Burned

37

           It was seven in the morning when Teddy Solomons came catapulting down the stairs. His nanny tried to keep up but he jumped the last two steps and stumbled into his father's study.

Alfie chucked when the little boy slid across the polished wood floors in his socks. He stood and caught his son before he collided with Cyril who was nearly the same size as Teddy. "And here comes Theodore Solomons coming in fast as a bolt of lightning!" He grinned.

Elizabeth, the nanny they'd hired around Teddy's second birthday, came running in. "Sorry Mr. Solomons, tried to keep up with him." She panted breathlessly. Tending for the active boy was a work out every day.

"S'alright, Liz, I've got him. Go and get some breakfast." Alfie relieved her of her duties.

Breathless and wide-eyed, Teddy grabbed Alfie's beard. "Daddy, it's my birthday!" He chirped happily.

Alfie rested him on his hip. "Oh no, that can't be right. You just had a birthday." He teased and pretended to be serious. "Weren't it just last month? Yeah, you ain't any older, mate. Just a regular old day."

Teddy just giggled. "No!"

"Yep, in fact, think it's my birthday." He chuckled and playfully threw Teddy over his shoulder, "What'd you get me, then?"

The toddler shrieked with joy. "Not your birthday!"

Every single day reminded Alfie how lucky he was. What sort of happiness he'd found on borrowed time. Teddy was the light of his life and vice versa. The bond between father and son was unbreakable. It reassured Alfie that when his time came, he made a lasting impression in Teddy's life. One that would hopefully last.

Alfie carried Teddy out to the patio where Louise was enjoying the brisk fall morning. The two foxhounds they bought were outside with her. They were strays that she'd found wandering the pastures. Of course, Alfie couldn't turn them away and figured they could be helpful. He managed to train them to be protective and to tag along on Louise's daily rides on Paris. That way he could be assured that she had some sort of defense if she ever needed it even if Surrey was very tamed compared to London. Cyril was far too lazy to get the task done, especially at his age, and Alfie certainly wasn't going to get on a horse and join his wife. So, they brought in the dogs and let Teddy name them. Thus, Baby and Ollie were welcomed into the Solomons household. Of course the latter being named after Alfie's former assistant whom Teddy adored.

"There's the birthday boy!" Louise exclaimed and the hounds began to yip happily. Cyril stood his ground beside Alfie, nipping at the pups if they got too close to him.

"Hold on now, ain't his birthday."

Louise gave her husband a playful look. "Don't tease him. Of course, it is!"

"Oh, right, s'pose it is then." He chuckled and handed over the now three-year-old to her.

"Hello, love, happy birthday." She murmured to Teddy, kissing his cheek a few times.

Teddy giggled and clung to her. "I'm three." He reminded her.

"Three?" Alfie sat down, letting Cyril sit between his knees. Baby and Ollie began to chase each other in circles around the yard. "No, no, can't be three." He shook his head adamantly and stroked Cyril's ears. "Three is practically all grown up."

Louise smiled and sat down at the patio table as well. "Next thing you know you'll be dressing up suits like daddy." But behind her smile, she knew there was a bittersweetness to the day. She'd woken up that morning even before Alfie. Sitting up in bed, she stared at the wall, dumbfounded. Her little boy was going to be three. Wasn't it just yesterday that she was holding him for the first time? Wasn't it just last week that she married Alfie? It couldn't have been more than a year since she first met him standing outside of the bakery. Life moved so fast. She just wanted to grab the passing time and dig her heels into the ground. Try and hold it back from going by so fast so she could savor the moments just a little longer. Just one more minute. One more second.