"Mommy, my hand doesn't hurt now," Arsenio said to Adriana, interrupting her as she read him a story.
"Sweetie," Adriana said. "You remember what the doctor said. No writing...I know your hand feels better but that's because you're resting it. It will get better and better until you can write again."
"But it is better now Mommy," he said. "Already!"
"I'm glad," Adriana said. "But I'm sorry, no writing yet."
Arsenio looked down at the picture of the castle in the book. He reached forward and turned the page. There was a picture of a king and queen. The queen was holding a baby.
"Mommy..." he said and pointed to the queen. "Daddy..."
Arsenio's finger pointed to the king.
"Me..." he said and pointed to the baby in the queen's arms.
Arsenio looked at her.
"Right Mommy?" Arsenio asked.
"Well, yes baby," she said. "It's a mommy, a daddy, and a baby."
Arsenio looked at the picture. He touched the king's red hair and then the red hair that was peeking out of the baby's blanket.
"Where did they get him?" he asked Adriana.
"Get who honey?" she asked.
"Baby?" he asked. "Like me? Where did you and daddy get me?"
"Well, honey," Adriana said. "Remember the pictures I showed you of when I was pregnant?"
He nodded.
"Mommy I was in your tummy," he said.
"Yes," she said, hoping he wouldn't ask more. It was something he asked about sometimes but it was different now. Adriana felt nervous.
"How?" he asked.
"Sweetie, it's very complicated," she said. "But Daddies put the baby in there. And then the baby grows and comes out. I can tell you more when you are bigger."
Adriana told him the same thing every time he asked, and he usually just accepted it.
"So...Daddy put me in your tummy?" he asked.
"Daddies put babies in there, yes," she replied.
Arsenio was examining her answer. He had heard it many times before.
"Daddy?" he asked.
"We'll talk about it when you're bigger, I promise," she said.
"But Mommy..." he said.
"Hm?" she remained as calm and matter-of-fact as possible, even though she wanted to continue reading his book to him.
"You said...Daddies put babies," he said.
"Right," she said.
"Daddy put me?" he asked.
Adriana knew what he was asking. There was no way she could talk about this with Arsenio without Bruce present.
"We'll talk about it with Daddy when he comes home," Adriana said. Surely Bruce could find a way to get Arsenio to stop asking so many questions.
"Okay," Arsenio said.
.
.
.
"Lucius," Adriana said and went into Lucius' office.
