"Mommy?" Arsenio said to Adriana.
"Yes, baby?" Adriana replied.
"I can...see dogs?" he asked.
There was a team of men in the manor with detection dogs. They were searching everywhere for opiates. Arsenio had seen them through the window as a team searched the grounds. Adriana and Arsenio were staying in Arsenio's room while the search went on. Adriana had just gotten her stitches removed but the scarring on her face was still very apparent. Arsenio understood that the scar was not bad, but it was a secret. Sometimes he forgot.
"Sweetie, remember the secret," Adriana said and tilted her cheek towards him.
"Ohhh," he said to her.
He didn't understand why the dogs were there. Adriana had lied and told him that they were searching for bats, which regularly made their way into Wayne Manor and would sometimes even nest in the higher areas of the mansion.
"Mommy?" Arsenio asked.
"Yes, my love?" Adriana replied and watched him assembling a Lego robot that he had been designing.
He was too small at two years old to play with tiny Legos. He kept asking for them, and finally Adriana and Bruce agreed to get him the set after he promised them several times to never put the Legos into his mouth.
"Daddy is helping them?" he asked.
"Yes, baby," Adriana said to him. "I'm sure they'll be done soon."
Bruce was with Dr. Kapoor. Since he had decided to complete rehab at home, they were setting everything up. Bruce was being drug tested and talking with the doctor about the plan going forward.
"Sweetie," Adriana said. "How about we clean up and take a break from building? Alfred traerá nuetro almuerzo pronto."
"We eat potatoes?" Arsenio asked after Adriana told him that Alfred was bringing up lunch soon.
"Complete with little potato cubes, like you requested," Adriana said with a smile.
Arsenio smiled and began to collect Legos and put them into a box. Alfred was in a few minutes later and Arsenio insisted that Alfred eat with them. Adriana wasn't sure Alfred would be up for eating on the floor with them picnic style on a blanket, but he had joined them easily. After lunch, Arsenio asked again about Bruce.
"Daddy still helping dogs?" Arsenio asked.
"I believe so," Alfred replied. "But I was informed that they would be completed with their work at around 1:30."
Arsenio reached for Alfred's wrist and looked at his watch. It took him a moment to look and the watch's hands to determine what time it was. Adriana and Alfred watched him try to remember which hands meant what.
"Um..." Arsenio said. "One...Four!"
"Correct," Alfred said. "It's 1:04."
"I could go check and see how everything is going," Adriana said. She was genuinely curious.
"Are you certain? I could go if you'd like," Alfred offered.
"No, I'll just wear my mask," Adriana said and pulled the large blue paper surgical mask out of her pocket. It covered the entire lower half of her face. "If any of the people out there ask any questions, I'll just start a rumor that I had a rhinoplasty or something. Still healing."
Alfred laughed briefly. "Alright then."
"I'll be right back 'Seni," Adriana said to Arsenio.
"Okay mommy," Arsenio said, excitedly, hoping he would be able to see his father before his naptime, which he knew was coming soon.
