Page 9 of Angelic Acts
“I used to have herpetophobia. I was afraid of reptiles.” As the girls’ faces fill with worry, I back pedal. “But then I learned that they’re all very nice creatures.”
The girls no longer look convinced, so I pull the camera away from Lulu.
Lucia breaks the silence. “What made you change your mind?”
Memories of my sweet angel and all her wonderful pets come to mind, filling me with warmth.
“A friend of mine, she has a lot of reptile pets, and they’re all very nice,” I answer shyly, begging my cheeks to stop blushing.
“Uncle Bash, do you have a girlfriend?” Sofia giggles when she asks.
“Umm…”
Isabel shushes her, but that doesn’t deter her sisters.
“Uncle Bash, why don’t you have a wife? Uncle Matty has Aunt Margot. Uncle Dom has Aunt Kat. Tio Felipe has Tia Carmen. Daddy has Mommy. But you’re all alone,” Lucia, oh so innocently, asks.
“I… umm…”
Sofia squints her eyes at me, as if trying to determine my reasoning. “Are you waiting until you’re old enough? Daddy said we can’t kiss boys until we’re sixty-five years old.”
“I am old enough; I just don’t have one.” I add before they get the wrong idea. “I’m not sixty-five though. Grandpa and Grams didn’t make me wait that long.”
“Maybe Uncle Bash likes to be alone. You guys are being mean!” Isabel unhelpfully adds.
“Girls, stop being rude to your uncle. Go meet Daddy in the bathroom to brush your teeth,” Cecilia redirects her daughters.
I say my goodbyes, then they reluctantly hand their mother the phone. Cecilia chuckles before facing me.
“I’m sorry for them, Bash. They just don’t understand why you’re single when all their other uncles are married.” She winces. “I didn’t mean it like that. You know we love you.”
“It’s okay, Cecilia. It really is.”
“You know, Bash, you’re a great guy. If you put yourself out there, you’ll find a great woman. You’ll make some girl very happy. I just know your girl is right around the corner, waiting for you.”
She is. My Lizzy’s a simple walk away, but it’s a path I can’t take. I can’t risk her in this world.
We say our goodbyes, and I go about my nighttime routine. Brush my teeth, wash my face, study my flashcards.
The night isn’t complete until I run through my deck of Lizzy flashcards. Each and every one intentional. At this point,I’ve memorized all of them. Every time I learn something new about her, I add it to the deck. There are over four hundred, but that doesn’t stop me.
I crave more. It’ll never be enough. I need to know every detail about my angel. All her likes, dislikes, every fact about every animal she cares for… The need to know more is an unending hunger that I welcome.
It’s a hunger I never want satiated.
Chapter 5
Lizzy
Every Saturday evening is spent at Tom and Betty’s for dinner. Tonight is no different. I showered and changed at work, so I go directly to their house.
As I approach the house that glows year-round with white Christmas lights, warmth overwhelms me. They aren’t related to me by blood, but they’re the closest thing I have to family.
I park on the street in front of their cozy home and walk up the path to the front door. Knocking once, I slip my key into the lock and let myself in. While they’re both spry, I try to minimize the physical tasks they do for me, even something as simple as walking to the door.
The entrance leads straight into a foyer. From here, Tom studying a chessboard is in my line of sight, causing me to smirk. Looks like he’s preparing to lose to me this evening.
As I strip off my coat, Betty comes shuffling down the hallway. The elderly woman brings forth almost as much comfort as the smell of the lasagna does. She has Tom wrapped around her precious finger, as evident by the way he stands when she enters the room.
