Chapter Twelve
Alex had gotten the all-clear from the doctor. There was no damage inside, and her stitches had completely healed. Roman kissed around the small bandage on her stomach the other night, and he watched her now, chasing after kids.
They were all having a lot of fun, and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. She looked so happy and at peace, and to him, that was beautiful.
“Do you love her?” Stuart asked, coming to sit with him.
This little boy would randomly come and sit with him. He was a cute kid, and if Roman was being honest, the longer he spent at the orphanage, all the kids were starting to grow on him.
He liked being around them. Even at breakfast and at dinner, when they were all arguing about what they wanted to eat. Millie would randomly visit with baked goodies, and he’d started to develop a sweet tooth.
Did he want to lie to the kid?
“I don’t know what love is,” Roman said. “Do you?”
Stuart sighed.
He found it cute that he tried to seem tough, worldly even.
“Yeah, I know love,” Stuart said, in his adorable young voice. Words that he shouldn’t be able to speak, but he knew Alex and the other kids had a play in helping this boy. “Alex makes you feel love.”
“What is love though, kid?” he asked. “You can’t touch it or see it.”
Stuart pursed his lips. “You’re wrong,” he said after several seconds had passed.
“I don’t think so, kid.”
The young boy smiled. “Alex. You can see her. She is real. She loves a lot, and you can see it. When she hugs me and kisses my cheek, I feel it. Alex is full of love.”
Roman stared at his wife and knew the kid was right.
“You’re right,” he said, ruffling his head.
“You love her, but you don’t realize it yet. Alex has a way of making you love her.”
“Oh, yeah, how does she do that?” Roman asked, and he couldn’t believe he was listening to a kid for advice.
“She doesn’t give up on you, and she doesn’t force it.” Stuart got to his feet, and much to Roman’s surprise, he hugged him tightly before running off to join in the fun.
Alex tapped out, laughing and a little out of breath.
Roman held up a glass of fresh water, and she came toward him to take it and sip at it.
“Thanks. It has been too long since I’ve been chasing after kids,” she said, hand on hip.
“You should be taking it easy.”
“The doctor gave me the all-clear. I do not need to worry, trust me.”
“I worry, and I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I won’t, I promise.” She sat down beside him. “I saw Stuart coming to say hi. How was he?”
“I honestly don’t know. Is that a good thing?” he asked.
She started to laugh. “Stuart’s a good kid. He doesn’t trust easily, but he gave you a hug. That is a big thing in his world. It means he does trust you, a little.” She held her fingers close together.
“Ah, just a little though.”