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Here’s a snippet from my current WIP The Lone Ranger. Chapter 1 can be found here, and chapter 2 can be found here. This is tid bit from chapter 4:
“I missed you,” Jonah mumbles.
“I missed you too,” TK replies and kiss the top of his little head. “Sorry I’ve been gone for so long.”
Jonah leans his head back so he can look up into TK’s face. “When’s Papa Carlos gonna be home?”
TK feels himself slump and tries to hide the wounded expression that begins to work its way across his face.
“Soon,” he lies. He really doesn’t know. He’s starting to show signs of improvement, but it could still be a long time. And no matter how long, it will be too long.
“Why can’t he come home now?” Jonah demands, wiggling like he’s ready to be let down, but TK is ready to let him go just yet.
“He’s…” TK can’t find the words. There’s no doubt in his mind that Jonah has already figured out something is wrong, with both of his parents being away so long with no explanation, how could he not know?
Andrea pins TK down with a look. He needs to tell him.
“Why can’t he come home?” Jonah repeats.
TK sighs and walks over to the couch, where sets Jonah down before sitting down next to him.
“Jonah,” TK starts. The look Jonah gives him is concerned and bewildered. TK takes a deep breath, this going to be harder than he thought. This is the first time since everything happened that he’s had to face Jonah not through a video call facilitated by his dad or Andrea. “Papa Carlos is in the hospital.”
Jonah raises both of his eyebrows in alarm. “Is he sick?!”
TK shakes his head. “He got hurt at work. I’ve been staying with him.”
“Oh,” Jonah says, his mind deep at work behind his brown eyes. “Can I stay with him too?”
“No, buddy,” TK says gently, and brushes the hair out of his brother’s face. Saying no to his little brother is one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do. He knows Jonah misses Carlos too. “Not right now. He has to rest for a while so he can get better.”
“What if I’m really quiet?” Jonah asks, lowering his voice to a whisper. “I can be very quiet.” He lowers his voice even more. “I’ll be extra careful not to wake him up.”
A weak chuckle makes it out of TK’s throat, and he smiles at Jonah. He smiles a real smile for the first time since Carlos was shot. “As soon as he wakes up, you can come see him, okay?”
Jonah frowns, weighing this in his mind before finally nodding, finding these terms agreeable. “Okay.” Then he fixes TK with a look that is so very serious and stern. No four year old has any business throwing out looks like that. “He’s going to be okay.”
TK doesn’t say anything, but instead pulls Jonah into a tight hug. He holds him until the kid finally decides he has had enough and pulls away, hopping off the couch.
“Do you want to see what me and Aubela made?”
TK smiles after him as he scampers across the loft to his room. “You know I do.”
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