Shifting Boundaries

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Felix

Spencer decided to keep the part-time defenders working full-time for the next two weeks so he could give each of the full-timers some extra time off to make up for our long hours while Neruda was with us. It was Monday and I didn't have to go in again until Saturday afternoon's patrol, and even that was only a half shift.

Everett had to drive up to Delta for the day, which normally would have upset me on my day off, but I was looking forward to some bonding time with Griffin without Everett there to soak up all of his attention. Griffin had been with us for days now and he let me hold him only when Everett wasn't available. I knew I should be glad he was letting me hold him regularly at all, but I wanted more.

It was six in the morning and Everett had just left. Griffin was crying at the window, staring down the driveway while Everett drove off. I crouched down next to him – near, but not too near- and said, "Daddy Everett will be back later." I felt odd calling him that, but Anya said it would be a good way for him to naturally transition into calling us Daddy and Papa. Whenever someone spoke to him about us, we were referred to as Daddy Everett and Papa Felix. Hopefully one day soon, he would drop our names altogether.

Griffin didn't respond to me, he just stayed by the window, watching for Everett's car. He was used to me going off to work, but Everett had been with Griffin ever since the first night. I felt bad for Griffin and had no idea what to do to help. A distraction, maybe? "Hey, do you want some breakfast?" I asked.

Griffin looked at me, tears still rolling down his plump toddler cheeks. "Eggs?" He asked. I thought they might be a new discovery of his and he adored them. Griffin asked for them at every meal.

"Of course. I'll make you some eggs. Do you want to help?"

And just like that, Griffin was distracted. "Yeah!" I held my hands out and Griffin stepped into them without hesitation, wrapping his little arms around me and pressing his hands on the back of my neck. They were a little damp, which was disturbing. I tried not to think too hard about what might be on his hands and walked him into the kitchen.

"Okay, first we have to wash our hands," I said, setting Griffin down on the counter next to the sink. He had "helped" me with cooking a couple of times now, so he knew the routine. I squirted some soap on his hands and washed mine alongside him. He ended up wet all over, but I thought he was starting to get better at it.

I set Griffin down on the floor while I gathered everything we needed to make scrambled eggs, setting it on the counter. When I was done, I put Griffin on the counter next to the bowl and handed him the whisk. He loved whisking and stirring – pretty much anything with a blunt kitchen utensil was exciting for him. He started swinging the whisk in the empty bowl and I laughed at his eagerness.

I cracked eggs and dumped them in the bowl and Griffin giggled while he broke the yolks with the tip of the whisk, stabbing at them violently and delighting when they oozed. The front door slammed open and Griffin jolted in surprise. My hands went out automatically to catch him before he could fall off the counter and he laughed again.

Mel came into the kitchen and I shot her an annoyed look. "Do you have to make so much noise coming in?" I asked. "You startled Griffin."

Meleri just rolled her eyes and kissed Griffin's forehead – something she had worked up to with him. She could hold him for a couple of minutes at a time and she could press kisses all over his face while he laughed. She was also allowed to play ball and stack blocks with him. Mel was annoyed because Magnus could hold Griffin longer before he started asking for Everett or even me, and she was determined to win Griffin over by showing up for any meal she could.