The Kingpin

•23•

Rafael

  Rafael is making himself nauseous as he stares at the ceiling fan overhead. Meanwhile, Amelia is sound asleep and has an arm draped over his stomach. He hadn't truly slept in a few days so this had become the way his nights were spent.

  She stirs a little in her sleep, mumbling nonsense before turning her back to him. He can't help but find himself fixated on the curve of her body in the moonlight from the grand window. Rafa complained about this exact thing the other day, saying he spent good money to keep all light out when it wasn't welcome. She had laughed and said, "If we didn't have light, there would be no us."

  He knew she meant the scientific connotations more than anything else but it didn't stop the smile that crossed his lips for the split second in which he lost his grip.

  The phone rang from his office, drawing him out of his eye-burning spiral. It wasn't a necessarily inappropriate time to be calling someone but it still made him irrationally angry. Amelia often fell asleep rather early and woke up in the wee-hours of the morning. Sometimes he'd slip out once she was asleep and work in his office but he didn't want to be away from her tonight.

"What?" Rafa spat to the person on the other end of the phone. His right hand had balled up into a fist as he tapped it against the top of his desk.

"Are you sober enough to see the kid who won't stop asking to come and see you?" Danielle's voice was just as harsh as his had been.

"Danielle," He began lowly. It was a warning.

She wasn't having it today. "Don't 'Danielle' me. Are you sober or not? If so, I'm stopping by and you are going to see her."

He had been somewhat sober since the day before Amelia showed up. He was too dumb to make the deeper connection.

"Well?" Her impatience had superseded itself years ago but the edge in her voice was particularly evident today.

Rafael turned around at a pressing sound to see Amelia leaning against the doorframe; it could've been a leisurely move but he doubted it. She looked so small that it frightened him.

"Yes. Fine."

His back was to her again.

"Fantastic." The woman replied but her voice hadn't changed in intonation at all. "See you at six."

He hung up the phone and said, "Kalani is coming over tomorrow."

Her face lit up even though he couldn't see it. When he could, he was met with a bright smile. It was the most alive she had looked in days.

Maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

••••

Amelia

"Miss Amelia!" Kalani's voice sounds throughout the lower level as she bounds into the house.

"Hi!" Amelia leans over to wrap her arms around the little girl hugging her legs. "You ready to hang out with us?"

She nodded quickly and pulled at the bottom of Amelia's shirt. "Are you and Daddy gonna play with me?"

"Of course! He's upstairs right now but all three of us are gonna have a good night."

Danielle had been hanging back against the door until this point, when she stepped forward and gave Amelia a smile.

"Can I borrow Miss Amelia for a few minutes, kid?"

  Kalani nods and heads into the kitchen in search of snack foods she wouldn't find. In the meantime, Danielle runs a hand through her hair and sighs.