"Mommy!" Arsenio called out as Bruce brought him into the kitchen.
"Hi, my sweet boy," Adriana said and stopped the food processor which was full of carrot pulp.
"Afee!" he called to Alfred who was putting a few groceries into the refrigerator.
Alfred smiled at Arsenio. "You certainly love to greet others."
"I'm sure that's his favorite thing to do," Bruce said.
"Well," Adriana said. "My baby is definitely not shy."
"Not in the least," Alfred said.
"So did you have fun?" Adriana asked and looked at Bruce and Arsenio.
"Ya maysnaay!" Arsenio said. "Dak maysnaay!"
"Made a snake," Bruce said. "Looked like it was made of newspaper. Very impressive."
"Looked like?" Adriana asked. "You didn't see them making it?"
"I had to run an errand," Bruce said.
Adriana and Alfred both looked at Bruce in complete surprise.
"So...just a playdate for Jack and Arsenio?" Adriana clarified.
"Yes," Bruce answered.
Adriana smiled and walked over to give Bruce a kiss. She felt Arsenio's hand on her shoulder.
"Of course my baby gets a kiss too," Adriana said and kissed Arsenio on the dimple in his cheek.
"What are you making?" Bruce asked and looked at what looked like a miniature cupcake tray.
"Mini carrot cakes," Adriana said. "It's for my little one. I found a recipe online for carrot cakes for babies."
"Sounds tasty right?" Bruce asked Arsenio and he nodded, although he had never tried carrot cake.
"Your lunch tray is ready," Alfred told Arsenio. "Chicken, peas, and sweet potatoes."
"That sounds good too," Bruce said and Arsenio nodded again.
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"That truck is full of cartons of powdered milk," Bruce explained to Arsenio.
After lunch they sat in Bruce's office on his couch. Bruce held Arsenio on his lap and explained the food efforts being made in Madagascar. It had been a while since Arsenio had accidentally seen a news report about famine and both Bruce and Adriana knew that it has upset him. Bruce had spent millions on aid for the country and he was happy to do it.
"Plenty of cases of water," Bruce said as they looked at the pictures on his tablet.
"Tayoo Daddy," Arsenio said and leaned against Bruce's chest.
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.
"You smell lovely," the man behind Shade whispered into her ear she he held a metal bar over her throat.
He was standing behind her and they were fighting. She felt the bar's pressure on her windpipe. She felt his nose touch her ear and felt herself recoil in disgust but knew that this was her opportunity while he was distracted. She stayed still for a second, letting him believe he was in control, and when he least expected it, she hit him hard in the gut. In a split second she had him down on his back on the ground and the bar pressed over his neck.
"You don't," she said and hit him hard across the face.
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