels and stored the leftover cookies in a tub. Lully could take them to work with his lunches if she could keep him from eating all them right now.

She heard the door slide and she looked up to see Lully and Blair enter the berth. They were both sweaty, but that didn't stop Lully from scooping her up in his arms and nuzzling her cheek with his beard. Every time he did something like this, she wanted to shave it off in his sleep.

"How was baskets?" she inquired, squirming out of his arms to retrieve some cups for water.

"Sunshine," Lully said. "We missed you telling us to take water breaks; Emerson almost passed out. But no one got hurt," he added, when Esperanza put her hands on her hips.

"And for you, Blair?" she asked.

Blair nodded, managing a smile. "It was fun. The rules are weird, but fun. Was Geordie all right?"

Esperanza nodded. "He was great. We made cookies, we played with blocks, and he went to bed. He's a good kid, Blair."

"With you, he likes you," Blair scoffed. "I can't get him to explain why he gets into so much trouble with Anita. He punched a kid last week. He's four; I don't think I knew how to throw a punch at that age let alone aim for the solar plexus."

"I'll ask?" Esperanza offered. "Maybe he'd tell me."

Blair glanced toward the small bedroom and sighed. "I guess we should head out; I don't want to keep you."

"Don't be moonshy; you and Lully haven't had any cookies yet," Esperanza protested. "Unless you're done with us, of course. But we don't mean to run you off."

Blair looked conflicted. Esperanza knew he wasn't eating much and so this would be a good way to make sure he had consumed something today. He was so thin and hollow, as if Victoria's absence had taken something out of him. Lully seemed to pick up on her worries and clapped Blair on the shoulder, leading him to the couch.