“Yeah. We had leftover chicken noodle soup that I made last night.”
He nods and looks back to Aria. “Are we taking Goodie tonight?”
“Nope. Jules said she’ll feed and hold him for me.”
He smirks. “Maybe she should just feed him, and you can hold him when you get back home,” he suggests.
“But Uncle Luca, he’ll get lonely,” she complains with a pout.
Luca laughs, and I can’t help but giggle with him. The look in her eyes when she thought about her hamster getting lonely is adorable.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind holding him.”
His eyes twinkle and a smile plays on his lips as he sets Aria down on her feet.
“Just make sure you wash your hands before you hold him. He likes the salt on your hands and will take a nip out of your skin if you don’t wash them first.”
“Oh, okay.” I rub my fingers, not looking forward to getting bitten by the small creature.
“Go tell Goodie bye.” He ruffles her hair before she has a chance to run off.
He takes a step closer to me once she’s out of the room and a warm spicy scent drifts around me. The smell seems familiar in an odd way. I draw in a deep breath, liking the smell and wanting more of it, then feel heat creep up my cheeks when Luca’s mouth tips up at one corner, totally catching me trying to get another whiff of him. Luckily, he doesn’t call me on it.
“Theo normally doesn’t bother to feed her on the nights she stays with me.” He explains his surprise from a moment ago.
I frown. “But why?”
Something flashes in his eyes before the look drops away. “The thing with Theo is he loves Aria a lot. He just doesn’t really know how to care for her like she should be, and he knows she’ll be fed at whoever’s house she’s staying at. That’s why Mom, Dad, Ella, and I are always around to take her when he needs us to.”
Sympathy hits me with this news. I’ve seen the way Theo is with Aria, and I can definitely see the love he has for her, but I also see the neglect at times. Forgetting to remind her to brush her teeth before bed, not brushing her hair after her bath, letting her make her own lunch in the mornings before school, or letting her eat sweets right before dinner are just a few examples. I don’t know if it’s intentional or not, but the fact that it’s there at all is sad.
I’ve also noticed his lack of patience with her, and those times I want to snap at him. I don’t though, because she’s not my child and I have no right to tell him how to parent his kid. I’m still an outsider. As long as he never lays a hand on her I’ll keep my mouth shut and just do what I can behind his back to ensure she’s getting what she needs.
“Thank you for looking after her. Something tells me she’ll be better off with you here.”
My heart does a flip inside my chest and something warm settles in my stomach. Luca’s words mean a lot. I’ve been so restless lately with not remembering a part of my past. It’s left me feeling lost and alone. While Theo’s world has changed since I awoke, he at least has things and people around him that have always been there. With me, nothing is the same. It’s nice to know that although I may not like my situation at the moment, someone else is benefitting from it.
I smile and look at Aria as she comes back into the living room. “She’s special,” I tell him softly, and mean it.
“That she is.”
“I’m ready, Uncle Luca!” she says loudly, picking up her backpack and pulling it over her shoulders.
Once she’s done, she walks over to me and wraps her arms around my legs. I’m shocked for a moment. My worry over her being wary of me since the night she saw me and Theo in her room was unfounded. The next day, she was very open and talkative, like we had been friends for years. And the connection has only grown since, as we’ve spent a lot of time together. But I’m still surprised by her affection.
I pull away from her and look down. “How about I give you a proper hug?”
I squat down, and her arms go back around me, her hair hitting my face. Her little girl powdery scent hits me and emotions clog my throat. Once upon a time I wanted kids of my own. I still do, but it seems so unobtainable right now. I just can’t see myself having a baby with Theo, especially after what Luca said about him not caring for Aria as he should.
I look over Aria’s shoulder and my eyes meet Luca’s. Although they’re soft as he watches the exchange, there’s something dark in his crystalline blue gaze, almost mirroring a keen sense of sadness.
Before I have a chance to wonder about the poignant look, Aria release her arms from around me and places a kiss against my cheek. The little girl couldn’t be any sweeter if she tried.
“I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Okay,” she chirps.
As I open the door and the two walk out, I notice Luca has a firm grip on Aria’s hand, not letting her walk away without him. A brief look at the neighboring houses, and I understand why.