I dropped the papers off as fast as I could and left work. Lukas didn't seem to care that I was in a hurry, but honestly, that worked for me just fine. He did look a little off though. I didn't ask since he wouldn't tell me anyway. I don't think the bus ride took any longer than usual, but it felt like hours. I sprinted to the elevator. I had to change the sheets in the guest room and buy those fish sticks he loves so much. I opened the door to a sweetly scented apartment. That's weird. It smelled like someone was cooking. Margo was laying on the couch, not even bothering to greet me as I walked through the door.
"Kaj se dogaja?" (What's happening?)
"Caleb," she replied without opening her eyes.
He must have heard us because a second later he was standing in the door frame of the kitchen.
"Hey, Aron!"
He was wearing an apron and oven mitts.
"Cal, what are you doing here?"
"Waffles."
"Of course."
I entered the kitchen. I wasn't even surprised at the state of it. Flour everywhere, egg shells on the counter, sugar sprinkled on the floor and waffle mixture on Calebs' apron, mitts, and even his face. This happened every time he decided to cook. At least he cleans up after himself.
"Why don't you just go to a waffle house?"
He looked at me like I just said something unbelievably horrible.
"A waffle house?! We both know those ˝waffles˝ have nothing on mine."
I had to agree. His were delicious.
"Ok, whatever. Save some for me, I have to go to the store to pick up fish sticks and gummy worms."
"Is Tim coming?!"
"Yes, and you need to clean that up when you're done."
"Do I ever not?"
I stomped into the living room.
"Can you change the sheets in the guest bedroom. Spare covers are in the closet. Use the ones with aliens on it."
"Why don't you do it?"
"Morgana, can you please do this for your nephew?"
"We talked about this. You use my full name, I use yours."
"Boš?" (Will you?)
"Seveda bom. Kdo pa mislš da sem?" (Of course, I will. Who do you think I am?)
"Hvala." (Thank you.)
I took a bag and went to the store.
X
Bell rang at 16.00 sharp. She was exactly on time. As always. She had to be the most detailed oriented and precise person I have ever met. She was so put together I sometimes forgot she was younger than me, only by a year but still. She worked as a PR manager in one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the USA. She was dressed in a nice gray suit jacket and a pencil skirt. Her almond brown hair made up in an elegant bun. She hugged me and I gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Hi, darling," she said and handed me a small traveling bag, full of Tims' stuff.
"Hi."
I focused my attention on a boy beside her. Kara let go of his hand and I kneeled down so I could hug him properly.
"Dad!" he ran toward me and I squeezed him in a tight hug.
I haven't seen him in a while. I'm not actually his biological parent. What I am is his godfather, but I do act as his real dad and he acknowledges me as one. We did try to explain what I am to him, but he either doesn't care or just doesn't really understands yet. He will when he is older. I will always think of him as mine, even when he finds out the whole truth. He stays with me when Kara travels, when she needs some time off or sometimes just because. We do function more like a divorced couple with joined custody than anything else.
"Si v redu?" (Are you ok?)
He nodded and smiled. I always talked to him half in English and half in Slovenian. The good thing is that now he understands both. The bad thing on the other hand...He sometimes mixes them when he speaks. I guess that's my fault, but he is only seven. He'll learn. That was when Caleb came out of the kitchen.
"Kara! Long time."
I ended the hug and got up to talk to his mother. He immediately went to Cal, who picked him up and let him sit on his shoulders. Kara smiled and said to him: "Remember Cal, you break it you buy it."
"You would sell your own son? You monster!" he shouted with faked outrage.
She laughed and turned to me.
"Remember. School starts at eight, he has to brush his teeth every evening and morning, no sweets before sleep..."
"You are telling me this stuff like I don't know."
She crossed her arms: "Then how come last time he came home from here he told me how dad and uncle Caleb made brownies for dinner?"
Cal gasped dramatically and took Tim off his shoulders.
"You told your mom that?! What happened to ˝that stays between us˝?"
"He is seven Caleb. I doubt he understands the secrecy of the bro code," she replied.
"Still. You know what comes now you little traitor."
He started tickling him. Tim was now squirming on the floor giggling. Margo must have been awakened by the noise because she came out of my room. She smiled lovingly at Caleb and Tim. She wasn't really on board with Timothy in the beginning, that's because she doesn't like kids, but he grew on her eventually. She greeted Kara. She then said her goodbyes to us and left for the airport. I sat on the couch with Tim beside me. I looked at him, trying to figure out if he changed in some way. I knew he didn't. I have seen him last month, but it felt longer. His almond brown hair that he got from his mother were untamable no matter how much Kara tried. Another trait he inherited from his mother were subtle freckles across his nose and cheeks. Not too many, just enough to be noticeable. The only thing that was, we could say foreign, were his dark almost black eyes. They were incredibly pretty but unfortunately belonged to his father. When he was born Kara had trouble looking in them. She said they brought out to many painful memories. I couldn't blame her. But eventually, she learned to look past the trauma and see his eyes for what they were. Beautiful and his own.