Listen, Obey

34. Thirty-Fourth Lesson

Matthews left for the club around 6 PM. He was reluctant to leave, and I practically had to shove him out through the front door. I wasn't happy about him leaving, either, but I knew he had important business to attend—most of them pertaining to me.

Tilia and I cuddled down in the sofa to watch Frozen—again, I should say. This time she wanted me to sing along to the songs, which I did to her delight. She was too young to mock me for my lack of singing skills, but she did laugh, quite loudly I should add.

"Ethan, again!" she demanded after her favorite song. She was bouncing in the sofa, ready to leap up and reach for the stars. She was adorable.

"You want to make me sing again?" I ruffled her hair.

Her small hands flew up to protect her curls. "Yes, I wanna sing more."

I chuckled as she took the remote and pressed rewind. It was hard to say no to her, and I wasn't all that bothered. As long as she was having fun, it was fine by me. I wanted her to keep laughing—I even needed it.

I never got the chance to do this with my younger sister; I never sang with her. I pressed the thought away as fast as it emerged. I had no intention of reliving more memories today.

Tilia started singing, belting out the words with the enthusiasm worthy of a puppy. Her pure joy was contagious, and I soon followed, trying y best to remember the lyrics.

We ended up singing the same song two more times before she was satisfied.

As soon as the movie ended, Tilia's stomach let out a soft murmur. I winced. I should have made something to eat before watching. It was one thing to disregard my own hunger, but not hers.

"Want to help me fix dinner?" I asked, pulling down the blanket she was hiding beneath. She was faking a sulk because the movie ended.

When her button nose peeked over the edge, she nodded.

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"You are. No need to lie."

She blushed I wondered if she lied to make me feel better about my mistake, or if it was something else For some reason, I thought of Evelyn The woman clearly wasn't fit to take care of a child. Perhaps she hadn't liked Tilia to voice her needs. It was a strange conclusion to make, but something told me that I wasn't far from the truth.

"Let's go down and see what Daddy has in his fridge," I said, getting to my feet. This sofa is far too comfortable, I mused. It was difficult to tear oneself away from it.

Tilia got up beside me and smiled, bringing one of her fluffy toys with her. It was a bear I hadn't seen before.

"What's this fella called?" I pointed at the bear.

She hugged the bear to her chest before handing it to me like it was a precious gift. "He's called Mr. Bear."

"Oh, Mr. Bear. He must be a very important bear then." I held the toy carefully, stroking his brown fluff of a coat.

"He's the best bear. He can jump really high."

"Is that so?" I handed her the bear, thinking that she might show me. She took him and threw him up in the air, catching him just before he would land on the hardwood floor.

"That's what I call I high jump," I conceded.

The grin on Tilia's face was unstoppable. "Can we have pizza?"

"Let's find out," I replied, not sure what we would find in the kitchen. It was Matthews' kitchen after all, and he didn't seem like the guy who stocked frozen pizza. I very much doubted it, in fact.